Upcoming Events
-
Mar
17
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Work in Progress Talk: Caroline Guild (Dr. C. Heinen Lab) 12:00pm
-
Mar
17
Ph.D. Thesis Defense: Mian Horvath 1:15pm
-
Mar
18
Molecular Biology and Biophysics Seminar: Dr. Dale Ramsden 12:00pm
-
Mar
24
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Work in Progress Talk: Dane Geddes-Buehre (Dr. D. Korzhnev Lab) 12:00pm
-
Mar
25
MCB Seminar Series: Dr. Priya Vanaja 3:30pm
MCB Seminar Series: Dr. Priya Vanaja
Tuesday, March 25th, 2025
03:30 PM
BPB 130
Dr. Priya Vanaja, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor of Immunology
Director, Graduate Program in Immunology
UConn HealthHost: Ken Campellone
Bacterial toxin maneuvering of host cell death
The talk will focus on (i) how Shiga toxin, an exotoxin produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, inhibits inflammasome responses in toxin-resistant innate immune cells, and (ii) the molecular mechanism by which Shiga toxin kills susceptible cells in the human body.
About Dr. Vanaja:
I have a long-standing interest in understanding the host-bacterial pathogen interaction mechanisms that govern human infectious diseases. I have more than fifteen years of experience in investigating both pathogen and host aspects of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and Shiga toxin-mediated diseases. My laboratory at UCONN Health investigates the mechanisms of bacterial pathogen activation and evasion of innate immunity in the context of EHEC infection. Our studies revealed the essential role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles in cytosolic LPS delivery and noncanonical inflammasome activation, thus providing a mechanistic basis for cytosolic LPS entry during extracellular Gram-negative bacterial infection. We have also demonstrated a TLR4-independent role for CD14 in noncanonical inflammasome activation in vivo. A recent study from my laboratory unraveled a novel inflammasome suppressive function of the well-known bacterial virulence factor, Shiga toxin. Our studies have also identified a novel bacterial autotransporter-mediated mechanism that targets TFE3 transcription factor to block type I IFN responses.
A bacterial toxin co-opts caspase-3 to disable active gasdermin D and limit macrophage pyroptosis
Shiga toxin suppresses noncanonical inflammasome responses to cytosolic LPS