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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 101 - 125 of 261

  1. Critical Role of B Cells in Toll-Like Receptor 7-Mediated Protection against Listeria monocytogenes Infection

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Toll-like receptors (TLR) trigger the immune system to mount a rapid innate response capable of protecting the host from a wide variety of bacterial and viral pathogens. There is interest in harnessing TLR agonists to reduce the susceptibility of at-risk populations to infection. However, the widespread prophylactic use of TLR agonists has been compromised by the need to administer them by parenteral injection.

      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Bacterial pathogens
  2. L-Serine Lowers the Inflammatory Responses during Pasteurella multocida Infection

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Pasteurella multocida causes a variety of infectious diseases in various species of mammals and birds, resulting in enormous economic loss to the modern livestock and poultry industry. However, the mechanism of host-pathogen interaction is unclear. Here, we found that l-serine levels were significantly decreased in murine lungs infected with P. multocida. Exogenous l-serine supplementation significantly increased the survival rate of mice and decreased the colonization of P.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  3. The Rho-Independent Transcription Terminator for the porA Gene Enhances Expression of the Major Outer Membrane Protein and Campylobacter jejuni Virulence in Abortion Induction

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. Its porA gene encodes the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) that is abundantly expressed and has important physiological functions, including a key role in systemic infection and abortion induction in pregnant animals. Despite the importance of porA in C. jejuni pathogenesis, mechanisms modulating its expression levels remain elusive.

      • Campylobacter
      • Bacterial pathogens
  4. Interaction Differences of the Avian Host-Specific Salmonella enterica Serovar Gallinarum, the Host-Generalist S. Typhimurium, and the Cattle Host-Adapted S. Dublin with Chicken Primary Macrophage

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Most Salmonella serovars cause disease in many host species, while a few serovars have evolved to be host specific. Very little is known about the mechanisms that contribute to Salmonella host specificity. We compared the interactions between chicken primary macrophages (CDPM) and host-generalist serovar Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, host-adapted Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin, and avian host-specific Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum. S.

      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  5. Coxiella burnetii Intratracheal Aerosol Infection Model in Mice, Guinea Pigs, and Nonhuman Primates

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a Gram-negative bacterium transmitted to humans by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Acute Q fever is often self-limiting, presenting as a febrile illness that can result in atypical pneumonia. In some cases, Q fever becomes chronic, leading to endocarditis that can be life threatening.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  6. Entamoeba histolytica Interaction with Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Increases Parasite Virulence and Inflammation in Amebiasis

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Epidemiological studies suggest frequent association of enteropathogenic bacteria with Entamoeba histolytica during symptomatic infection. In this study, we sought to determine if the interaction with enteropathogenic (EPEC) or nonpathogenic Escherichia coli (strain DH5α) could modify the virulence of E. histolytica to cause disease in animal models of amebiasis. In vitro studies showed a 2-fold increase in CaCo2 monolayer destruction when E. histolytica interacted with EPEC but not with E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  7. Long-Term Culture of Giardia lamblia in Cell Culture Medium Requires Intimate Association with Viable Mammalian Cells

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Giardia lamblia is usually cultured axenically in TYI-S-33, a complex medium which does not permit survival and growth of mammalian cells. Likewise, medium commonly used to maintain and grow mammalian cells does not support healthy trophozoite survival for more than a few hours. The inability to coculture trophozoites and epithelial cells under optimal conditions limits studies of their interactions as well as interpretation of results.

      • Parasites
      • Giardia lamblia
  8. Unexpected Role of CD8 T Cells in Accelerated Clearance of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium from H-2 Congenic mice

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Salmonella infection can cause gastroenteritis in healthy individuals or a serious, systemic infection in immunocompromised patients and has a global impact. CD4 Th1 cells represent the main lymphocyte population that participates in bacterial clearance during both primary and secondary infections in mice of the H-2b haplotype. Previous studies have used congenic mice to examine the function of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules in elimination of this pathogen from the host.

