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Full-Text Articles in Pathogenic Microbiology
Streptococcus Pyogenes Superantigens: Studies Into Host Specificity And Functional Redundancy, Adrienne T. Wakabayashi
Streptococcus Pyogenes Superantigens: Studies Into Host Specificity And Functional Redundancy, Adrienne T. Wakabayashi
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Streptococcus pyogenes is a human-specific globally prominent bacterial pathogen that secretes extremely potent exotoxins known as superantigens. Superantigens function to overstimulate T lymphocytes, capable of inducing excessive cytokine responses, potentially leading to toxic shock syndrome. Each strain of S. pyogenes encodes multiple distinct superantigens, yet the reasons why S. pyogenes retains multiple superantigens has remained elusive. Using a murine model of acute nasopharyngeal infection, the role of each superantigen encoded by S. pyogenes MGAS5005 was evaluated using isogenic superantigen-deletion or -complemented strains, and passive immunization with superantigen-neutralizing antibodies. The superantigen SpeG, and likely SpeJ, were not required for infection. However, …
Study Of The Hydrophobin Genes In Verticillium Dahliae And Characterization Of The Hydrophobin Gene Vdh5, Nadia P. Morales
Study Of The Hydrophobin Genes In Verticillium Dahliae And Characterization Of The Hydrophobin Gene Vdh5, Nadia P. Morales
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The broad host range, soil borne fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb. is the causal agent of an economically significant vascular wilt disease. This species produces persistent resting structures, known as microsclerotia, which are the primary source of disease inoculum in the field. Five hydrophobin-like proteins (VDH1 to 5) have been identified in the genome of V. dahliae. The results of bioinformatics analyses suggested secretion of these proteins, and that they are all class II hydrophobins. Gene expression analyses of VDH1 to 5 indicate that the transcript levels of the individual genes vary under different growth conditions. Additionally, the transcript levels of …