Bacterial Pathogenesis and Genomics.

Robert S. Munson, Jr.

munson.10@osu.edu

Professor Department of Pediatrics

Research Summary:
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae is an important cause of otitis media in children, and a major cause of lower respiratory disease in children in the developing world. The organism is also associated with exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia in elderly and immunocompromised patients.

Haemophilus ducreyi is the causative agent of chancroid, a sexually transmitted disease. Chancroid ulcers facilitate the transmission of HIV. My laboratory is employing a number of genetic and immunological approaches in order to assess the role of outer membrane proteins, toxins and adhesins in the pathogenesis of Haemophilus disease.

My laboratory is also interested in global regulation of expression of virulence determinants. We also have a major interest in bacterial genomics. Recently, we completed the sequence of the genome of H. ducreyi and we are currently annotating the sequence.

Sun, S., Schilling, B., Tarantino, L., Tullius, M. V., Gibson, B. W. and Munson, R. S., Jr. (2000). Cloning and characterization of the lipooligosaccharide galactosyltransferase II gene of Haemophilus ducreyi. J Bacteriol 182 (8): 2292-8.

Young, R. S., Fortney, K., Haley, J. C., Hood, A. F., Campagnari, A. A., Wang, J., Bozue, J. A., Munson, R. S., Jr. and Spinola, S. M. (1999). Expression of sialylated or paragloboside-like lipooligosaccharides are not required for pustule formation by Haemophilus ducreyi in human volunteers. Infect Immun 67 (12): 6335-40.

Bozue, J. A., Tullius, M. V., Wang, J., Gibson, B. W. and Munson, R. S., Jr. (1999). Haemophilus ducreyi produces a novel sialyltransferase. Identification of the sialyltransferase gene and construction of mutants deficient in the production of the sialic acid-containing glycoform of the lipooligosaccharide. J Biol Chem 274 (7): 4106-14.

Cope, L. D., Lumbley, S., Latimer, J. L., Klesney-Tait, J., Stevens, M. K., Johnson, L. S., Purven, M., Munson, R. S., Jr., Lagergard, T., Radolf, J. D. and Hansen, E. J. (1997). A diffusible cytotoxin of Haemophilus ducreyi. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94 (8): 4056-61.

Palmer, K. L. and Munson, R. S., Jr. (1995). Cloning and characterization of the genes encoding the hemolysin of Haemophilus ducreyi. Mol Microbiol 18 (5): 821-30