Predatory Bacteria: Investigating the Role of Lipopolysaccharides and opmA Mutations on Predation by Isaac Masters

Predatory Bacteria: Investigating the Role of Lipopolysaccharides and opmA Mutations on Predation by Isaac Masters

Biology

In recent years, there have been studies that evaluate the potential use of predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus to control the multidrug-resistant (MDR), Gram-negative pathogens associated with human infections. This study was focused on analyzing various Lipopolysaccharide and outer membrane protein mutants of forty Acinetobacter baumannii mutants in order to evaluate which factors play a role in predation. Although most of the cycle of the Bdellovibrio is known, it is still relatively unknown how these predatory bacteria attach to its prey. By co-culturing Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J with a model MDR organism, Acinetobacter baumannii, we were able to identify and examine specific mutations that result in decreased predation of the predatory bacteria on the model organism. Acinetobacter baumannii with an outer membrane protein (OMP) mutation on OmpA showed a decrease in predation after 24h. Additional experiments were done on one OmpA mutated Escherichia coli and three Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains but no significant effect was found. We have established that Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus reduced the amount of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii similarly in all mutants except outer membrane protein A. This research indicates that the attachment mechanism of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus to Acinetobacter baumannii might play a vital role in predation. With the help of future studies, the proceeding steps would be to analyze the methodology further in order to solidify if outer membrane proteins play a role in attachment.

Isaac Masters

Senior Showcase Poster presentation

Ripon College

April 17, 2018

The author reserves all rights.

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Major: Chemistry-Biology

Greenfield, Illinois

BIO 502: Biology Senior Seminar