Eric J. Hansen, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
Office:214-648-5974
Fax: 214-648-5905
Email: eric.hansen@utsouthwestern.edu
Despite recent progress in antimicrobial therapy, infectious diseases continue to be significant causes of morbidity and mortality in both the United States and the rest of the world. This situation is made even more complicated by the continuing emergence of new bacterial pathogens and is underscored by the specter of bioterrorism. The virulence mechanisms that different pathogens use to circumvent or defeat host defense systems are mostly unknown or poorly understood. My laboratory is interested in elucidating the molecular basis of microbial virulence, which in turn will lead to new methods for prophylaxis and therapy of bacterial diseases.
Recombinant DNA methods are indispensable tools in the investigation of microbial virulence mechanisms. This technology, when used in conjunction with relevant model systems, can be employed to define the importance of specific gene products in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections. My laboratory utilizes molecular genetic systems, DNA microarray methods, and related technologies to study three different bacterial pathogens as prototypic microbial invaders. The first of these is Moraxella catarrhalis, a common cause of upper respiratory tract infection (i.e., otitis media) in infants and young children. The second is Haemophilus ducreyi, the etiologic agent of a sexually transmitted, genital ulcer disease known as chancroid. The third is Francisella tularensis, a zoonotic pathogen that is considered to be a class A biothreat.
Research emphasis in my laboratory is placed on (1) the identification of bacterial genes that encode virulence factors, (2) the elucidation of the structure-function relationships inherent in these macromolecules, and (3) determination of how these bacterial factors subjugate host defense mechanisms. We have already identified major virulence factors of both M. catarrhalis and H. ducreyi. In addition, we are using bioinformatics and DNA microarray analysis to identify gene products that are essential for iron acquisition by F. tularensis. Our continuing studies include the precise construction of isogenic mutants whose virulence can then be evaluated in appropriate model systems and the development of new methods for the identification of additional virulence determinants.
Selected Publications:
Blick, R.J., A.T. Revel, and E.J. Hansen. Find GDPs: identification of primers for labeling microbial transcriptomes for DNA microarray analysis. Bioinformatics 19:1718-1719 (2003).
Vakevainen, M., S. Greenberg, and E.J. Hansen. Inhibition of phagocytosis by Haemophilus ducreyi requires expression of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins. Infect. Immun. 71: 5994-6003 (2003).
Deng, K., and E.J. Hansen. A CdtA-CdtC complex can block killing of HeLa cells by Haemophilus ducreyi cytolethal distending toxin. Infectr. Immun. 71:6633-6640 (2003).
Spinola, S.M., K.R. Fortney, B.P. Katz, J.L. Latimer, M. Vakevainen, and E.J. Hansen. Haemophilus ducreyi requires and intact flp gene cluster for virulence in humans. Infect. Immun. 71: 7178-7182 (2003).
Ward, C.K., J.R. Mock, and E.J. Hansen. The LspB protein is involved in secretion of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins by Haemophilus ducreyi. Infect. Immun. 72:1874-1884 (2004).
Janowicz, D.M., K.R. Fortney, B.P. Katz, J.L. Latimer, K. Deng, E.J. Hansen, and S.M. Spinola. Expression of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins by Haemophilus ducreyi is required for virulence in human volunteers. Infection and Immunity, in press (2004).
FindGDPs:
FindGDPs [Bioinformatics 19: 1718-1719 (2003)] is available here.
NEW! - FindGDPsMV is our new, faster in-memory version.
FindGDPsMV v1.0 binary for Linux/Intel
FindGDPsMV v1.0 binary for Windows/Intel
FindGDPsMV v1.0 source - gzipped
FindGDPsMV v1.0 source - zipped
FindGDPs v1.1-fixes our small bug in our original v1.0
FindGDPs v1.1 binary for Linux/Intel
FindGDPs v1.1 binary for Windows/Intel
FindGDPs v1.1 source - gzipped
FindGDPs v1.1 source - zipped
