Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2015
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Sabine Heinhorst
Abstract
Carboxysomes are a type of bacterial microcompartment found in all cyanobacteria and most chemoautotrophic bacteria. The carboxysome consists of a protein shell that encapsulates the enzyme known as RubisCO, which is responsible for fixing inorganic carbon dioxide as part of a cycle that converts CO2 to usable organic carbon for the cell. The genes that encode carboxysome proteins were thought to be limited to a cluster of adjacent genes known as the cso operon. However, a gene downstream from the cso operon that encodes an essential protein of the carboxysome shell has recently been identified. My aim is to determine if the pcd gene, which is located between the canonical cso operon and the newly discovered gene, also encodes a carboxysome protein.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Barefield, Meredith M., "Is the Pcd Protein a Carboxysome Protein?" (2015). Honors Theses. 452.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/452