A5021878964- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide
- Adenosine and Purinergic Signaling
- Polyamine Metabolism and Applications
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Algal biology and biofuel production
Washington University in St. Louis
2008-2018
Acaryochloris marina is a unique cyanobacterium that able to produce chlorophyll d as its primary photosynthetic pigment and thus efficiently use far-red light for photosynthesis. species have been isolated from marine environments in association with other oxygenic phototrophs, which may driven the niche-filling introduction of d. To investigate these adaptations, we sequenced complete genome A. marina. The DNA content composed 8.3 million base pairs, among largest bacterial genomes far....
Despite the fact that heliobacteria are only phototrophic representatives of bacterial phylum Firmicutes, genomic analyses these organisms have yet to be reported. Here we describe complete sequence and analysis genome Heliobacterium modesticaldum, a thermophilic species belonging this unique group phototrophs. The is single 3.1-Mb circular chromosome containing 3,138 open reading frames. As suspected from physiological studies failed show photoautotrophic growth, genes encoding enzymes for...
ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii infection has been described previously to cause infected mice lose their fear of cat urine. This behavioral manipulation proposed involve alterations host dopamine pathways due parasite-encoded aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. Here, we report successful knockout and complementation the hydroxylase AAH2 gene, with no observable phenotype in parasite growth or differentiation vitro vivo . Additionally, expression levels two hydroxylases were negligible both...
The Toxoplasma gondii genome contains two aromatic amino acid hydroxylase genes, AAH1 and AAH2 encode proteins that produce L-DOPA, which can serve as a precursor of catecholamine neurotransmitters. It has been suggested this pathway elevates host dopamine levels thus making infected rodents less fearful their definitive Felidae hosts. However, L-DOPA is also structural melanins, secondary quinones, dityrosine protein crosslinks, are produced by many species. For example, crosslinks abundant...
Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is a widespread intracellular parasite able to infect virtually any nucleated cell. T. gondii infection activated macrophages inhibits nitric oxide (NO) production; however, effector responsible for this block has not been defined. Macrophage populations are extremely heterogeneous responding differently stimuli, and infection. Here we evaluated inhibition NO production caused by J774-A1 RAW 264.7 assessed role several known virulence...