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UTSA Biology Faculty
 

Dr Janakiram Seshu
Janakiram Seshu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor-Bacterial Pathogenesis
Department of Biology
Member, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases

Office: BSE 3.230
Office Telephone: (210) 458-6578
Lab Telephone: (210) 458-6679
J.Seshu@utsa.edu

Labpage: Seshu Lab

 

Research Interests

Our research interests focus on two infectious diseases: 1) Lyme Disease and 2) Q fever.

Lyme Disease is the most prevalent arthropod-borne infectious disease in the US. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease is transmitted to humans (and to other mammals) by the bite of infected ticks. This spirochetal pathogen rapidly alters its gene expression depending on the feeding status of the ticks and upon transmission to mammalian hosts. Our current research interests are directed towards:

Figure 1
1). Determining the role of linear plasmid 54 (lp54) encoded genes of B. burgdorferi in the infectivity of mammalian hosts.

2). Characterization of the mechanisms of interactions of B. burgdorferi with mammalianhost cell surfaces.

3) Metabolomics of B. burgdorferi facilitating its adaptation to host-specific conditions.

 

Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii - an obligate, intracellular pathogen. Acute Q fever is a self-limiting flu-like illness and is readily amenable to treatment with antibiotics. Chronic Q fever, on the other hand, is not easily treated with antibiotics and results in endocarditis, hepatitis and pneumonia. C. burnetii is highly infectious, disseminated as an aerosol, capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions and is a category-B biothreat agent. C. burnetii resides and replicates within the phagolysosomal vacuoles of macrophages and hence has a unique niche protected from the neutralizing effects of humoral immune response. A potent cell-mediated immunity is required to clear this intracellular acidophile. Our current research efforts are therefore directed towards:

1). Identification of T cell epitopes of C. burnetii

2). Modification of select C. burnetii antigens to enhance protective T cell response against C. burnetii

 

 

Recent Publications

  • Eva Sanjuan, Maria D. Esteve-Gassent, Mahulena Maruskova and J. Seshu (2009). Overexpression of BbCsrA (BB0184) alters morphology and antigen profiles of Borrelia burgdorferi. Infection and Immunity; (In Press)
  • Cong Y., J-J Yu, M. N. Guentzel, M. T. Berton, J. Seshu, K. E. Klose and B. Arulanandam (2009). Vaccination with a defined Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida pathogenecity island mutant (DiglB) induces protective immunity against homotypic and heterotypic challenge. Vaccine. (In Press).
  • Murthy A.K., B.K. R. Chaganty, W. Li, M. N. Gunetzel, J. P. Chambers, J. Seshu, G. Zhong and B. P. Arulanandam (2009). A Limited Role for Antibody in Protective Immunity Induced by rCPAF and CpG Vaccination Against Primary Genital Chlamydia muridarum Challenge FEMS Microbiol Immunol. 55: 271-279
  • Esteve-Gassent, M.D., Elliott, N and J. Seshu (2009). sodA is essential for virulence of Borrelia burgdorferi in the murine model of Lyme disease. Mol. Microbiol. 71:594-612
  • Maruskova, M and J. Seshu (2008). Deletion of BBA64, BBA65 and BBA66 does not alter the infectivity phenotype of Borrelia burgdorferi in the murine model of Lyme disease. Infect. Immun. 76: 5274-84.
  • Li, W., A.K. Murthy, M. N. Guentzel, J. Seshu, G. Zhong, B. P. Arulanandam (2008). IFN-g from Antigen Specific CD4+ T cells is Required and Quantitatively Sufficient to Induce Anti-Chlamydial Protective Immunity. J. Immunol. 180:3375-3382
  • Mahulena Maruskova, M. Dolores Esteve-Gassent, Valerie L. Sexton and J. Seshu (2008). The role of bba64 locus of Borrelia burgdorferi in early stages of infectivity in the murine model of Lyme disease. Infect. Immun. 76: 391-402
  • Li, W., M. N. Guentzel, J. Seshu, G. Zhong, A.K. Murthy and B. P. Arulanandam (2007). Targeted Multi-Subunit Vaccination Approach to Evaluate Cross-Serovar Protection against Genital Chlamydial Infection. Clin. Vaccine. Immunol. 14: 1537-1544
  • Hyde, J. A., Seshu, J. and J. T. Skare. (2006). Transcriptional profiling of Borrelia burgdorferi containing a unique bosR allele identifies a putative oxidative stress regulon. Microbiol. 152:2599-2609.
  • Seshu, J., M. Labandeira-Rey, M. Esteve-Gassent, M. Höök and J. T. Skare. (2006). The Isolation and Characterization of Isogenic mutants in Infectious Borrelia burgdorferi. pg 25-41. In Molecular Biology of Spirochetes, NATO Science Series, Life and Behavioral Sciences Vol: 373. IOS Press.
  • Seshu, J., M. Esteve-Gassent, M. Labandeira-Rey, J. H. Kim, J.P. Trzeciakowski, M. Höök and J. T. Skare. (2006) Inactivation of the Fibronectin-binding Adhesin Gene bbk32 Significantly Attenuates the Infectivity Potential of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol. Microbiol. 59:1591-1601

