F. Tularensis: The Significance of FtsA

Abstract

Francisella Tularensis is an infectious bacteria that causes tularemia, a high mortality disease that causes fever, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. Once this gram negative bacteria invades a host, it is able to avoid the host’s macrophages and replicate in the host cell’s cytoplasm. Francisella Tularensis is primarily transmitted by insects, contact measures, inhalation, and ingestion. Due to the lack of information or uncertainty of this bacteria, most governments categorized F. Tularensis as a class A bioterrorism agent. FtsA is a gene that is found in most bacteria that has a major role in bacterial cell division. The FtsA protein typically binds FtsZ to the cell’s inner membrane, which then provides structural support as the cell divides. In other words, the protein FtsA allows the dividing cells to maintain shape and structure as they divide. In F. Tularensis, the bacterial cell shape can morph or change shape to survive the environment they are in. Because of this, the crucial question of what is the significance of the protein FtsA in F. Tularensis arises. To discover the importance of the protein FtsA in F. Tularensis, I’ve been researching the morphing of cell shapes in many different experiments. Currently, I have conducted a few experiments of viewing PCR underneath a light microscope while viewing F. Tularensis. I have also completed research to replicate a double strand of F. Tularensis to determine if the FtsA protein is transferable to the strand. Further research is being gathered as the semester continues.