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Exploring DMSO reduction in model, environmental, and pathogenic microorganisms
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Gruender, Charlotte Rose (2022) Exploring DMSO reduction in model, environmental, and pathogenic microorganisms. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3871793
Abstract
Across the Earth and throughout the human body, microorganisms are ubiquitous. Survival in extreme and dynamic environments requires rapid adaptation to physical, chemical, and biological conditions. In return, their metabolism contributes to global biogeochemical cycles and local nutrient availability, impacting the world around us and inside of us. One such example of adaptation utilises alternative terminal electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration. The work in this thesis specifically focussed on the bacterial reduction of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), across a range of anoxic environments.
The reduction of DMSO to dimethylsulfide (DMS), the climate relevant gas, in the marine environment has long been established, yet the identity of the organisms that carry it out remained unknown. This work confirmed bacterial members of the abundant marine Roseobacter clade are capable of both DMSO and TMAO reduction and called into question the longstanding acceptance of using a specific amino acid motif to predict substrate bifunctionality.
Saltmarshes are sulfur cycling hotspots with high levels of productivity and steep redox gradients. This research confirmed the abundance of DMSO and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), the major source of DMS, across the sediment, and characterised the bacterial community that reside there. Additional incubations confirmed their ability to reduce DMSO to DMS, and further convert it to methane. Sequencing data identified the drivers of these processes, over three decades after they were first suggested.
This research also extended to the clinical environment, given the presence of DMS and TMA in diet, and their oxidation in the liver. Specifically, the genetic potential for Cystic Fibrosis pathogens to reduce DMSO and TMAO was confirmed by bioinformatic analysis. This was phenotypically confirmed in Burkholderia dolosa and shown to significantly affect the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, highlighting the importance of considering facultative anaerobic respiration by opportunistic pathogens in anoxic niches of biofilms.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QH Natural history Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QR Microbiology |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Anaerobic bacteria, Anaerobiosis, Dimethyl sulfoxide, Pathogenic microorganisms, Salt marshes, Biofilms | ||||
Official Date: | July 2022 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | School of Life Sciences | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Schäfer, Hendrik ; Chen, Yin | ||||
Sponsors: | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) ; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | 304 pages : illustrations, charts | ||||
Language: | eng |
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