Veronica McCreary

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Juris
Research: Examining Where Actin Binds to the Actin-Crosslinking Domain of RTX Toxin

Vibrio cholerae is a gram-negative comma-shaped bacterium with a single flagellum. This bacterium causes a non-inflammatory diarrheal disease known as cholera, which can lead to rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes and can lead to death. Cholera can be contracted from consuming feces-contaminated water supplies. Cholera is endemic in many developing countries. V. cholerae colonizes in the upper small intestine, where the true infection begins. Within the upper small intestine, V. cholerae releases a repeats-in-toxin (RTX) exoprotein that breaches through the cell membrane of the interstitial epithelial cells. The RTX toxin is encoded by the rtxA gene. In this study, we will look at the Actin Crosslinking Domain (ACD) and where it will bind to the Actin cytoskeleton.