Colibacillosis is a serious economical problem for the animal production industry. In addition, it is a serious concern for human health because animals are an important source of Escherichia coli strains that can cause severe infections in humans. Data from the PI's laboratory suggest that complement resistance is an important bacterial virulence factor that contributes to the pathogenicity of extraintestinal infections in birds, which are caused by avian isolates of E. coli. This project is design to isolate and produce monoclonal antibodies against Iss, a plasmid-encoded outer membrane protein that contributes to complement resistance by a mechanism that remains to be elucidated. The antibodies will be used to confirm the surface exposure of Iss and examine if the amount of surface-exposed Iss is correlated with the virulence and complement resistance of E. coli avian isolates. This project will be used to introduce and train undergraduate students and strengthen the research program at North Dakota State University.
