Publications

requirement of the cxxc motif of novel francisella infectivity potentiator protein b fipb, and fipa in virulence of f. tularensis subsp. tularensis.	the lipoprotein encoded by the francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis locus ftt1103 is essential for virulence; an ftt1103 deletion mutant is defective in uptake and intracellular survival, and mice survive high dose challenges of greater than 10(8) bacteria. this protein has two conserved domains; one is found in a class of virulence proteins called macrophage infectivity potentiator (mip) proteins, and the other in oxidoreductase disulfide bond formation protein a (dsba)-related proteins. we ...	2011	21931773
[two cases of tick-borne tularemia in yozgat province, turkey].	tularemia which has a worldwide distribution, is a zoonotic infection caused by francisella tularensis. f.tularensis can infect a wide range of animals and can be transmitted to humans in a variety of ways, the most common being by the bite of an infected arthropod vector (usually tick) in the usa and europe. the clinical presentations have been classically divided into ulceroglandular, glandular, oculoglandular, pharyngeal, respiratory, and typhoidal tularemia depending on the route of transmis ...	2011	22090307
antimicrobial susceptibilities of francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica strains isolated from humans in the central anatolia region of turkey.	to assess the in vitro susceptibility of francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica biovar ii strains to 24 antimicrobial agents.	2011	21856791
mucosal immunization with an unadjuvanted vaccine that targets s. pneumoniae pspa to human fcγri protects against pneumococcal infection through complement- and lactoferrin-mediated bactericidal activity.	targeting an antigen to fc receptors (fcr) can enhance the immune response to the antigen in the absence of adjuvant. furthermore, we recently demonstrated that intranasal immunization with an fcγr-targeted antigen enhances protection against a category a intracellular mucosal pathogen, francisella tularensis. to determine if a similar strategy could be applied to the important pathogen streptococcus pneumoniae, we used an improved mucosal fcr-targeting strategy that specifically targets human f ...	2011	22158740
uncoupling of pyrin-only protein 2 (pop2)-mediated dual regulation of nf-κb and the inflammasome.	activation of transcription factor nf-κb and inflammasome-directed caspase-1 cleavage of il-1β are key processes in the inflammatory response to pathogen or host-derived signals. pyrin-only proteins (pops) are restricted to old world monkeys, apes, and humans and have previously been shown to impair inflammasome assembly and/or nf-κb p65 transcriptional activity in transfected epithelial cells. however, the biological role of pop2 and the molecular basis for its observed functions are not well u ...	2011	21976665
mannich reaction derivatives of novobiocin with modulated physiochemical properties and their antibacterial activities.	synthetic derivatives of the natural product antibiotic novobiocin were synthesized in order to improve their physiochemical properties. a mannich reaction was used to introduce new side chains at a solvent-exposed position of the molecule, and a diverse panel of functional groups was evaluated at this position. novobiocin and the new derivatives were tested for their binding to gyrase b and their antibacterial activities against staphylococcus aureus, mycobacterium tuberculosis, francisella tul ...	2011	21871799
identification and subtyping of francisella by pyrosequencing and signature matching of 16s rdna fragments.	to analyse the v1 region of the 16s rdna gene by a universal pyrosequencing protocol to identify and subtype francisella in 31 strains from a repository collection and 96 patient isolates.	2011	21967285
[evaluation of tularemia cases originated from central anatolia, turkey].	tularemia is an infection caused by francisella tularensis with a worldwide distribution and diverse clinical manifestations. in recent years, tularemia cases are increasing in turkey, with a special attention to marmara, western blacksea and central anatolia regions. the aim of this study was to evaluate tularemia cases admitted to our hospital during an outbreak emerged at central anatolia between december 2009 and september 2010, making a point for the disease. a total of 32 patients (17 fema ...	2011	22090310
antibodies for biodefense.	potential bioweapons are biological agents (bacteria, viruses, and toxins) at risk of intentional dissemination. biodefense, defined as development of therapeutics and vaccines against these agents, has seen an increase, particularly in the us following the 2001 anthrax attack. this review focuses on recombinant antibodies and polyclonal antibodies for biodefense that have been accepted for clinical use. these antibodies aim to protect against primary potential bioweapons, or category a agents a ...	2011	22123065
a case of tularemia in a patient with cavitary pneumonia and skin lesions.	tularemia is a worldwide zoonosis caused by francisella tularensis. the most frequent forms of tularemia are ulceroglandular, followed for typhoidal forms, glandular and oculoglandular. respiratory involvement is an uncommon presentation. cutaneous lesions secondary to respiratory infections occur in 30% of cases. we present a case of tularemia with cavitary pneumonia and skin lesions.	2011	22005344
