Frank Laboratory

Location
Microbiology & Immunology
TBRC C3960

General Interests
Microbial Pathogenesis, Bacterial Toxins, Genetic Regulation of Exotoxin Synthesis

Research Areas

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which usually resides in soil and water environments, can infect compromised hosts to cause significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of this organism in humans involves multiple virulence factors whose expression patterns are integrated with growth and replication. Virulence is mediated mainly by the expression of cell surface molecules, sensing and signal transduction systems, motility, chemotaxis and the ability to secrete a number of destructive enzymes including proteases, lipases, neuraminidase, toxins and capsular material. My long-term objective is to understand the interplay between host and bacterial factors that lead to life-threatening infections with P. aeruginosa. We have focused on the relationship between expression of toxins injected by the type III system and Pseudomonas pathogenesis in acute infection models. The local as well as the systemic delivery of toxins emphasize the pathogenic potential of the bacterium. Our hypothesis is that delivery of the type III toxins inhibits the uptake and destruction of P. aeruginosa during the initial stages of colonization, allowing multiplication past the point of resolution by innate immune mechanisms in compromised hosts. The outcome of infection is then determined by the extent of injury or compromised state of the host, the expression patterns of the various toxins, proteases and other destructive enzymes, and the host response.

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Current Members

Molly Riegert

Research Technologist, Frank Lab

mriegert@mcw.edu

(Feix JB, Kohn S, Tessmer MH, Anderson DM, Frank DW.) Cell Biochem Biophys. 2019 Mar;77(1):79-87 PMID: 30047043 PMCID: PMC6347562 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85050694302 07/27/2018
(Tessmer MH, Anderson DM, Pickrum AM, Riegert MO, Frank DW.) J Bacteriol. 2019 Feb 15;201(4) PMID: 30455285 PMCID: PMC6351748 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85060624878 11/21/2018
(Tessmer MH, Anderson DM, Pickrum AM, Riegert MO, Moretti R, Meiler J, Feix JB, Frank DW.) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Jan 16;115(3):525-530 PMID: 29295930 PMCID: PMC5776994 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85042128224 01/04/2018
(Balczon R, Morrow KA, Zhou C, Edmonds B, Alexeyev M, Pittet JF, Wagener BM, Moser SA, Leavesley S, Zha X, Frank DW, Stevens T.) FASEB J. 2017 Jul;31(7):2785-2796 PMID: 28314768 PMCID: PMC5471513 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85021662814 03/21/2017
(Fischer AW, Anderson DM, Tessmer MH, Frank DW, Feix JB, Meiler J.) ACS Omega. 2017 Jun 30;2(6):2977-2984 PMID: 28691114 PMCID: PMC5494639 07/12/2017
(Tessmer MH, Anderson DM, Buchaklian A, Frank DW, Feix JB.) J Biol Chem. 2017 Feb 24;292(8):3411-3419 PMID: 28069812 PMCID: PMC5336173 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85013836015 01/11/2017
(Morrow KA, Frank DW, Balczon R, Stevens T.) Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2017;238:67-85 PMID: 28181005 PMCID: PMC6103630 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85018986099 02/10/2017
(Morrow KA, Ochoa CD, Balczon R, Zhou C, Cauthen L, Alexeyev M, Schmalzer KM, Frank DW, Stevens T.) Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2016 Feb 15;310(4):L337-53 PMID: 26637633 PMCID: PMC4754902 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84958559488 12/08/2015
(Morrow KA, Seifert R, Kaever V, Britain AL, Sayner SL, Ochoa CD, Cioffi EA, Frank DW, Rich TC, Stevens T.) Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2015 Nov 15;309(10):L1199-207 PMID: 26386118 PMCID: PMC4652153 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84947231546 09/20/2015
(Anderson DM, Feix JB, Frank DW.) PLoS Pathog. 2015 Jul;11(7):e1004944 PMID: 26203905 PMCID: PMC4512716 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84938811382 07/24/2015
(Bähre H, Hartwig C, Munder A, Wolter S, Stelzer T, Schirmer B, Beckert U, Frank DW, Tümmler B, Kaever V, Seifert R.) Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015 May 15;460(4):909-14 PMID: 25838203 PMCID: PMC4765920 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84937760629 04/04/2015
(Rolsma S, Frank DW, Barbieri JT.) The Comprehensive Sourcebook of Bacterial Protein Toxins. 5 June 2015:133-160 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85053197841 06/05/2015

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