D&D Unit 4 Flashcards
(139 cards)
What are the 3 cytoskeletal elements in bacteria we care about? What do they do?
FtsZ - division. Tubulin-like.
MreB - shape, polarity, chromosome segregation. Actin-like
CreS - shape. Intermediate filament-like
Peptidoglycan is composed of which 2 sugars?
N-acetylglucosamine
N-acetylmuramic acid
How does the amount of cross-linking in peptidoglycan chains vary between gram-positive and negative bacteria?
It is much greater in gram-positive bacteria
Which enzyme made by the body hydrolyzes peptidoglycan?
Lysozyme - it cleaves the glycosidic bond between the 2 sugar types
What extra 2 components does the gram-positive cell surface have compared to the gram-negative cell surface?
Teichoic acid
Lipoteichoic acid
What extra 3 components does the gram-negative cell surface have compared to the gram-positive cell surface?
Lipopolysaccharides
Lipoproteins
Porins
What 2 important antigens does the lipopolysaccharide of gram-negative bacteria contain?
Lipid A - toxic part of endotoxin
O antigen - side chain oligosaccharides
In the middle is the core polysaccharide
What is techoic acid made of?
Repeating polyglycerol-P or polyribitol-P
What makes up biofilms?
Extracellular glycocalyx
What is it calle when bacteria have flagella distributed over their surface? At one end?
Peritrichous
Polar
Where is the bacterial DNA located?
Nucleoid (a region of cytoplasm)
____________ is when a bacteria’s gene expression and thus phenotype is changed because of infection with a bacteriophage
Phage conversion
What are the 4 stages of the bacteria growth curve?
- Lag phase - period of physiologic adjustment for the starting cells
- Exponential phase - rate of increase in cells is proportional to the number already present
- Stationary phase - nutrients are consumed and toxic metabolic byproducts accumulate
- Death (only sometimes occurs)
What is a microaerophilic bacterium?
It grows best at low oxygen concentrations though it can grow without oxygen
What is sporulation?
A response to nutrient-limited conditions. Bacteria differentiate to form highly resistant, dehydrated forms that have no metabolic activity.
Antimicrobial agents work on the principle of ___________
Selective toxicity - selective inhibition of microbial growth at drug concentrations colerated by the host
What is a selective medium for growing bacteria?
One that allows for visible differentiation of organisms
What is an enrichment medium for growing bacteria?
One that allows a particular one to grow more than others
In contrast to a selective medium that suppresses the growth of some bacteria
A plasmid the confers resistance to an antimicrobial is an _________
R factor
What are insertion sequences?
Transposons that encode transposase
What are complex transposons?
Ones that encode transposase and additional genes
What are pathogenecity islands?
Large segments of bacterial genomes that encode genes that contribute to virulence
What is the major cytotoxic agent released by staph aureus?
Alpha-toxin
How does staph aureus reduce phagocytosis?
Coagulase enzyme induces fibrin deposition