Microbiology & Immunology Faculty

  Research | Publications | Lab Members | Biosketch (Pdf format)

Joel B. Baseman, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Room 5.007V Tel: (210) 567-3939 Fax: (210) 567-6491 Email: baseman@uthscsa.edu

 

Research

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MPN) is among the most common bacterial pathogens causing human respiratory diseases. Our recent discovery of a unique MPN toxin represents the first authentic virulence determinant found among all pathogenic mycoplasmas, and appears to be a bona fide ADP-ribosylating and vacuolating toxin, like the classical ADP-ribosylating toxins of pertussis, diphtheria etc. The roles that MPN and toxin, designated Community Acquired Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS) toxin, play in acute and chronic airway diseases are being investigated, including the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic candidates for the clinical management and prevention of MPN-mediated airway diseases.

In parallel studies, we examine the sexually transmitted mycoplasma pathogen, Mycoplasma genitalium (MGN). We are clarifying MGN virulence determinants that mediate the dynamic interactions between MGN and human target cells, leading to overt clinical disease. Recently, we described the remarkable ability of MGN to exhibit perinuclear and intranucleolar localization, suggesting that this pathogen circumvents host defenses and navigates through host cell structures in order to establish and maintain viability and persistence. Specific gene products of MGN that contribute to this unique trafficking are being identified in order to understand how this pathogen elicits pathogenetic consequences and to identify MGN molecules that can be used as therapeutic targets to interrupt or prevent disease progression.

 

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Publications

• Zhang, W. and J.B. Baseman.  2011.  Transcriptional responses of Mycoplasma genitalium to osmotic stress.  Microbiol.  157( 2):548-56.
• Muir, M.T., S.M. Cohn, C. Louden, T.R. Kannan and J.B. Baseman.  2011.  Novel toxin assays implicate Mycoplasma pneumoniae  in prolonged ventilator course and hypoxemia.  Chest 139:305-310.
• Kannan, T.R., J.J. Coalson, M. Cagle, O. Musatovova, R.D. Hardy and J.B. Baseman.  2011. Synthesis and distribution of CARDS toxin during Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in a murine model.  J. Infect. Dis. (in press)
• Thurman, A.R; O. Musatovova; S. Perdue; R.N. Shain; J.B. Baseman.  2010.  Mycoplasma genitalium symptoms, concordance and treatment in high-risk sexual dyads. Int J STD AIDS 21:177-183.
• Kannan, T.R., O. Musatovova, S. Balasubramanian, M. Cagle, J.L. Jordan, T.M. Krunkosky, A. Davis, R.D. Hardy and J.B. Baseman.  2010. Mycoplasma pneumoniae CARDS toxin expression reveals growth phase and infection-dependent regulation.  Molec. Micro. 76(5):1127-1141.
• Pakhamova, O.N., A.B. Taylor, A. Becker, S.P. Holloway, T.R. Kannan, J.B. Baseman and P.J. Hart  2010.  Crystallization of community acquired respiratory distress syndrome toxin from Mycoplasma pneumoniae.  Acta Cryst. F66;294-296.
• Techasaensiri, C., C. Tagliabue, M. Cagle, P. Iranpour, K. Katz, T.R. Kannan, J.J. Coalson, J.B. Baseman and R.D. Hardy.  2010.  Variation in colonization, ADP-ribosylating cytotoxin,and pulmonary disease severity among Mycoplasma pneumoniae strains. Am. J. Res. Crit. Care Med. 182:797-804.
• Somarajan, S.R., T.R. Kannan and J.B. Baseman.  2010.  Mycoplasma pneumoniae Mpn133 is a cytotoxic nuclease with a glutamic acid, lysine and serine rich region essential for binding and internalization but not enzymatic activity.  Cell Microbiol.  12(12):1821-1831
• Li, Linbo, M. Krishnan, J.B. Baseman, and T.R. Kannan.  2010.  Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of a Ca2+ dependent, membrane associated nuclease of Mycoplasma genitalium.  J Bacteriol. 192:4876-4884.
• Hardy, R.D., J.J. Coalson, J. Peters, A. Chaparro, C. Techasaensiri, A.M. Cantwell, T.R. Kannan, J.B. Baseman and P.H. Dube. 2009. Analysis of pulmonary inflammation and function in the mouse and baboon after exposure to Mycoplasma pneumoniae CARDS toxin. PloSOne Oct 27;4(10):e7562.

 

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Lab Members

  Lab Rooms: 5.029V, 5.033V

• Marianna Cagle, Special Research Coordinator
• Brandon Guin, Lab Technician Assistant III
• T. R. Kannan, Ph.D., Asst. Professor/Research
• Linbo Li, Research Fellow
• Krishnan Manickam, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
• Oxana Musatovova, Ph.D., Instructor/Research
• Sowmya Balasubramanian, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
• Sudha Somarajan, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
• Lavanya Pandranki, Research Fellow
• Wenbo Zhang, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow
  
  
  Graduate Students:
       Suzanna Maupin M.D./Ph.D.
       
  

 

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