Testing the role of YtvA in the oxidative stress response of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis
Research Project Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are used by the immune system as a defense mechanism against pathogens—causing cellular damage to invaders. For example, phagosomes use oxygen radicals to degrade unwanted bacteria. In turn, bacteria respond by detoxifying the ROS. Specifically, the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses a protein complex called the stressosome to activate the transcription of 150 stress response genes when faced with environmental stress. Six proteins compose the stressosome; five are similar in structure and thought to be sensors of environmental stress. The sixth one, YtvA, contains a light-sensing domain known to sense oxidative stress in other bacterial species. Therefore, YtvA could give the stressosome the ability to sense oxidative stress. In order to determine the role of YtvA in the oxidative stress response of B. subtilis, viability assays were performed with a ΔYtva deleted B. subtilis strain and compared to the survival of the wild type strain. The bacterial cultures were primed with ethanol to activate the stressosome, then exposed to hydrogen peroxide, and the percent of surviving cells was calculated.
Testing the role of YtvA in the oxidative stress response of the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis
HUB Multipurpose Room
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are used by the immune system as a defense mechanism against pathogens—causing cellular damage to invaders. For example, phagosomes use oxygen radicals to degrade unwanted bacteria. In turn, bacteria respond by detoxifying the ROS. Specifically, the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses a protein complex called the stressosome to activate the transcription of 150 stress response genes when faced with environmental stress. Six proteins compose the stressosome; five are similar in structure and thought to be sensors of environmental stress. The sixth one, YtvA, contains a light-sensing domain known to sense oxidative stress in other bacterial species. Therefore, YtvA could give the stressosome the ability to sense oxidative stress. In order to determine the role of YtvA in the oxidative stress response of B. subtilis, viability assays were performed with a ΔYtva deleted B. subtilis strain and compared to the survival of the wild type strain. The bacterial cultures were primed with ethanol to activate the stressosome, then exposed to hydrogen peroxide, and the percent of surviving cells was calculated.
