Date of Award
2021
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Microbiological Sciences
College
Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources
Faculty Advisor
Pruess, Birgit
Description
Bacterial metabolism and physiology are finely tuned mechanisms that maintain homeostasis for the bacterium and allow for responses to environmental signals. Responses could include anything from regulation of cell division to the expression of virulence factors leading to serious infection. This thesis explores the role of neurotransmitter molecules and ß-phenylethylamine (a structurally similar molecule to catecholamines) on the physiological characteristics of flhD expression, biofilm formation, and chemotactic behaviors in the E. coli organism. We observed changes in physiology leading to chemotactic changes in the presence of ß-phenylethylamine through the Plug Agarose Assay as well as the Microfluidic Assay. In a comparison with serine, the amino acid and documented chemoattractant agent, ß-phenylethylamine was revealed to be a novel chemoattractant agent with comparable influence on the bacterium.
Recommended Citation
Burg, August Henry, "ß-phenylethylamine: A Novel Chemo-Attractant Agent" (2021). Microbiological Sciences. 26.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/microbiological-sci/26
Rights
NDSU policy 190.6.2
Rights Link
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Handle Identifier
https://hdl.handle.net/10365/32604