The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence
Due to an increasing of antibiotic resistance prevalence, several alternatives to antibiotics have been considered, including bacteriophages. This project investigates the potential of sex pilus-specific phage MS2 to drive loss and horizontal transfer of virulence plasmids from E. coli. The study as...
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| Format: | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64102/ |
| _version_ | 1848800089705807872 |
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| author | Chit-opas, Visara |
| author_facet | Chit-opas, Visara |
| author_sort | Chit-opas, Visara |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Due to an increasing of antibiotic resistance prevalence, several alternatives to antibiotics have been considered, including bacteriophages. This project investigates the potential of sex pilus-specific phage MS2 to drive loss and horizontal transfer of virulence plasmids from E. coli. The study assessed new E. coli host range of phage MS2, determining the natural transfer rate of pHaemolysin, pColicin V and F plasmids, and investigating the impact of phage infection on the virulence plasmids. Phage MS2 could not infect or replicate on the E. coli strains assessed in this study. The horizontal transfer rate of the pHaemolysin and pColicin V plasmids was negligible. Expression of the F pili would be essential for phage susceptibility and bacterial conjugation. Therefore, it is essential to investigate level of the F pili expression within the virulence plasmids. In conclusion, there is a potential limitation in using F pilus-specific bacteriophage to drive loss of virulence plasmids and this we propose this is due to low level of F pili expression and phage susceptibility. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:46:01Z |
| format | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-64102 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:46:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-641022025-02-28T12:24:45Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64102/ The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence Chit-opas, Visara Due to an increasing of antibiotic resistance prevalence, several alternatives to antibiotics have been considered, including bacteriophages. This project investigates the potential of sex pilus-specific phage MS2 to drive loss and horizontal transfer of virulence plasmids from E. coli. The study assessed new E. coli host range of phage MS2, determining the natural transfer rate of pHaemolysin, pColicin V and F plasmids, and investigating the impact of phage infection on the virulence plasmids. Phage MS2 could not infect or replicate on the E. coli strains assessed in this study. The horizontal transfer rate of the pHaemolysin and pColicin V plasmids was negligible. Expression of the F pili would be essential for phage susceptibility and bacterial conjugation. Therefore, it is essential to investigate level of the F pili expression within the virulence plasmids. In conclusion, there is a potential limitation in using F pilus-specific bacteriophage to drive loss of virulence plasmids and this we propose this is due to low level of F pili expression and phage susceptibility. 2021-08-04 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64102/1/Dissertation%2020205512%20MRes-first%20amendment.pdf Chit-opas, Visara (2021) The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence. MRes thesis, University of Nottingham. bacteriophages plasmids Escherichia coli |
| spellingShingle | bacteriophages plasmids Escherichia coli Chit-opas, Visara The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title | The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title_full | The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title_fullStr | The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title_full_unstemmed | The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title_short | The use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| title_sort | use of lytic plasmid-associated sex pilus-specific bacteriophages to drive microbial evolution towards loss of virulence |
| topic | bacteriophages plasmids Escherichia coli |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64102/ |