a francisella tularensis schu s4 mutant deficient in γ-glutamyltransferase activity induces protective immunity: characterization of an attenuated vaccine candidate.	francisella tularensis is an intracellular pathogen which causes tularaemia. there is no licensed vaccine currently available for prophylaxis. the γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (ggt) encoded by the ggt gene has been shown to be important for the intracellular survival of f. tularensis. in this study we have constructed a ggt deletion mutant in the highly virulent f. tularensis strain schu s4. characterization of the mutant strain confirmed the function of ggt, and confirmed the role of ggt in cystei ...	2011	21852349
immunoproteomic analysis of the human antibody response to natural tularemia infection with type a or type b strains or lvs vaccination.	francisella tularensis is pathogenic for many mammalian species including humans, causing a spectrum of diseases called tularemia. the highly virulent type a strains have associated mortality rates of up to 60% if inhaled. an attenuated live vaccine strain (lvs) is the only vaccine to show efficacy in humans, but suffers several barriers to licensure, including the absence of a correlate of protection. an immunoproteomics approach was used to survey the repertoire of antibodies in sera from indi ...	2011	21873113
the class a β-lactamase ftu-1 is native to francisella tularensis.	the class a β-lactamase ftu-1 produces resistance to penicillins and ceftazidime but not to any other β-lactam antibiotics tested. ftu-1 hydrolyzes penicillin antibiotics with catalytic efficiencies of 10(5) to 10(6) m(-1) s(-1) and cephalosporins and carbapenems with catalytic efficiencies of 10(2) to 10(3) m(-1) s(-1), but the monobactam aztreonam and the cephamycin cefoxitin are not substrates for the enzyme. ftu-1 shares 21 to 34% amino acid sequence identity with other class a β-lactamases ...	2011	22083489
ultrahigh resolution and full-length pilin structures with insights for filament assembly, pathogenic functions, and vaccine potential.	pilin proteins assemble into type iv pili (t4p), surface-displayed bacterial filaments with virulence functions including motility, attachment, transformation, immune escape, and colony formation. however, challenges in crystallizing full-length fiber-forming and membrane protein pilins leave unanswered questions regarding pilin structures, assembly, functions, and vaccine potential. here we report pilin structures of full-length dnfima from the sheep pathogen dichelobacter nodosus and ftpile fr ...	2011	22027840
A Typical Preparation of Francisella tularensisO-Antigen Yields a Mixture of Three Types of Saccharides.	Tularemia is a severe infectious disease in humans caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis (Ft). Because of its low infectious dose, high mortality rate, and the threat of its large-scale dissemination in weaponized form, development of vaccines and immunotherapeutics against Ft is essential. Ft lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which contains the linear graded-length saccharide component O-antigen (OAg) attached to a core oligosaccharide, has been reported as a protective antigen. ...	2011	22091710
changes in the repertoire of natural antibodies caused by immunization with bacterial antigens.	the repertoire of natural anti-glycan antibodies in naïve chickens and in chickens immunized with bacteria burkholderia mallei, burkholderia pseudomallei, and francisella tularensis as well as with peptides from an outer membrane protein of b. pseudomallei was studied. a relatively restricted pattern of natural antibodies (first of all igy against bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan fragments, l-rha, and core n-acetyllactosamine) shrank and, moreover, the level of detectable antibodies decreased a ...	2011	21999548
gene expression following low dose inhalational francisella tularensis (schus4) exposure in balb/c mice and the potential role of the epithelium and cell adhesion.	interactions between francisella tularensis and the host are slowly being elucidated. microarray technology was used to further characterise the response of balb/c mice after inhalation of the virulent f. tularensis, schus4. the validated array data revealed changes in expression of 476 genes across a 96 h time course following infection (p ≤ 0.05). these data confirm down-regulation of the toll-like receptor pathway (tlr3, 4, 5, 7 and 8), and the induction of ifn-γ inducible genes (t-cell speci ...	2011	22155623
transmission efficiency of francisella tularensis by adult american dog ticks (acari: ixodidae).	the american dog tick, dermacentor variabilis (say) (acari: ixodidae), has been implicated as a potential bridging vector to humans of francisella tularensis, the etiological agent of tularemia. since the initial studies evaluating vector competency of d. variabilis were conducted, f. tularensis has been subdivided into subspecies and clades that differ in their geographical distribution in the united states and in the severity of infections caused in humans. here, we demonstrate that d. variabi ...	2011	21845949
