You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Intestinal autophagy activity protects against Salmonella typhimurium infection in Caenorhabditis elegans

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2012
Abstract/Description:
Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway present in eukaryotes that allows a cell to break down cytoplasmic proteins and organelles to maintain homeostasis. The autophagy pathway has been shown to play a significant role in the immune systems protective response against various bacterial pathogen infections, such as the intestinal pathogen Salmonella typhimurium, in Caenorhabditis elegans and in mammals. This study investigated if the autophagy pathway acts in a tissue-specific manner to protect against S. typhimurium infection in C. elegans. Wild type C. elegans and worms where the autophagy gene bec-1 was inhibited in different tissues by RNAi treatment were infected by S. typhimurium and their survival measured. My data showed that the autophagy gene bec-1 only protected C. elegans against S. typhimurium infection in the intestinal tissues, suggesting that the autophagy pathway acts in a tissue specific manner to help protect against Salmonella invasions in C. elegans.
Title: Intestinal autophagy activity protects against Salmonella typhimurium infection in Caenorhabditis elegans.
107 views
33 downloads
Name(s): Curt, Alexander L.
Jia, Kailiang, Thesis advisor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: Fall 2012
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: Online Resource
Extent: 47 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway present in eukaryotes that allows a cell to break down cytoplasmic proteins and organelles to maintain homeostasis. The autophagy pathway has been shown to play a significant role in the immune systems protective response against various bacterial pathogen infections, such as the intestinal pathogen Salmonella typhimurium, in Caenorhabditis elegans and in mammals. This study investigated if the autophagy pathway acts in a tissue-specific manner to protect against S. typhimurium infection in C. elegans. Wild type C. elegans and worms where the autophagy gene bec-1 was inhibited in different tissues by RNAi treatment were infected by S. typhimurium and their survival measured. My data showed that the autophagy gene bec-1 only protected C. elegans against S. typhimurium infection in the intestinal tissues, suggesting that the autophagy pathway acts in a tissue specific manner to help protect against Salmonella invasions in C. elegans.
Identifier: FA00004244 (IID)
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library
Sublocation: Boca Raton, Fla.
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004244
Restrictions on Access: All rights reserved by the source institution
Restrictions on Access: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU