Type of Presentation
Poster
Type of Project
Project I/II
Presenter 1 Program
Integrative Sciences - Biochemistry
Presenter 1 Location
Harrisburg
Project Description
Peptidoglycan (PG) is a polymer composed of polysaccharides and crosslinked peptide chains found in bacterial cell walls. It helps to protect the cell from environmental stress and maintain cell morphology throughout its life cycle and further generations. The PG is made up of two sugars, N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM) and N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). NAM and NAG are connected by glycosidic linkages to form repeated chains. The chains are formed in layers, which are interconnected via a polypeptide stem linked by a peptide bridge. During cell growth, continuous turnover of existing PG occurs by severing existing crosslinks, inserting new PG into the existing PG, and recross-linking. Previous research shows that an increased growth rate results in longer rod-shaped bacteria with decreased crosslink density. On the other hand, slower growing cells, resulted in shorter cells, but minimal change in crosslink density. This project will focus on using fluorescently labeled D-amino acids (FDAA) and fluorescently labeled vancomycin on Escherichia coli to visualize changes in crosslink density of varying cellular growth rates.
Faculty Member
Akeisha Belgrave & Erica Ward
Effects of Growth Rate on Peptidoglycan Crosslink Density of E. coli Using Fluorescent Labeling
Peptidoglycan (PG) is a polymer composed of polysaccharides and crosslinked peptide chains found in bacterial cell walls. It helps to protect the cell from environmental stress and maintain cell morphology throughout its life cycle and further generations. The PG is made up of two sugars, N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM) and N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). NAM and NAG are connected by glycosidic linkages to form repeated chains. The chains are formed in layers, which are interconnected via a polypeptide stem linked by a peptide bridge. During cell growth, continuous turnover of existing PG occurs by severing existing crosslinks, inserting new PG into the existing PG, and recross-linking. Previous research shows that an increased growth rate results in longer rod-shaped bacteria with decreased crosslink density. On the other hand, slower growing cells, resulted in shorter cells, but minimal change in crosslink density. This project will focus on using fluorescently labeled D-amino acids (FDAA) and fluorescently labeled vancomycin on Escherichia coli to visualize changes in crosslink density of varying cellular growth rates.