Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-66).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-121).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1962. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Inaug.-Diss. - Berlin. / Lebenslauf. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Brevibacillus laterosporus (B. laterosporus) is a pathogen difficult to distinguish from Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae), and contributes to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of honeybees. To develop a biocontrol agent to limit its presence, bacteriophages were isolated from Utah County soil samples and used to infect B. laterosporus isolated from Utah County honey and larvae samples. Since CCD is prevalent in Utah beehives, bacteriophage that infect and lyse B. laterosporus may be isolated and characterized. Pathogens were isolated from soil samples, and 16S rRNA gene tests initially identified the strains as P. larvae. Bacteriophages were isolated, purified, and amplified sufficiently to obtain images by electron microscope and genome sequencing by 454 pyrosequencing. Genomes were annotated with DNA Master, a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program. Open reading frames (ORF's) were compared to the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) database of primary biological sequence information via the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) algorithm. Later testing determined the pathogen to actually be B. laterosporus. Plaques demonstrated lytic activity, and electron microscopy revealed bacteriophages of the myoviridae family. The five sequenced genomes were composed of linear dsDNA ranging from 45,552 to 58,572 base pairs in length, 92 to 100 genes per genome, and a 38.10% to 41.44% range of G + C content. Discovering and describing new bacteriophages is a reasonably reproducible process and contributes to appreciating the diverse relationships between bacteriophage, bacteria, and eukaryota. Scientific facilitation of the bacteriophages role in limiting detrimental bacteria may contribute as an adjunctive therapy for CCD.

No description available.

No description available.

The causative agent of the most devastating honeybee disease, American foulbrood (AFB), is the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. To prevent AFB outbreaks beekeepers prophylactically treat their hives with antibiotics even though it decreases the overall health of uninfected hives. A new treatment for AFB is needed due to recent legislation against using antibiotics, antibiotic resistance developing in P. larvae, and the resilience of P. larvae spores. Bacteriophages, or phages, are an attractive alternative to traditional antibiotics because of their specificity and ability to evolve alongside their target bacterium. In this study, two phage cocktails were developed for the treatment of AFB. The first cocktail was comprised of Brevibacillus laterosporus phages. B. laterosporus is a commensal microbe in most honeybee guts. When treated with B. laterosporus phages, B. laterosporus is induced to produce an antimicrobial toxin to which P. larvae is highly sensitive. Treating AFB infected hives with B. laterosporus phages was able to clear active infections at a rate of 75% as opposed to untreated hives that did not recover. However, B. laterosporus phages did not clear latent P. larvae spores and recovered hives relapsed after treatment. The second cocktail was comprised of P. larvae phages and hives treated with the second cocktail recovered at a rate of 100%, protected 100% of at-risk hives, and treated hives did not relapse with AFB suggesting neutralization of P. larvae spores. A P. larvae phage used in the second cocktail was examined to identify any spore-phage interactions. Results from modified plaque assays, fluorescence from FITC-labeled phages bound to spores, and electron microscopy images all confirm that phages bind to P. larvae spores. Phage therapy for the treatment of AFB is an exciting avenue not only as an alternative to chemical antibiotics, but rather a treatment that can neutralize P. larvae spores.

In diploma thesis I dealt with American foulbrood infection. At first I was focusing on disease hazards of foulbrood and I was investigating the pathogenesis of the disease bacteria Paenibacillus larvae. Then I carried out analysis of slumgum by culture test in the laboratory. I watched the bacteria P. larvae under a microscope. Next, I followed outbreaks announced by Regional Veterinary Administration. I investigated procedures of the Regional Veterinary Administration in accordance with legislation and decree during detecting the disease of AFB on the habitats. At the end, I developed a list of proclaimed outbreaks in South Bohemia into graphs and chart for the period from 2006 to 2013. The only treatment against this disease so far is burning hives, including all equipment of apiary. That is why I pointed out the importance of reporting suspected outbreaks of American foulbrood, respecting the rules and precautions by beekeepers, and beekeepers should also breed only healthy and strong beehives. Only then the spread of American foulbrood can be prevented and the originator of American foulbrood, the P. larvae, which is very durable, can be suppressed.