The Effect of Nitric Oxide On Uncharacterized Genes in Escherichia Coli K12

Summary

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the human immune system. The response of Escherichia Coli (E. coli) to this compound has been studied using genomic and phenotypic analysis. E. coli infects the urinary tract and is most commonly found in food borne illnesses and can cause death. This project investigates the contribution of uncharacterized E. coli genes to the NO response. Genes were selected for analysis by Differential Principal Component Analysis of transcriptome data. We cloned and tested the phenotype of these uncharacterized genes in E. coli, using traditional PCR and cloning techniques. The resulting phenotype was evaluated using and inhibitory dose of DeaNO and a five to eight minute interval of measurement.