Tularemia in alaska, 1938 - 2010.	ABSTRACT: Tularemia is a serious, potentially life threatening zoonotic disease. The causative agent, Francisella tularensis, is ubiquitous in the Northern hemisphere, including Alaska, where it was first isolated from a rabbit tick (Haemophysalis leporis-palustris) in 1938. Since then, F. tularensis has been isolated from wildlife and humans throughout the state. Serologic surveys have found measurable antibodies with prevalence ranging from < 1% to 50% and 4% to 18% for selected populations of ...	2011	22099502
larval exposure to francisella tularensis lvs affects fitness of the mosquito culex quinquefasciatus.	francisella tularensis is an environmental bacterium capable of infecting a wide spectrum of species from mammals and birds to reptiles. it has been demonstrated that f. tularensis can invade and survive within protozoa, but an association with aquatic insects has not been thoroughly investigated. we examined the interaction of f. tularensis lvs biofilms and culex quinquefasciatus larvae to determine the effects on larvae and adults. our results demonstrate that f. tularensis lvs can form and pe ...	2011	22066999
Emergence of tularemia in France: paradigm of the Burgundy region.	We report three consecutive cases of tularemia occurring in Burgundy, France, a region previously considered not endemic for tularemia. The patients presented with varied and unspecific clinical manifestations. The epidemiological circumstances, especially the mode of contamination, were not particularly suggestive of tularemia. Serological diagnosis was delayed in two cases because of the lack of significant antibody titers at the time of admission. In contrast, a diagnosis could readily be obt ...	2011	21975180
Tularemia: a rare cause of cervical lymphadenopathy.		2011	21934250
[Mechanisms for the formation of a combination of the natural foci of trematodiases and tularemia in the floodplain-river ecosystem of the Konda River in different periods of epizootic activity of an infection focus].	The basis of the mechanism responsible for the formation of a combination of the natural foci of trematodiases and tularemia in the infection foci in the interepizootic periods is their association with the morphological structure of the floodplain-river landscape of the Konda River. The landscape's facias and holes, which are common to the foci, are integrated, by predetermining the territorial combination. The formation of a closed trinomial Francisella tularensis parasite system integrating t ...	2011	21932541
discovery of a novel and potent class of f. tularensis enoyl-reductase (fabi) inhibitors by molecular shape and electrostatic matching.	enoyl-acyl carrier protein (acp) reductase, fabi, is a key enzyme in the bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (fas ii). fabi is an nadh-dependent oxidoreductase that acts to reduce enoyl-acp substrates in a final step of the pathway. the absence of this enzyme in humans makes it an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents. fabi is known to be unresponsive to structure-based design efforts due to a high degree of induced fit and a mobile flexible loop encompassing th ...	2011	22098466
[microbiological and clinical aspects of tularaemia.]	francisella tularensis belongs to the most important biological agents potentially applicable in biological warfare and bioterrorism. high virulence, easy and rapid spread among individual vectors, stability of the cells in aerosol and good penetration into the lungs make f. tularensis one of the most important biological warfare agents in both human and veterinary medicine. the text provides comprehensive data about tularaemia and outlines the fate of the pathogen in the host. special attention ...	2011	22161752
francisella halioticida sp. nov., a pathogen of farmed giant abalone (haliotis gigantea) in japan.	in 2005, a francisella sp. was isolated from diseased cultured giant abalone (haliotis gigantea) in japan. the aim of this study was to clarify the taxonomic status of this francisella sp. shimane-1 isolate in relation to the four described francisella species.	2011	21883728
Macrophage replication screen identifies a novel Francisella hydroperoxide resistance protein involved in virulence.	Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Recently, genome-wide screens have identified Francisella genes required for virulence in mice. However, the mechanisms by which most of the corresponding proteins contribute to pathogenesis are still largely unknown. To further elucidate the roles of these virulence determinants in Francisella pathogenesis, we tested whether each gene was required for replication of the model patho ...	2011	21915295
culturability and persistence of francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (syn. francisella asiatica) in sea- and freshwater microcosms.	francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (syn. francisella asiatica), the causative agent of franciselliosis in warm-water fish, is a gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium. although it has been characterized as one of the most pathogenic bacteria in fish, the water conditions that allow for its survival and infectious capacities outside the fish host are not known. data obtained in this project indicate that both temperature and salinity are important factors in the culturability an ...	2011	21881943
