Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
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Date of Graduation
Fall 2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Department of Integrated Science and Technology
Advisor(s)
Stephanie Stockwell
Abstract
Soybean is one of the leading crops grown in the United States. Nitrogen fertilizers are widely used in soybean production to increase crop yields. An alternative to nitrogen fertilizers is the symbiotic relationship between soybean and a species of nitrogen-fixing Gram-negative soil bacteria, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The bacterium infects the roots of the soybean, forming nodules that perform nitrogen fixation. This study involves analysis of TonB-dependent receptors, intermembrane proteins responsible for iron uptake and, in some cases, symbiosis in B. japonicum. A comparison of sequence alignments and 3D structure predictions was used to identify potential symbiosis-specific structural domains within TonB-dependent receptors as targets for site-directed mutagenesis.
Recommended Citation
Casto, Allie R., "Structural comparison of TonB-dependent receptors in bradyrhizobium japonicum" (2015). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019. 126.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/126
