IDENTIFICATION OF A PUTATIVE P-TYPE ATPase INVOLVED IN ZINC AND CADMIUM RESISTANCE IN Enterobacter sp. YSU
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: The Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge Tennessee was involved in manufacturing and storing nuclear weapon for the last 60 years of the 20 th century.These activities led to the contamination of the nearby East Fork Poplar creek from which Enterobacter sp.YSU was isolated and screened for metal resistance genes.Three main previously identified metal resistance mechanisms are efflux, detoxification and sequestration.This bacterium was found to be resistant to several heavy metals including zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper, gold, chromium, silver and selenite.The goal of this study was to identify the gene encoding zinc and cadmium resistance in Enterobacter sp.YSU.Two mutants, EI24 and F24 were created using a transposon which disrupted a P-type ATPase believed to be responsible for these resistances.Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of the mutants were carried out to establish the phenotype of the mutants.These MICs revealed that the mutants were sensitive to toxic concentrations of zinc and cadmium while the wildtype bacterium was not.Gene rescue was carried out to rescue the disrupted gene and this was sequenced to determine its identity.BLAST identified the gene as a P-type ATPase with 97% similarity to a zinc/cadmium/mercury/lead translocating P-type ATPase in Enterobacter cloacae.iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I could not have accomplished any of this without some very influential people in my life who encouraged me, pushed me, prayed for me, provided me with moral and financial support and most importantly, made me believe in myself.For all this, I am indebted to Dr. Jonathan Caguiat, my advisor, for his patience in instructing me and for not giving up on me.This work would not have been successful without his support and guidance.I would also like to express my gratitude to my committee members, Dr. David Asch and Dr. Xiangjia Min for taking the time to read my thesis and the ideas and suggestions that contributed to the success of this study.I am very grateful to/for my entire family.My dad, Esaie Ngendahimana
Author: Valentine M. Ngendahimana
Institution: Youngstown State University
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2887530500