 

Dr Seshu's Lab
People; position; research and other interests

Dr. J. Seshu

Dr. J. Seshu, PhD;
Principal Investigator
Teaching; Paper work; making borrelial mutants
Courses offered:
BIO 1033 - Drugs and Society (Fall and Spring)
BIO 6973 - Bacterial Pathogenesis (Spring)

Hobbies:
Racquetball, gardening and cooking


Dr. Maria D. Esteve-Gassent

Dr. Maria D. Esteve-Gassent, PhD;
Research Assistant Professor
American Heart Association Fellow
Physiological stress response in Borrelia burgdorferi

Hobbies:
Yoga, dancing and cooking

Dr. Weidong Li

Dr. Weidang Li, PhD;
Post-doctoral fellow
Interaction of Borrelia burgdorferi with host cells

Dr. Eva Sanjuan

Dr. Eva Sanjuan, PhD;
Post-doctoral fellow
Regulation of gene expression in Borrelia burgdorferi

Hobbies:
Music, reading and traveling

Dr. B.V.S.Raju

Dr. B.V.S.Raju, PhD;
Post-doctoral fellow
Role of signaling molecules in Borrelia burgdorferi
infection

Hobbies:
Music, movies and cooking


 

Lab members

Mahulena Maruskova

Mahulena Maruskova
Cell and Molecular Biology
Mutational Analysis of lp54 genes of B. burgdorferi

Hobbies:
Aikido, photography and baking

S-L. Rajsekhar Karna

S-L. Rajsekhar Karna
2nd year doctoral student
Cell and Molecular Biology
Development of genetic tools for Borrelia burgdorferi

Hobbies:
Music, cooking and traveling

Tricia VanLaar

Tricia VanLaar
3rd year doctoral student
Cell and Molecular Biology
Functional genomics of borrelial patho-types

Hobbies:
Bowling, golf and reading

Christine “Lindsay” Miller

Christine “Lindsay” Miller, BS;
2nd year doctoral student
Cell and Molecular Biology
Metabolomics of borrelial host adaptation

Hobbies:
Gardening and a lot of other things

 

Bachelor's of Science Student Lab members

Nathan Elliot Nathan Elliot; BS;
Research Technician-Part Time
Expression of TIM and MIM of B. burgdorferi
Seth Parker

Seth Parker; BS;
MS-Biology
Metabolomics of B. burgdorferi

 

 

Undergraduate Lab members

Ann Reyes

Ann Reyes;
Undergraduate MBRS-RISE Scholar
Characterization of an aero-sensing regulator of
B. burgdorferi

Elisabeth Xavier Elizabeth Xavier;
Undergraduate Research Scholar
Current Position: Sophomore - UT Austin

 

Former Lab members; current position…

Shemina Momen

Shemina Momen; MS (Biotechnology);
Research Associate-Biotechnology Firm
Lansing, Michigan
(Graduated in 2008)

Valerie Sexton

Valerie Sexton; BS;
Doctoral Student
Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology
UTHSCSA
(Graduated in 2007)


Department of Biology, BSB 2.03.02,
One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249
Phone: (210) 458-4511, Fax: (210) 458-5658

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