      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  9. Intradermal or Sublingual Delivery and Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Proteins Shape Immunologic Responses to a CFA/I Fimbria-Derived Subunit Antigen Vaccine against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of infectious diarrhea in children, travelers, and deployed military personnel. As such, development of a vaccine would be advantageous for public health. One strategy is to use subunits of colonization factors combined with antigen/adjuvant toxoids as an ETEC vaccine.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  10. Replication of Coxiella burnetii in a Lysosome-Like Vacuole Does Not Require Lysosomal Hydrolases

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Coxiella burnetii is an intracellular bacterium that causes query, or Q fever, a disease that typically manifests as a severe flu-like illness. The initial target of C. burnetii is the alveolar macrophage. Here, it regulates vesicle trafficking pathways and fusion events to establish a large replication vacuole called the Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV). Similar to a phagolysosome, the CCV has an acidic pH and contains lysosomal hydrolases obtained via fusion with late endocytic vesicles.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  11. Eosinophils Affect Antibody Isotype Switching and May Partially Contribute to Early Vaccine-Induced Immunity against Coxiella burnetii

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium which causes human Q fever. An acidified citrate cysteine medium (ACCM-2) has been developed which mimics the intracellular replicative niche of C. burnetii and allows axenic growth of the bacteria. To determine if C. burnetii cultured in ACCM-2 retains immunogenicity, we compared the protective efficacies of formalin-inactivated C.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  12. Interleukin 6 Promotes Brucella abortus Clearance by Controlling Bactericidal Activity of Macrophages and CD8+ T Cell Differentiation

    • Infection and Immunity
    • To date, the implications of interleukin 6 (IL-6) for immune responses in the context of Brucella infection are still unknown. In the present study, we found that Brucella abortus infection induced marked production of IL-6 in mice that was important for sufficient differentiation of CD8+ T cells, a key factor in Brucella clearance.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  13. The Ferric Uptake Regulator Represses Type VI Secretion System Function by Binding Directly to the clpV Promoter in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are highly conserved and complex protein secretion systems that deliver effector proteins into eukaryotic hosts or other bacteria. T6SSs are regulated precisely by a variety of regulatory systems, which enables bacteria to adapt to varied environments.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
  14. Iron-Sulfur Cluster Repair Contributes to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Survival within Deep Tissues

    • Infection and Immunity
    • To successfully colonize host tissues, bacteria must respond to and detoxify many different host-derived antimicrobial compounds, such as nitric oxide (NO). NO has direct antimicrobial activity through attack on iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-containing proteins. NO detoxification plays an important role in promoting bacterial survival, but it remains unclear if repair of Fe-S clusters is also important for bacterial survival within host tissues.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Yersinia
  15. The Complete Genome of the Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Archetype Isolate E110019 Highlights a Role for Plasmids in Dissemination of the Type III Secreted Effector EspT

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea among young children in developing countries, and EPEC isolates can be subdivided into two groups. Typical EPEC (tEPEC) bacteria are characterized by the presence of both the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and the plasmid-encoded bundle-forming pilus (BFP), which are involved in adherence and translocation of type III effectors into the host cells.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  16. Coxiella burnetii Epitope-Specific T-Cell Responses in Patients with Chronic Q Fever

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Infection with Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, can result in life-threatening persistent infection. Reactogenicity hinders worldwide implementation of the only licensed human Q fever vaccine. We previously demonstrated long-lived immunoreactivity in individuals with past symptomatic and asymptomatic Coxiella infection (convalescents) to promiscuous HLA class II C. burnetii epitopes, providing the basis for a novel T-cell targeted subunit vaccine.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  17. A Recombinant Attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Vaccine Delivering a Y. pestis YopENt138-LcrV Fusion Elicits Broad Protection against Plague and Yersiniosis in Mice

    • Infection and Immunity
    • In this study, a novel recombinant attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PB1+ strain (10069) engineered with yopK yopJ asd triple mutations was used to deliver a Y. pestis fusion protein, YopE amino acid 1 to 138-LcrV (YopENt138-LcrV), to Swiss Webster mice as a protective antigen against infections by yersiniae.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Yersinia
  18. The Ferric Uptake Regulator Represses Type VI Secretion System Function by Binding Directly to the clpV Promoter in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium [Molecular Pathogenesis]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are highly conserved and complex protein secretion systems that deliver effector proteins into eukaryotic hosts or other bacteria. T6SSs are regulated precisely by a variety of regulatory systems, which enables bacteria to adapt to varied environments.

