2024
Dual roles for a tick protein disulfide isomerase during the life cycle of the Lyme disease agent.
Tang X, Cui Y, Namarra U, Tian X, Rivas-Giorgi F, Fikrig E. Dual roles for a tick protein disulfide isomerase during the life cycle of the Lyme disease agent. MBio 2024, e0175424. PMID: 39470213, DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01754-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchProtein disulfide isomeraseLyme disease agentDisulfide isomeraseBlood-feeding vectorsExtracellular pathogensGene expressionInvasion of host cellsThiol-disulfide oxidoreductasesDisease agentsGroup of enzymesStages of bacterial infectionVirulence factorsLife cycleChaperone activityMammalian hostsHost cellsBlood-feeding ticksIsomeraseMicrobial infectionsColonized ticksPathogensDiverse infectionsMicrobial invasionInfection of miceVector-borne diseases
2012
IL-22 Signaling Contributes to West Nile Encephalitis Pathogenesis
Wang P, Bai F, Zenewicz LA, Dai J, Gate D, Cheng G, Yang L, Qian F, Yuan X, Montgomery RR, Flavell RA, Town T, Fikrig E. IL-22 Signaling Contributes to West Nile Encephalitis Pathogenesis. PLOS ONE 2012, 7: e44153. PMID: 22952908, PMCID: PMC3429482, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044153.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsWild-type miceCentral nervous systemIL-22Viral loadNeutrophil migrationType miceWest Nile virus encephalitisSimilar viral loadsLethal WNV infectionIL-22 signalingHost immune responseWNV neuroinvasionVirus encephalitisCXCR2 ligandsLeukocyte infiltrateProinflammatory cytokinesChemokine receptorsImmune responseWNV infectionViral infectionNervous systemSignaling contributesExtracellular pathogensNon-redundant roleWT leukocytes
2003
Adaptation of Borrelia burgdorferi in the vector and vertebrate host
Pal U, Fikrig E. Adaptation of Borrelia burgdorferi in the vector and vertebrate host. Microbes And Infection 2003, 5: 659-666. PMID: 12787742, DOI: 10.1016/s1286-4579(03)00097-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsComplex enzootic cycleUnique adaptive featuresDifferent host environmentsAdaptation of BorreliaMolecular adaptationsRegulatory mechanismsB. burgdorferiHost environmentSensu latoEnzootic cycleExtracellular pathogensDomestic animalsAdaptive featuresBorrelia burgdorferi sensu latoHostBurgdorferi sensu latoCausative agentDiverse rangeArthropodsAdaptationLatoBurgdorferiPathogensLyme diseaseBorrelia