NUDIX Hydrolase Expression and Impact on mRNA Structure

Garrity, Olivia; Caserta, Kaleigh

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NUDIX Hydrolase Expression and Impact on mRNA Structure

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Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that impacts millions of individuals each year. M. tuberculosis is able to survive changes in pH, low oxygen levels, nutrient depletion, and various treatment regimes, thus proving a challenge for the immune system during infection. Bacteria have various stress response mechanisms that allow them to survive under stress conditions, one of which includes changing the architecture of the 5’ end cap of an mRNA transcript, impacting degradation rates. There is evidence that MutT4 is implicated in removing the 5’ end cap of a transcript, making them susceptible to degradation. Relating the function of MutT4 to 5’ end cap state can provide a potential therapeutic target for tuberculosis. The goal of this project is to design and conduct cloning, expression, and purification of the MutT4 NUDIX hydrolase of Mycolicibacterium smegmatis, a safe model for M. tuberculosis, to define its biochemical function to be used in identifying new treatment targets for tuberculosis patients.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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