V. cholerae colonizes the human intestine via TCP & can cause diarrhea with fluid losses severe enough to be fatal. Without TCP, V. cholerae cannot attach to the intestine, secrete toxins, or cause GI disease. 4 proteins required for TCP biogenesis -- TcpD,E,R,& T -- localize to the IM. Previous experiments support the hypothesis that interactions among 3 of these 4 proteins are predicted to be sufficient to form a stable IM platform in V. cholerae. Plasmids were engineered to carry combinations of tcp genes and induced to co-express the 4 IM Tcp proteins in all groups of 2 & 3 in E. coli. Protein immunoblots on cell lysates suggest that TcpD and TcpE stabilize the TcpR-TcpT interaction. Therefore, 3 proteins required for TCP biogenesis appear to form a stable IM platform.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Jajosky, Audrey N.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042607-162955

Advisor

• Rulfs, Jill

Year

• 2007

Sponsor

• Dartmouth Medical School

Date created

• 2007-04-26

Location

• Hanover

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved