Karatan Lab
Zach Parker
Ece Karatan
karatane@appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Department of Biology
Rankin Science North
319 (Office), 303 (Lab)
828-262-6742
Role of norspermidine synthesis in V. cholerae biofilm formation
The disease cholera is caused by the pathogenic gram negative proteobacterium Vibrio cholerae. The survival of V. cholerae depends greatly on its ability to create biofilms. Recent findings have shown that the polyamine norspermidine acts as an extracellular signal for V. cholerae to activate biofilm synthesis (Karatan et al., 2005). Also, in the gram negative bacteria Yersinia pestis the reduction of the intracellular amounts of the polyamine putrescine causes a reduction in biofilm (Patel et al., 2006). These two studies suggest that the polyamine synthesis and transport could play a crucial role in the regulation of biofilms in V. cholerae. My research will be focused on elucidation of the effect of norspermidine synthesis and transport on biofilm formation in V. cholerae. To do this I will be quantifying intracellular levels of polyamines and nspC (a gene encoding a norspermidine synthesis enzyme) expression in V. cholerae under various conditions. These experiments will allow us to determine the effect of polyamine synthesis and transport, specifically that of norspermidine, in the formation of biofilms in V. cholerae.