Call number: LD2668 .T4 1956 K55 / Master of Science

Four strains of the fluorescent pseudomonads were studied to determine the effect of controlled atmospheres on the growth and fluorescent siderophore production at pH 6.0 and 7.8. Bacterial strains were grown in Liquid King's Medium B for 48 hr in the presence of O2/CO2 combination percentages of 21.0/0.03, 18.3/3.0, 15.0/6.0, 12.0/9.0, and 9.0/12.0. The bacterial biomass was determined after centrifugation and the siderophores were isolated, partially purified, and quantified spectrophotometrically. Results showed a steady decline in growth and in siderophore production per unit biomass with decreases in the O2/CO2 ratio at pH 7.8 and to a lesser extent at pH 6.0. The average percentage changes in siderophore production levels, relative to control were +0.8, -1.2, -18.2, and -40.6 at pH 6.0; -33.0, -50.4, -66.8, and -64.1 at pH 7.8 in the presence of O2CO2 levels of 18.0/3.0, 15.0/6.0, 12.0/9.0, and 9.0/12.0, respectively.

published_or_final_version / Pathology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Ecology and Biodiversity / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Microbiology / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The role of ecological opportunity in adaptive radiation has been demonstrated by the diversification of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 in a spatially structured microcosm. This provides an ideal system for studying the genetics of adaptation and asking questions about the genes that matter in evolution. Previous studies have identified the genes that are necessary for the evolved, biofilm-forming, niche-specialist genotype, the wrinkly spreader (WS). These genes are organised in two operons: the wss operon that encodes the genes for cellulose biosynthesis, and the wsp operon that encodes a chemosensory pathway. The terminal gene in the wsp operon, wspR, encodes a novel response regulator thought to regulate the activity of the wss operon. This gene forms the basis of this study, which assesses the role of regulatory genes in adaptive evolution. The structure-function relationship of WspR is established through the phenotypic analysis of overexpressed wspR random point mutants. On this basis a model of WspR activity is proposed which is tested by molecular genetic analysis. The role of phosphorylation is demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis, and domain liberation is used to study the interaction of WspR with the other components of the signalling pathway. As the overexpression of certain wspR mutant alleles mimics the evolutionary transition from ancestor to niche-specialist, the fitness effects of such overexpression are measured. It is found that some, but not all, wspR alleles do indeed cause adaptation. It is also found that a phenotypically-plastic genotype, with enhanced fitness, can be created by artificial manipulation, but does not occur naturally; this demonstrates the existence of a constraint on evolution. Sequence analysis of independently-isolated WS genotypes shows no evidence of wspR sequence variation, despite its capacity to enhance fitness. A further proteomic and phenotypic characterisation shows variation between ancestral and WS genotypes, and also between different WS genotypes. This demonstrates that there are different mutational routes to the same adaptation.

Certains composants nutritionnels sont capables de moduler la réaction inflammatoire et la réponse immune. Ils pourraient être très utiles dans l’augmentation de la résistance de l’hôte aux maladies infectieuses, en particulier dans l’infection pulmonaire à P. aeruginosa qui est caractérisée par une réponse inflammatoire excessive et dont la sévérité est associée à une réponse immunitaire de type Th2. Le premier objectif de ce travail a été de tester l’effet anti-inflammatoire d’un régime enrichi acides gras polyinsaturés n-3 (EPA/DHA) au cours d’une infection pulmonaire aigue à P. aeruginosa sur des souris déficientes pour le gène cftr. Des résultats antérieurs suggérant que les souris femelles sont plus sensibles à l’infection que les souris mâles, les bénéfices de cette alimentation ont été analysés selon le sexe des souris. Le second objectif a été d’étudier l’effet des oligosaccharides acides dérivés de la pectine de Citrus (pAOS) au cours d’une infection pulmonaire chronique à P. aeruginosa. L’hypothèse testée était que les pAOS en favorisant le balancement de la réponse Th2 vers une réponse Th1 pourrait améliorer le pronostic de l’infection. Leur effet immunomodulateur a été évalué chez deux fonds génétiques murins différents : des souris BALB/c et C57BL/6 connues pour développer respectivement une réponse immune de type Th2 et Th1. Ces 3 études sont basées sur l’administration endo-trachéale d’une suspension de P. aeruginosa pour l’infection aigue ou de P. aeruginosa inclus dans des billes d’agar pour une infection chronique chez des souris nourries pendant 6 semaines (souris cftr-/-) et 5 semaines (BALB/c et C57BL/6) par une diète contrôle ou d’une diète spécifique. Les paramètres cliniques mesurés sont la survie et la clairance bactérienne pulmonaire, et les paramètres biologiques sont pour la réponse inflammatoire le dénombrement des polynucléaires, des macrophages et le dosage de cytokines pro- et anti-inflammatoires et pour la réponse immune le dosage des cytokines Th1 et Th2, l’expression de marqueurs de différentiation des lymphocytes Th1, Th2 et de polarisation des macrophages M1 et M2. Les souris BALB/c et C57BL/6 survivantes à une première infection ont été réinfectées et leur charge bactérienne pulmonaire a été mesurée. / Some nutritional components are able to modulate the inflammatory response and the immune response. They could be very useful in increasing the host resistance to infectious diseases, particularly in the P. aeruginosa pulmonary infection which is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response and the severity of which is associated with a Th2 type immune response. The first objective of this study was to test the anti-inflammatory effect of a diet enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA/DHA) during an acute pulmonary infection with P. aeruginosa in mice deficient for the cftr gene. Because previous results suggested that female mice are more susceptible to infection than male mice, the benefits of this diet were analyzed according to the mice gender. The second objective was to study the effect of acidic oligosaccharides derived from citrus pectin (pAOS) during a chronic lung infection with P. aeruginosa. The hypothesis was that pAOS by promoting the balancing of the Th2 response towards a Th1 response could improve the prognosis of the infection. Their immunomodulatory effect was evaluated in two different murine genetic backgrounds: BALB/c and C57BL/6, known to develop respectively a Th2 and a Th1 immune response. These three studies are based on the endotracheal administration of a suspension of P. aeruginosa for the acute infection or P. aeruginosa embedded in agar beads for the chronic infection in mice fed a control diet or a specific diet for 6 weeks (cftr-/- mice) or 5 weeks (BALB/c and C57BL/6). The clinical parameters measured were survival and pulmonary bacterial clearance. Biological parameters for the inflammatory response were the polymorphonuclear cells and macrophages counting and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines assay in the bronchoalveolar lavage, and for the immune response the Th1 and Th2 cytokines assay, the expression of differentiation markers of Th1 and Th2 cells and M1 and M2 macrophages. BALB/c and C57BL/6 surviving at the first infection were reinfected and the pulmonary bacterial load was measured.