Presentation Title
Analysis of Small RNAs in Streptococcus mutans Oxidative Stress Response
Abstract
This presentation investigates the role of small noncoding RNAs, small RNAs (sRNAs), in the regulation of the oxidative stress response in Streptococcus mutans. S. mutans is the primary pathogen responsible for dental caries, and its oxidative stress response plays a key role in its ability to survive, proliferate, and cause damage within the host oral cavity. While extensive research has been devoted to investigating microRNAs (miRNA), small noncoding RNAs that play a key role in modulation of gene expression in eukaryotic, little research has been devoted to investigating their bacterial counterparts, sRNAs. sRNAs have previously been identified in S. mutans adherence and acid stress response, contributing to the regulation of these unique attributes that allow S. mutans to survive, proliferate, and cause host damage. We predict that sRNAs likely play a role in the regulation of the oxidative stress response as well. By analyzing expression of sRNAs in wildtype and sloR knockout samples of S. mutans, a library of thousands of sRNAs associated with the regulation of the oxidative stress response was generated.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Julie Dragon
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Grace Spatafora (Principle Investigator, Middlebury College), India Drummond (Undergraduate Collaborator, Middlebury College), Julie Dragon (Faculty Mentor, Vermont Integrative Genomics Resource), Korin Eckstrom (Faculty Mentor, Vermont Integrative Genomics Resource)
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Biological Science
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Analysis of Small RNAs in Streptococcus mutans Oxidative Stress Response
This presentation investigates the role of small noncoding RNAs, small RNAs (sRNAs), in the regulation of the oxidative stress response in Streptococcus mutans. S. mutans is the primary pathogen responsible for dental caries, and its oxidative stress response plays a key role in its ability to survive, proliferate, and cause damage within the host oral cavity. While extensive research has been devoted to investigating microRNAs (miRNA), small noncoding RNAs that play a key role in modulation of gene expression in eukaryotic, little research has been devoted to investigating their bacterial counterparts, sRNAs. sRNAs have previously been identified in S. mutans adherence and acid stress response, contributing to the regulation of these unique attributes that allow S. mutans to survive, proliferate, and cause host damage. We predict that sRNAs likely play a role in the regulation of the oxidative stress response as well. By analyzing expression of sRNAs in wildtype and sloR knockout samples of S. mutans, a library of thousands of sRNAs associated with the regulation of the oxidative stress response was generated.