Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
8-2023
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Erik M. Petersen
Committee Members
Sean J. Fox, Michael Kruppa
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is one of the most prevalent food-borne pathogens, affecting millions around the world every year, making it a threat to global health. Salmonella possesses the ability to survive the normally lethal condition of desiccation, however, discovery of the genes and mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still ongoing. Using a transposon mutagenesis approach to construct a broad transposon library, this study aimed to uncover genes that may be contributing to changes in Salmonella’s survivability under desiccation, particularly when exposed to the antimicrobial molecule salicylic acid. Building on previous findings showing salicylic acid can alter cell viability through differential gene regulation, transposon mutants were exposed to salicylic acid and subsequently desiccated to screen for mutants that displayed an alteration in survival phenotypes. This work identified a transposon mutant with an interruption of the porin-coding gene ompC that displayed an augmented survivability phenotype under these conditions, leading to further exploration into the origin of this phenomenon.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Elliott, Shannon D., "Use of Transposon Screening for Salicylic Acid-Assisted Desiccation Killing in Salmonella" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4256. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4256
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.