A5068342912- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Leptospirosis research and findings
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
University of Calgary
2014-2024
Western University
1994-2007
National Institutes of Health
2001-2004
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
1986
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
1979-1981
University of Southern California
1973
Pathogenic spirochetes are bacteria that cause a number of emerging and re-emerging diseases worldwide, including syphilis, leptospirosis, relapsing fever, Lyme borreliosis. They navigate efficiently through dense extracellular matrix cross the blood-brain barrier by unknown mechanisms. Due to their slender morphology, difficult visualize standard light microscopy, impeding studies behavior in situ. We engineered fluorescent infectious strain Borrelia burgdorferi, disease pathogen, which...
Summary The linear plasmid, lp28‐1, is required for persistent infection by the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi . This plasmid contains vls antigenic variation locus, which has long been thought to be important immune evasion. However, role of locus as a virulence factor during mammalian not clearly defined. We report successful removal through telomere resolvase‐mediated targeted deletion, and demonstrate absolute requirement this lp28‐1 component persistence in mouse host....
A method is presented for rapid and efficient 5′ end label ing with 32 of capped mRNAs, by a series three enzymatic reactions: the blocking nucleotide cap structure removed tobacco acid pyrophosphatase, after dephosphorylation alkaline phosphatase labeled γ-32-P-ATP T4 polynucleotide kinase.
Hematogenous dissemination is important for infection by many bacterial pathogens, but poorly understood because of the inability to directly observe this process in living hosts at single cell level. All disseminating pathogens must tether host endothelium despite significant shear forces caused blood flow. However, molecules that mediate tethering interactions have not been identified any pathogen except E. coli, which tethers cells via a specialized pillus structure found pathogens....
The identification of genes important in the pathogenesis Lyme disease Borrelia has been hampered by exceedingly low transformation rates low-passage, infectious organisms. Using infectious, moderately transformable B. burgdorferi derivative 5A18NP1 and signature-tagged versions Himar1 transposon vector pGKT, we have constructed a defined library for efficient genome-wide investigation required wild-type pathogenesis, vitro growth, physiology, morphology, plasmid replication. To facilitate...
We have examined the supercoiling requirement for in vitro Mu DNA strand transfer reaction and found that optimal efficiency requires a high level ( σ ¯ = −0.06) of donor plasmid superhelicity. At vivo levels −0.025) does not occur. Using an unreactive with near physiological supercoiling, we identified Escherichia coli protein factor which has novel property reducing by 40%. This protein, named relief was purified to homogeneity be identical integration host (IHF), known induce site...
Summary Systemic dissemination of microbial pathogens permits microbes to spread from the initial site infection secondary target tissues and is responsible for most mortality due bacterial infections. Dissemination a critical stage disease progression by L yme spirochaete, B orrelia burgdorferi . However, many mechanistic features process are not yet understood. A key step adhesion circulating vascular surfaces in face shear forces present flowing blood. Using real‐time microscopic imaging...
Introduction The incidence of Lyme disease (LD) in Canada and the United States has risen over last decade, nearing 480,000 cases each year. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, causative agent LD, is transmitted to humans through bite an infected tick, resulting flu-like symptoms often a characteristic bull’s-eye rash. In more severe cases, disseminated bacterial infection can cause arthritis, carditis neurological impairments. Currently, no vaccine available for prevention LD humans. Methods...
B D Lavoie and G Chaconas Department of Biochemistry, University Western Ontario, London, Canada.
The A and B proteins encoded by the temperate bacteriophage Mu are involved in high efficiency DNA transposition reaction which is distinguishing feature of this phage.The genes encoding these early were cloned an expression vector under control X leftward promoter.Under optimal conditions gpB was overproduced to account for 15% total cellular protein.The protein purified near homogeneity as determined silver staining.Sequence analysis N terminus
Persistent infection by pathogenic organisms requires effective strategies for the defense of these against host immune response. A common strategy employed many pathogens to escape recognition and clearance is continually vary surface epitopes through recombinational shuffling genetic information. Borrelia burgdorferi, a causative agent Lyme borreliosis, encodes surface-bound lipoprotein, VlsE. This protein encoded vlsE locus carried at right end linear plasmid lp28-1. Adjacent expression...
Significance Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) have been found primarily patrolling inside blood vessels in the liver, where they respond to bacterial glycolipids presented by CD1d on liver macrophages. We show joint iNKT are localized outside of and directly joint-homing pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi , which causes Lyme borreliosis using multichannel spinning-disk intravital microscopy. These interacted with B. at vessel wall disrupted its dissemination attempts into joints....
Vascular extravasation, a key step in systemic infection by hematogenous microbial pathogens, is poorly understood, but has been postulated to encompass features similar vascular transmigration leukocytes. The Lyme disease spirochete can cause variety of clinical manifestations, including arthritis, upon dissemination. This pathogen encodes numerous surface adhesive proteins (adhesins) that may promote none have yet implicated this process. In work we report the novel use intravital...