Characterization of lipooligosaccharide as a phage receptor and fitness factor in Burkholderia cenocepacia

• Author / Creator

  Abdu, Ashraf H

• The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) are ubiquitous in nature and can be isolated from soil, water, plants and more recently in hospitals. The Bcc comprises at least 17 Gram-negative bacterial species that are
  notorious for their pathogenic effects in immunocompromised individuals.
  Host colonization by these bacteria causes problems due to their innate resistance to antibiotics. Because of the difficulties in treating Bcc infections, researchers are reevaluating bacteriophages as an alternative
  therapy to antibiotics. My objective was to confirm the receptor for the Bccspecific
  bacteriophage KS10, as this knowledge will allow for the construction of effective multi-receptor phage cocktails to treat Bcc
  infections. Through the use of an updated I-SceI deletion system, we were able to construct LOS mutants to verify previous findings that KS10 interacts with LOS as a receptor. In addition to KS10 resistance, both wabO and waaC mutations displayed reduced fitness in the form of decreased growth and swimming motility when compared to wildtype
  PC184. These results suggest that phage-resistant mutations can be detrimental to the bacteria.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • PC184
  • Phage Therapy
  • Bacteriophages

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3J38KR94

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.