      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  19. Iron-Sulfur Cluster Repair Contributes to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Survival within Deep Tissues [Bacterial Infections]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • To successfully colonize host tissues, bacteria must respond to and detoxify many different host-derived antimicrobial compounds, such as nitric oxide (NO). NO has direct antimicrobial activity through attack on iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-containing proteins. NO detoxification plays an important role in promoting bacterial survival, but it remains unclear if repair of Fe-S clusters is also important for bacterial survival within host tissues.

      • Yersinia
      • Bacterial pathogens
  20. The Complete Genome of the Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Archetype Isolate E110019 Highlights a Role for Plasmids in Dissemination of the Type III Secreted Effector EspT [Molecular Genomics]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea among young children in developing countries, and EPEC isolates can be subdivided into two groups. Typical EPEC (tEPEC) bacteria are characterized by the presence of both the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and the plasmid-encoded bundle-forming pilus (BFP), which are involved in adherence and translocation of type III effectors into the host cells.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  21. A Recombinant Attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Vaccine Delivering a Y. pestis YopENt138-LcrV Fusion Elicits Broad Protection against Plague and Yersiniosis in Mice [Microbial Immunity and Vaccines]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • In this study, a novel recombinant attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PB1+ strain (10069) engineered with yopK yopJ asd triple mutations was used to deliver a Y. pestis fusion protein, YopE amino acid 1 to 138-LcrV (YopENt138-LcrV), to Swiss Webster mice as a protective antigen against infections by yersiniae.

      • Yersinia
      • Bacterial pathogens
  22. Coxiella burnetii Epitope-Specific T-Cell Responses in Patients with Chronic Q Fever [Microbial Immunity and Vaccines]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Infection with Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, can result in life-threatening persistent infection. Reactogenicity hinders worldwide implementation of the only licensed human Q fever vaccine. We previously demonstrated long-lived immunoreactivity in individuals with past symptomatic and asymptomatic Coxiella infection (convalescents) to promiscuous HLA class II C. burnetii epitopes, providing the basis for a novel T-cell targeted subunit vaccine.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  23. Salmonella enterica Effectors SifA, SpvB, SseF, SseJ, and SteA Contribute to Type III Secretion System 1-Independent Inflammation in a Streptomycin-Pretreated Mouse Model of Colitis [Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular Interactions]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) induces inflammatory changes in the ceca of streptomycin-pretreated mice. In this mouse model of colitis, the type III secretion system 1 (T3SS-1) has been shown to induce rapid inflammatory change in the cecum at early points, 10 to 24 h after infection. Five proteins, SipA, SopA, SopB, SopD, and SopE2, have been identified as effectors involved in eliciting intestinal inflammation within this time range.

      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Correction for Majumdar et al., "Absence of Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase C Enhances Ileal Damage and Reduces Cytokine and Antimicrobial Peptide Production during Oral Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Infection" [Author Correction]

    • Infection and Immunity
      • Bacterial pathogens
  25. Cooperative Roles of Nitric Oxide-Metabolizing Enzymes To Counteract Nitrosative Stress in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli [Molecular Pathogenesis]

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) has at least three enzymes, NorV, Hmp, and Hcp, that act independently to lower the toxicity of nitric oxide (NO), a potent antimicrobial molecule. This study aimed to reveal the cooperative roles of these defensive enzymes in EHEC against nitrosative stress.

      • Bacterial pathogens