Quantifying Relative Abundance of a Helicobacter pylori mRNA (flgE) Putatively Targeted by a Small RNA
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Andrea Castillo
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 10:45 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
The bacterial stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori infects half the global population and causes symptomatic diseases, like stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, in 10-15% of those infected. Helicobacter pylori uses variable gene expression to adapt to its hostile, ever-changing environment using small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) that regulate other RNAs. The presence of the nonessential cytotoxin-associated gene pathogenicity island (cagPAI) region in the H. pylori genome correlates with greater symptom severity. Our goal is to learn if virulence-related or other mRNAs are regulated by an sRNA (sRNA2540) from the cagPAI region by comparing RNA gene expression in an unmodified parent strain to a strain overexpressing (making an overabundance of) sRNA2540. An sRNA binds to target mRNAs to change their expression, so overexpressing an sRNA should result in measurable intensification of any resulting increases or decreases in the abundance of targets. Putative targets of sRNA2540 with predicted sRNA–target binding include mRNAs HP1061, flgE, and cagI. Current work focuses on flgE, which codes for part of the bacterial flagellum. We are measuring flgE relative abundance with reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Relative abundances of flgE will be calculated by comparing its abundance in the strain overexpressing sRNA2540 to an always-expressed “baseline” molecule (16S rRNA). This will be followed by comparison to flgE in the parent strain. Significant changes in its relative abundance within the H. pylori overexpression strain would indicate direct or indirect targeting of flgE by sRNA2540.
Recommended Citation
Morgan, Olivia F.; McPeck, Roxanne N.; and Castillo, Andrea R. PhD, "Quantifying Relative Abundance of a Helicobacter pylori mRNA (flgE) Putatively Targeted by a Small RNA" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 5.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/ps_2024/p1_2024/5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Quantifying Relative Abundance of a Helicobacter pylori mRNA (flgE) Putatively Targeted by a Small RNA
PUB NCR
The bacterial stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori infects half the global population and causes symptomatic diseases, like stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, in 10-15% of those infected. Helicobacter pylori uses variable gene expression to adapt to its hostile, ever-changing environment using small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) that regulate other RNAs. The presence of the nonessential cytotoxin-associated gene pathogenicity island (cagPAI) region in the H. pylori genome correlates with greater symptom severity. Our goal is to learn if virulence-related or other mRNAs are regulated by an sRNA (sRNA2540) from the cagPAI region by comparing RNA gene expression in an unmodified parent strain to a strain overexpressing (making an overabundance of) sRNA2540. An sRNA binds to target mRNAs to change their expression, so overexpressing an sRNA should result in measurable intensification of any resulting increases or decreases in the abundance of targets. Putative targets of sRNA2540 with predicted sRNA–target binding include mRNAs HP1061, flgE, and cagI. Current work focuses on flgE, which codes for part of the bacterial flagellum. We are measuring flgE relative abundance with reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Relative abundances of flgE will be calculated by comparing its abundance in the strain overexpressing sRNA2540 to an always-expressed “baseline” molecule (16S rRNA). This will be followed by comparison to flgE in the parent strain. Significant changes in its relative abundance within the H. pylori overexpression strain would indicate direct or indirect targeting of flgE by sRNA2540.
