[Todos] SEMINARIO EXTRAORDINARIO QB 2014 - JUEVES 13 de noviembre 12.30 h - Larry McDaniel

[Claudia Sepúlveda]

SEMINARIO EXTRAORDINARIO DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE QUÍMICA BIOLÓGICA

JUEVES 13 de noviembre a las 12:30 h, Aula Cardini del Departamento de
Química Biológica, 4to piso.
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Expositor: Larry McDaniel PhD
Professor of Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center -
Jackson, MS

"No Sugar Coating: Virulence of Nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae"

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) colonizes the human
nasopharynx and causes a wide range of disease processes including otitis
media (OM).  A majority of pneumococcal clinical isolates express a
polysaccharide capsule, which is the current target of pneumococcal
vaccines and is thought to be required for invasive pneumococcal disease
(IPD).  However, recent surveillance of IPD isolates has identified
nonencapsulated S. pneumoniae (NESp) as etiological agents of IPD.  We
have assessed nasopharyngeal colonization by NESp using a mouse model. 
Additionally, we have investigated the ability of NESp to cause OM in the
chinchilla.Pneumococcal surface protein K (PspK) is present in a subset of
NESp.  PspK increased the adherence to but not the invasion of human
epithelial cells.  Transbullar challenge of the chinchilla with NESp
resulted in OM.  Also, the presence of AliC and AliD in NESp enhanced
murine nasopharyngeal colonization and was required for OM in the
chinchilla model.  Despite the increase in NESp isolates, little is known
about this pneumococcal population.  Thus, characterization of virulence
factors of this emerging human pathogen is essential to identifying how
this pneumococcal lineage causes disease.
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Los esperamos!

Martín Edreira
Diego Grinman
Diego Laderach
Claudia Sepúlveda

Organizadores de los Seminarios del Dpto. Química Biológica, FCEyN-UBA.


Puede consultarse la agenda de próximos seminarios en
http://www.qb.fcen.uba.ar/seminarios.htm