Honors Program
University Honors
Date of Award
5-2015
Thesis Professor(s)
Thomas F. Laughlin
Thesis Professor Department
Biological Sciences
Thesis Reader(s)
Vineet K. Singh, Ismail O. Kady
Abstract
ATP is the main cellular energy generated by the enzyme ATP synthase in almost all organisms from bacteria to vertebrates. While malfunction of the ATP synthase complex is responsible for several disease conditions, the enzyme itself can be used as a potent molecular drug target to combat many diseases including microbial infections, cancer, tuberculosis, and obesity. Recent widespread escalation of antibiotic resistant microbes in general and E. coli in particular demands novel alternative approaches to combat microbial infections. Inhibition of ATP synthase by inhibitors such as peptides is known to deprive microbes of required energy, resulting in microbial cell death. Therefore, we have examined the venom peptide induced inhibition of E. coli ATP synthase. It was found that venom peptides completely inhibited E. coli ATP synthase and the process of inhibition was found to be fully reversible. This study also links the antimicrobial properties of peptides in part to the inhibition of ATP synthase. Thus, selective use of ATP synthase as a molecular drug may have an important impact on biology and medicine.
Publisher
East Tennessee State University
Document Type
Honors Thesis - Withheld
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Azim, Sofiya, "Venom Peptide Induced Inhibition of Escherichia coli ATP synthase" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 254. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/254
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.