Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) Analysis of Microbial Diversity in Environments Impacted with Inorganic or Organic Arsenic

Rishu Bansal

Defense Date

8-24-2007

Graduation Date

Fall 1-1-2007

Availability

Restricted

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MS

Department

Biological Sciences

Committee Chair

John F. Stolz

Committee Member

Peter Castric

Committee Member

Nancy Trun

Keywords

chicken litter, Roxarsone, 16S rRNA gene, arrA gene, mouse colon, arsA gene

Abstract

In this study, chicken litter enrichment cultures exposed to roxarsone and the murine colon exposed to inorganic arsenic were investigated. The 16S rRNA, arsA and arrA genes were amplified by PCR and analyzed by DGGE and sequencing. Clostridium species were found to be the predominant species present in the chicken litter enrichments. Attempts to amplify arrA genes, however, were unsuccessful, indicating that arr operon is not involved in the transformation of roxarsone. Differences in microbial community composition were evident in control versus experimental mouse colon samples. Primers designed for the B. thetaiotamicron arsA gene were successful in amplifying arsA gene in five out of six control mice, but only 1 out of six experimental mice. These results suggest that exposure to As(III) can impact the microbial population of the colon and that arsA may be useful for quantitative estimation of arsenic resistant gene expression.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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