The rhizome of life: the sympatric Rickettsia felis paradigm demonstrates the random transfer of DNA sequences.	The intracellular flea symbiont, Rickettsia felis, may meet other organisms intracellularly such as R. typhi. We used a single-gene phylogenetic approach of the 1375 R. felis genes to look for horizontal transfers that occurred as a result of the bacterial promiscuity with other organisms. Our results showed that besides genes that are linked to the Spotted Fever Group, 165 genes have a different history and are linked to other Rickettsia such as R. bellii (107 genes), R. typhi (15 genes), or to ...	2011	22024628
Molecular mechanisms of inflammasome activation during microbial infections.	The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the rapid recognition and elimination of invading microbes. Detection of microbes relies on germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize essential bacterial molecules, so-called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). A subset of PRRs, belonging to the NOD-like receptor (NLR) and the PYHIN protein families, detects viral and bacterial pathogens in the cytosol of host cells and induces the assembly of a multi-protei ...	2011	21884176
o-antigen deficient francisella tularensis live vaccine strain mutants are ingested via an aberrant form of looping phagocytosis and show altered kinetics of intracellular trafficking in human macrophages.	we have examined the uptake and intracellular trafficking of f. tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs) and lvs with disruptions of wbtdef and wbti - genes essential for synthesis of o-antigen of lipopolysaccharide. unlike parental bacteria, o-antigen deficient lvs are efficiently killed by serum with intact complement, but not by serum lacking terminal complement components. opsonization of o-antigen deficient lvs in serum lacking terminal complement components allows efficient uptake of these liv ...	2011	22202123
Intracellular localisation and innate immune responses following Francisella noatunensis infection of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) macrophages.	The facultative intracellular bacterium Francisella noatunensis causes francisellosis in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), but little is known about its survival strategies or how these bacteria evade the host immune response. In this study we show intracellular localisation of F. noatunensis in cod macrophages using indirect immunofluorescence techniques and green fluorescent labelled bacteria. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that F. noatunensis was enclosed by a phagosomal membrane during ...	2011	21896333
the biochemical properties of the francisella pathogenicity island (fpi)-encoded proteins igla, iglb, iglc, pdpb and dotu suggest roles in type vi secretion.	the francisella pathogenicity island (fpi) encodes proteins thought to compose a type vi secretion system (t6ss) that is required for the intracellular growth of francisella novicida. in this work we used deletion mutagenesis and genetic complementation to determine that the intracellular growth of f. novicida was dependent on 14 of the 18 genes in the fpi. the products of the iglabcd operon were localized by the biochemical fractionation of f. novicida, and francisella tularensis lvs. sucrose g ...	2011	21980115
rapid field detection assays for bacillus anthracis, brucella spp., francisella tularensis and yersinia pestis.	rapid detection is essential for timely initiation of medical post-exposure prophylactic measures in the event of intentional release of biological threat agents. we compared real-time pcr assay performance between the applied biosystems 7300/7500 and the razor instruments for specific detection of the causative agents of anthrax, brucellosis, tularemia and plague. furthermore, an assay detecting bacillus thuringiensis, a bacillus anthracis surrogate, was developed for field-training purposes. a ...	2011	20132255
longitudinal study on the seroprevalence of avian influenza, leptospirosis, and tularemia in an urban population of raccoons (procyon lotor) in ontario, canada.	raccoons (procyon lotor) live at high densities, often in close association with people, in urban areas in ontario and have been implicated as potential reservoirs of numerous zoonotic disease agents. we collected 137 blood samples from 61 apparently healthy raccoons in a small area of toronto, ontario, from june to october 2007 as part of a longitudinal study to determine the seasonal patterns of seroprevalence of francisella tularensis, avian influenza, and leptospira. in addition, we collecte ...	2011	20491583
histologic, immunohistochemical, microbiological, molecular biological and ultrastructural characterization of pulmonary tularemia.	tularemia is a rare zoonotic disease caused by francisella tularensis, a gram-negative bacteria. the clinical manifestations of pulmonary tularemia resemble those of other airways infections. recently, a case of pulmonary tularemia was diagnosed at tufts medical center. the purpose of the current report is to document the utility of applying several diagnostic tools, including immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, microbiology and molecular biology in confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary t ...	2011	20709464
