Investigating the Function of Desulfovibrio piger Sulfur-Reducing Genes in Hydrogen Sulfide Synthesis
Faculty Mentor
Andrea Castillo
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2025 9:00 AM
End Date
5-7-2025 9:20 AM
Location
PUB 317
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
The metabolic byproducts of organisms within the human gut microbiome can have both beneficial and deleterious effects on human health. Sulfur-reducing bacteria make up a significant proportion of the gut microbiota, and of these organisms, Desulfovibrio piger is prevalent. Desulfovibrio piger reduces exogenous sources of sulfur to form its primary metabolite, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is implicated in a range of diseases due to its pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects within the human body. Overgrowth of D. piger has been correlated with multiple sclerosis, Chron’s disease, and several other inflammatory diseases through fecal studies which compare the microbiota composition of healthy and diseased individuals. This suggests a link between high levels of H2S and disease severity. However, there exists little information on the genetic foundation of H2S production in D. piger. I aim to determine which genes are required for sulfur reduction in this organism to provide insights into potential therapeutic targets for these diseases. Through sequential cloning, putative H2S producing genes from D. piger will be introduced into the non-sulfur reducing model organism, Escherichia coli, and the modified strains will be screened for H2S production. Selected genes include those that code for the dissimilatory sulfite reductase enzyme, as well as genes that code for prerequisite enzymes in the sulfur reduction process. If the presence of these genes confers H2S production in E. coli, a more concrete understanding of the genetic control of this metabolic process in D. piger can be inferred.
Recommended Citation
Ziegler, Zac, "Investigating the Function of Desulfovibrio piger Sulfur-Reducing Genes in Hydrogen Sulfide Synthesis" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 2.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/op_2025/o1_2025/2
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Investigating the Function of Desulfovibrio piger Sulfur-Reducing Genes in Hydrogen Sulfide Synthesis
PUB 317
The metabolic byproducts of organisms within the human gut microbiome can have both beneficial and deleterious effects on human health. Sulfur-reducing bacteria make up a significant proportion of the gut microbiota, and of these organisms, Desulfovibrio piger is prevalent. Desulfovibrio piger reduces exogenous sources of sulfur to form its primary metabolite, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is implicated in a range of diseases due to its pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects within the human body. Overgrowth of D. piger has been correlated with multiple sclerosis, Chron’s disease, and several other inflammatory diseases through fecal studies which compare the microbiota composition of healthy and diseased individuals. This suggests a link between high levels of H2S and disease severity. However, there exists little information on the genetic foundation of H2S production in D. piger. I aim to determine which genes are required for sulfur reduction in this organism to provide insights into potential therapeutic targets for these diseases. Through sequential cloning, putative H2S producing genes from D. piger will be introduced into the non-sulfur reducing model organism, Escherichia coli, and the modified strains will be screened for H2S production. Selected genes include those that code for the dissimilatory sulfite reductase enzyme, as well as genes that code for prerequisite enzymes in the sulfur reduction process. If the presence of these genes confers H2S production in E. coli, a more concrete understanding of the genetic control of this metabolic process in D. piger can be inferred.
