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The molecular basis for virulence in Vibrio anguillarum, a bacterial pathogen of fish
Vibrio anguillarum is a highly motile marine bacterium and the causative agent of warm-water vibriosis in fish.  This disease is extremely destructive to fish, causing major economic losses to the marine aquaculture industry world-wide.  My lab has been examining the molecular basis of virulence in V. anguillarum with regard to two virulence activities: 1) secreted or extracellular protease activity and 2) hemolytic/cytotoxic activity against host cells.  We have identified and characterized the functions and activities of genes responsible for and regulating these virulence factors.  Preliminary data show that V. anguillarum protease activity degrades host innate immune functions, such as complement factors.  The hemolysins/cytotoxins kill and lyse host cells.  It appears that phagocytic cells are especially vulnerable to these toxins.  We hypothesize that these virulence factors help to promote disease by disrupting the host immune response to infection.  Summer students will work with my graduate students to examine how the virulence factors directly affect host cell functions and to further describe how the virulence factors are regulated.  Additionally, we have recently generated a draft genome sequence for V. anguillarum.  Summer students will have the opportunity to help with our efforts to annotate the genome.
 News & Events

RI-INBRE Newsletter Fall 2009

RI-INBRE Newsletter Fall 2009

Grant Workshop PowerPoint Presentations & Handouts

Balancing Teaching and Research at PUIs

Components of a Successful AREA (R15) Grant

NSF-RUI Program: Strategies and Tips for Success

Handouts

Important Dates

RI-INBRE Calendar

12/3//09 - Shahram Khademi, Ph.D, University of Iowa - "The structure and mechanism of ammonia channels"

12/4/09 - 4th Annual BioNES Meeting, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI

1/29/10 - RI-INBRE Research Fellows Meeting & Faculty Retreat, Providence College, Providence, RI

3/1/10 - Application Deadline for the 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

6/16/10 - 6/18/10 National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence, Bethesda, MD

 Supported by grant #  P20RR016457 from:
Contact Info
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University of Rhode Island
Fogarty Hall		 | 41 Lower College Rd | Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: (401) 874-9288 | Fax: (401) 874-2646 | E-mail: riinbre@etal.uri.edu