Publication Date
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Nancy Bigley (Committee Chair), Barbara Hull (Committee Member), Oleg Paliy (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
The intestinal mucosa maintains a barrier between materials from the external environment and the internal environment of the host. Disruption of the gut wall integrity is involved in the development of various intestinal diseases, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Crohn's disease. The intestinal mucosa is lined with epithelial cells that are connected by tight junctions, the intercellular junctions that form a selectively permeable barrier between paracellular pathways. Enteric pathogens, such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), can disrupt the tight junctions of epithelial cells by altering the cellular cytoskeleton or by directly affecting tight junction proteins. Commensal Escherichia coli can also modify intestinal epithelial barrier function, however, the role of commensal E. coli in tight junction permeability is not fully understood. Here, the effects of enteropathogenic and commensal E. coli on intestinal epithelial barrier integrity, with a focus on tight junction permeability, will be discussed.
Page Count
64
Department or Program
Microbiology and Immunology
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Copyright
Copyright 2012, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