multiple-locus, variable number of tandem repeat analysis (mlva) of the fish-pathogen francisella noatunensis.	since francisella noatunensis was first isolated from cultured atlantic cod in 2004, it has emerged as a global fish pathogen causing disease in both warm and cold water species. outbreaks of francisellosis occur in several important cultured fish species making a correct management of this disease a matter of major importance. currently there are no vaccines or treatments available. a strain typing system for use in studies of f. noatunensis epizootics would be an important tool for disease man ...	2011	21261955
role of neutrophils and nadph phagocyte oxidase in host defense against respiratory infection with virulent francisella tularensis in mice.	francisella tularensis subspecies (subsp.) tularensis is a cdc category a biological warfare agent and inhalation of as few as 15 bacilli can initiate severe disease. relatively little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of host defense against respiratory infection with subsp. tularensis. in this study, we examined the role of neutrophils and nadph phagocyte oxidase in host resistance to pulmonary infection in a mouse intranasal infection model. we found that despite neutrophil ...	2011	21277990
antibodies contribute to effective vaccination against respiratory infection by type a francisella tularensis strains.	pneumonic tularemia is a life-threatening disease caused by inhalation of the highly infectious intracellular bacterium francisella tularensis. the most serious form of the disease associated with the type a strains can be prevented in experimental animals through vaccination with the attenuated live vaccine strain (lvs). the protection is largely cell mediated, but the contribution of antibodies remains controversial. we addressed this issue in a series of passive immunization studies in fische ...	2011	21282410
identification of t-cell epitopes in francisella tularensis using an ordered protein array of serological targets.	francisella tularensis is a gram-negative intracellular bacterium that is the causative agent of tularaemia. concerns regarding its use as a bioterrorism agent have led to a renewed interest in the biology of infection, host response and pathogenesis. a robust t-cell response is critical to confer protection against f. tularensis. however, characterization of the cellular immune response has been hindered by the paucity of tools to examine the anti-francisella immune response at the molecular le ...	2011	21214540
phylogeography of francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica in france.	to investigate the phylogeography of french francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica isolates.	2011	21214606
temperature-sensitive bacterial pathogens generated by the substitution of essential genes from cold-loving bacteria: potential use as live vaccines.	temperature-sensitive (ts) viruses have been used for decades as vaccines capable of limited replication in their hosts. although attenuated bacteria, such as the bacille calmette-guérin anti-tuberculosis vaccine, have been used for almost a century, it is only recently that there has been progress in using ts bacterial strains as live vaccines. decades of work on essential bacterial genes and the recent explosion in the number of available bacterial genomic sequences set the groundwork for the ...	2011	21229224
biochemical responses and oxidative stress in francisella tularensis infection: a european brown hare model.	the aim of the present study was to investigate biochemical and oxidative stress responses to experimental f. tularensis infection in european brown hares, an important source of human tularemia infections.	2011	21232117
chlorine disinfection of francisella tularensis.	to determine the range of free available chlorine (fac) required for disinfection of the live vaccine strain (lvs) and wild-type strains of francisella tularensis.	2011	21189486
proteomic characterization and functional analysis of outer membrane vesicles of francisella novicida suggests possible role in virulence and use as a vaccine.	we have isolated and characterized outer membrane vesicles (omvs) from francisella. transport of effector molecules through secretion systems is a major mechanism by which francisella tularensis alters the extracellular proteome and interacts with the host during infection. outer membrane vesicles produced by francisella were examined using tem and afm and found to be 43-125 nm in size, representing another potential mechanism for altering the extracellular environment. a proteomic analysis (lc- ...	2011	21138299
tick-borne disease agents in various wildlife from mississippi.	because tick-borne diseases are becoming increasingly important throughout the world, monitoring their causative agents in wildlife may serve as a useful indicator of potential human exposure. we assessed the presence of known and putative zoonotic, tick-borne agents in four wildlife species in mississippi. animals were tested for exposure to or infection with ehrlichia chaffeensis, ehrlichia ewingii, borrelia lonestari, rickettsia spp., anaplasma phagocytophilum, and francisella tularensis. who ...	2011	20846016
