Honors Theses
Advisor
Yvonne Sun, Ph.D.
Department
Biology
Publication Date
4-1-2024
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen with the capability of causing severe illness in individuals who consume contaminated foods. Many foods have been found to harbor the bacterium, but dairy products, produce, and other prepackaged foods are particularly susceptible to contamination. Contaminated foods are exposed to a variety of environmental conditions during packaging, processing, consumption, and digestion, all of which play an essential role in modulating the survival and pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes. Conditions of particular interest include cold storage, presence of food additives, and activity of antimicrobial enzymes such as lysozyme. My honors thesis research has focused on elucidating how L. monocytogenes fitness is regulated by these and other conditions and how the transcription factor CodY is involved in these processes. Most notably, our results suggest that CodY is involved in L. monocytogenes susceptibility to lysozyme. Our findings contribute to our understanding of how this dangerous pathogen responds to conditions relevant during transmission and infection.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Herr, Elizabeth K., "Identifying the Effects of Environmental Conditions on Listeria monocytogenes Fitness and Pathogenesis Modified by Transcription Factor CodY" (2024). Honors Theses. 441.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/441
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