Al Silmi, MajedaHenry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine (Boston University)2018-10-312018-10-3120032003(OCoLC)56667455b25252707https://hdl.handle.net/2144/31714PLEASE NOTE: This work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community: please click Download and log in with a valid BU account to access. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact open-help@bu.edu.Thesis (M.S.D.)--Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 2003 (Pediatric Dentistry).Includes bibliographic references (leaves 47-56).S. gordonii, a member of the viridans streptococci group, is pioneer oral flora that initiates plaque formation on the tooth surface and a significant opportunistic pathogen causing bacteremia in susceptible patients. The transition from the tooth surface to the bloodstream presumably leads to alterations in gene expression. Previously, a library of S.gordonii Challis::Tn917-lacZ transcription mutants were constructed and tested for biofilm formation to identify biofilm defective mutants. In the current study, this library was used to develop a protocol to identify serum inducible gene/s in S. gordonii, to determine the influence of environmental factors on the expression of gene/s isolated and to identify serum components that induce altered gene expression. [TRUNCATED]en-USThis work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact open-help@bu.edu.MutagenesisViridans streptococciThesis/Dissertation99181814000001161