Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6656

Date

2020-12-01

Document Type

Thesis (Campus Access Only)

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Nutrition

Concentration

Nutrition Science

Committee Chair

Yufeng Zhang

Committee Member

Jim Adelman

Committee Member

Chidambaram Ramanathan

Abstract

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) causes respiratory disease and conjunctivitis in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). This study aimed to evaluate the acute and long-term effects of MG infection on mitochondrial function and immune responses in house finches. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of the immune and metabolic suppressive properties of MG. Our data showed that mitochondrial function and density largely differ between acute and long-term MG infection. The MG pathogen affected mitochondrial complex II driven respiration in acute infection, which could be one of the mechanisms underlying the immune-suppressive properties of MG. Both mitochondrial function and density decreased after long term infection. More importantly, finches without any MG related symptoms (recovered) showed similar reduced bioenergetic capacity compared to finches that still had symptoms (chronic). These results indicate that the effects of bioenergetic properties differ between MG infection stages, and the reduced mitochondrial function after MG infection could have long term fitness consequences.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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