THE ROLE OF OXYGEN ON THE IN VITRO AND IN SITU ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF MARINE VIBRIO SPECIES

Search for this publication on Google Scholar
Phippen, B. (2018). THE ROLE OF OXYGEN ON THE IN VITRO AND IN SITU ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF MARINE VIBRIO SPECIES. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
Download PDF

Analytics

188 views ◎
162 downloads ⇓


Abstract

Hypoxia is an emerging concern in coastal ecosystems worldwide, and the number of areas experiencing hypoxia has increased exponentially in recent years. It is most prevalent in summer months when elevated temperatures lead to increased oxygen consumption by resident biota, reduced oxygen solubility in sea water, and limited ventilation of these waters. In the face of a warming climate, there is uncertainty in how hypoxia will influence estuarine microbiota, especially in regards to opportunistic bacterial pathogens, and their impact on host species. The frequency at which they experience hypoxia, combined with the lack of understanding as to which factors are required for virulence, make Vibrio species an ideal model for studying hypoxia. The goals of this dissertation were to explore both the ecophysiology of the opportunistic human pathogen, V. vulnificus, and the host-pathogen interactions of V. coralliilyticus and the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Utilizing a variety of phenotypic, molecular, and next-generation sequencing techniques these studies have revealed a distinct response to both in vitro and in situ hypoxia. Furthermore, these studies allowed us to characterize the different responses of clinical and environmental genotypes of V. vulnificus, which has revealed important mechanisms for environmental maintenance and virulence. Additionally, these studies allowed us to describe the mechanisms that facilitated the rapid mortality in oysters exposed to hypoxia and V. coralliilyticus. Collectively, this dissertation contributes greatly to our understanding of hypoxia on representative Vibrio species, which has implications for both human and ocean health.

Details
Author

Phippen, Britney

Title

THE ROLE OF OXYGEN ON THE IN VITRO AND IN SITU ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF MARINE VIBRIO SPECIES

Physical Description

1 online resource (266 pages) : PDF

Date

2018

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Hypoxia is an emerging concern in coastal ecosystems worldwide, and the number of areas experiencing hypoxia has increased exponentially in recent years. It is most prevalent in summer months when elevated temperatures lead to increased oxygen consumption by resident biota, reduced oxygen solubility in sea water, and limited ventilation of these waters. In the face of a warming climate, there is uncertainty in how hypoxia will influence estuarine microbiota, especially in regards to opportunistic bacterial pathogens, and their impact on host species. The frequency at which they experience hypoxia, combined with the lack of understanding as to which factors are required for virulence, make Vibrio species an ideal model for studying hypoxia. The goals of this dissertation were to explore both the ecophysiology of the opportunistic human pathogen, V. vulnificus, and the host-pathogen interactions of V. coralliilyticus and the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Utilizing a variety of phenotypic, molecular, and next-generation sequencing techniques these studies have revealed a distinct response to both in vitro and in situ hypoxia. Furthermore, these studies allowed us to characterize the different responses of clinical and environmental genotypes of V. vulnificus, which has revealed important mechanisms for environmental maintenance and virulence. Additionally, these studies allowed us to describe the mechanisms that facilitated the rapid mortality in oysters exposed to hypoxia and V. coralliilyticus. Collectively, this dissertation contributes greatly to our understanding of hypoxia on representative Vibrio species, which has implications for both human and ocean health.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Microbiology

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Biology

Advisor(s)

Oliver, James

Committee Members

Reitzel, Adam
Noble, Rachel
Baker-Austin, Craig
Troutman, Jerry

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2018.

Rights Statement

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Phippen_uncc_0694D_11682

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:497