francisella-like endosymbiont in dermacentor reticulatus collected in portugal.	in portugal, recent studies have confirmed the presence of francisella tularensis in dermacentor reticulatus. bacterial endosymbionts with significant homology to f. tularensis have been described in several species of ticks. in this work we identified francisella-like endosymbionts in d. reticulatus ticks (39%), confirming the presence of these bacteria in portugal. this finding should be considered in future studies using molecular approaches to detect francisella prevalence in ticks and envir ...	2011	20575645
defect in efferocytosis leads to alternative activation of macrophages in francisella infections.	the macrophage is a versatile cell type that can sense and respond to a particular need based on the conditions of the microenvironment. some studies have recently suggested that pathogens can directly influence the polarization of macrophages. as francisella infections are characterized by intense necrotic infiltrates in the lung as well as in distal sites of infection, we sought to investigate whether pulmonary francisella infections could cause the polarization of alternatively activated macr ...	2011	20585334
serological survey of five zoonoses, scrub typhus, japanese spotted fever, tularemia, lyme disease, and q fever, in feral raccoons (procyon lotor) in japan.	we investigated the seroprevalence of five tick- or mite-borne zoonoses, scrub typhus (orientia tsutsugamushi), japanese spotted fever (rickettsia japonica), tularemia (francisella tularensis), lyme disease (borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii), and q fever (coxiella burnetii), in feral raccoons (procyon lotor) captured in hokkaido and kanagawa prefectures in japan. of the 559 raccoons captured in hokkaido, 8 (1.4%), 3 (0.5%), 1 (0.2%), and 1 (0.2%) carried antibodies against o. tsutsugamushi ...	2011	20553108
new vector tools with a hygromycin resistance marker for use with opportunistic pathogens.	the ability of many bacterial strains to tolerate antibiotics can limit the number of molecular tools available for research of these organisms. to help address this problem, we have modified a diverse set of vectors to include a broadly expressed hygromycin resistance (hmr) marker. hygromycin b is an aminoglycoside antibiotic not used to treat infections in humans and has antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms. vectors with four replication origins are represented, with p ...	2011	20972648
attenuated francisella asiatica iglc mutant induces protective immunity to francisellosis in tilapia.	francisella asiatica is a gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacteria that causes fish francisellosis. fish francisellosis is a severe sub-acute to chronic granulomatous disease with high mortalities and high infectivity rates in cultured and wild fish. to date, there is no approved vaccine for this widespread emergent disease. the goal of this study was to characterize the efficacy of a defined f. asiatica mutant (δiglc) as a live attenuated vaccine against subsequent immersion challenge ...	2011	20600508
mast cell/il-4 control of francisella tularensis replication and host cell death is associated with increased atp production and phagosomal acidification.	mast cells are now recognized as effective modulators of innate immunity. we recently reported that mast cells and secreted interleukin-4 (il-4) effectively control intramacrophage replication of francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (lvs), and that mice deficient in mast cells or il-4 receptor (il-4r(-/-)) exhibit greater susceptibility to pulmonary challenge. in this study, we further evaluated the mechanism(s) by which mast cells/il-4 control intramacrophage bacterial replication and hos ...	2011	20861832
development of functional and molecular correlates of vaccine-induced protection for a model intracellular pathogen, f. tularensis lvs.	in contrast with common human infections for which vaccine efficacy can be evaluated directly in field studies, alternative strategies are needed to evaluate efficacy for slowly developing or sporadic diseases like tularemia. for diseases such as these caused by intracellular bacteria, serological measures of antibodies are generally not predictive. here, we used vaccines varying in efficacy to explore development of clinically useful correlates of protection for intracellular bacteria, using fr ...	2012	22275868
Genetic analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (syn. F. asiatica) isolates from fish.	Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (syn. F. asiatica) (Fno) is an emergent fish pathogen that causes acute to chronic disease in a wide variety of freshwater, brackish and marine fish. Due to the emergent nature of this bacterium, established protocols to measure antimicrobial susceptibility are lacking. In this project we compare three different methods to examine the antimicrobial susceptibility (Etest, broth microdilution and disk diffusion) of 10 different isolates of Fno from two dif ...	2012	21868177