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The Innate Immune Response to Francisella tularensis

Ravneberg, David Huehl
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245416584

Abstract Details

2009, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Pathology.
The human immune system is a network of cells, physical barriers, and antimicrobial proteins that keep foreign microorganisms from causing serious disease. Despite many layers of protection, certain microbes have developed methods of evading the immune system and in some cases, using the host immunity to their advantage. The potential biowarfare agent Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious bacterium that has evolved mechanisms to use immune cells for its benefit. In this thesis we examined two aspects of the innate immune response to F. tularensis. Initially we investigated the role of the cytokine IFN-γ and the signaling molecule Akt in the production of nitric oxide in macrophages. This investigation included a titration of amount of IFN-γ required to ‘prime’ the macrophages, a temporal profile of the production of NO as well as inhibitor/transgenic studies to gauge Akt’s impact on the iNOS cascade. Secondly, we tested the immune response to different subspecies of Francisella. Our results showed a striking difference in the level of the immune response to some virulent strains, but not others. Curiously, the moderately pathogenic strain of Francisella seems to evade the host immune response more effectively than strains of greater virulence. Our examination into this immunity gap involved measuring cytokine responses, bacterial growth, intracellular signaling and microarray analysis of infected cells. The studies included in this thesis offer two different approaches to investigating the unknowns during Francisella infection – research into the molecular mechanisms responsible and descriptive study of a novel global phenomenon during infection.
Susheela Tridandapani, PhD (Advisor)
Jonathan Godbout, PhD (Committee Member)
James Waldman, PhD (Committee Member)
89 p.
Biomedical Research; Immunology; Microbiology
Francisella; novicida; tularensis; holarctica; iNOS; Akt; infection;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ravneberg, D. H. (2009). The Innate Immune Response to Francisella tularensis [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245416584

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ravneberg, David. The Innate Immune Response to Francisella tularensis. 2009. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245416584.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ravneberg, David. "The Innate Immune Response to Francisella tularensis." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1245416584

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1245416584
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© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.