Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
12-2013
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Allan Forsman
Committee Members
Bert Lampson, Victoria Palau
Abstract
Many drugs used in the treatment of various cancers are derived from or influenced by compounds from nature. The soil bacterium Rhodococcus is of interest because of its identified secondary metabolic pathways and the production of novel natural antibiotics from several strains. In this study, a solid agar extraction method was used to collect compounds from strains of Rhodococcus. These bacterial compound extracts were then tested using a MTT assay in order to evaluate their effectiveness in augmenting MCF7 breast cancer cell death. The results of two way ANOVA analyses revealed 18 compound extracts from 15 strains of Rhodococcus that showed significant p-values when assayed with MCF7 breast cancer cells but nonsignificant interaction p-values when assayed with the healthy cell control. These results prompt further identification of specific compounds present in the bacterial extract that caused cell death as well as a mechanism of interaction with the breast cancer cells.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Crabtree, Megan N., "Investigating Potential Bioactive Compounds from Rhodococcus and Their Effects on MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2278. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2278
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Bacteriology Commons, Biology Commons, Cancer Biology Commons