2017
Modulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization
Narasimhan S, Schuijt TJ, Abraham NM, Rajeevan N, Coumou J, Graham M, Robson A, Wu MJ, Daffre S, Hovius JW, Fikrig E. Modulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization. Nature Communications 2017, 8: 184. PMID: 28775250, PMCID: PMC5543126, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00208-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB. burgdorferi colonizationTick gutImmune responseRNA interference-mediated silencingGut microbiomeLyme disease agentBorrelia burgdorferiB. burgdorferiGutTick proteinsVivo resultsBurgdorferiPixRAbrogationTick Ixodes scapularisArthropod vectorsDisease agentsGut proteinsIxodes scapularisAlterationsGut genesMicrobiomeTick biologyMiceBacterial biofilm formationA Tick Antivirulence Protein Potentiates Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus
Abraham NM, Liu L, Jutras BL, Murfin K, Acar A, Yarovinsky TO, Sutton E, Heisig M, Jacobs-Wagner C, Fikrig E. A Tick Antivirulence Protein Potentiates Antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 2017, 61: 10.1128/aac.00113-17. PMID: 28438938, PMCID: PMC5487661, DOI: 10.1128/aac.00113-17.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNovel alternative therapeutic strategyAlternative therapeutic strategiesEfficacy of antibioticsTherapeutic strategiesTransgenic miceBacterial infectionsInfection modelDifferent antibioticsAntibioticsAntibiotic resistanceStaphylococcus aureusPotency of antibioticsClinical pathogensPeptides representativeImproved permeationPathogensPotent antibiofilm propertiesIAFGP
2014
Antivirulence Properties of an Antifreeze Protein
Heisig M, Abraham NM, Liu L, Neelakanta G, Mattessich S, Sultana H, Shang Z, Ansari JM, Killiam C, Walker W, Cooley L, Flavell RA, Agaisse H, Fikrig E. Antivirulence Properties of an Antifreeze Protein. Cell Reports 2014, 9: 417-424. PMID: 25373896, PMCID: PMC4223805, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.09.034.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntifreeze proteinsDiverse bacteriaProtein bindsWild-type animalsBiofilm formationAntivirulence agentsIAFGPMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusHost controlProteinAntifreeze glycoproteinsIxodes scapularisAntivirulence propertiesBacteriaSeptic shockTherapeutic strategiesBacterial infectionsInfectious diseasesMicrobesStaphylococcus aureusFliesBindsInfectionCatheter tubingPathogens