Date of Award
6-12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Biology, MS
First Advisor
Robert Shields
Committee Members
Andrew Sweet; David Gilmore; Justin Kaspar
Call Number
ISBN 9798280759602
Abstract
Streptococcus mutans is a pathogen associated with the formation of dental caries, and its genome contains many uncharacterized genes, including some which are classified as essential genes. These genes are required for the growth of the organism. Characterizing the function of these genes is important for understanding the organism, as well as identifying potential antimicrobial targets. This project used a CRISPRi (CRISPR interference) system to repress seven experimentally uncharacterized genes within the S. mutans genome and investigated the effects of their repression via RNA-seq transcriptomics, phylogenetic analysis, and TEM. The gene annotated as SMU_393 was then prioritized for further analysis using mass spectrometry, growth assays, and biofilm assays. Results suggest that the methodology used (i.e., RNA-seq, TEM, etc.) is effective in describing the function of uncharacterized essential genes.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Dover, Courtney, "Functional Characterization of Uncharacterized Essential Genes in the Oral Pathogen Streptococcus mutans" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1065.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1065
