This renewal application seeks support for continuation of a unique and timely research training program in Cellular and Molecular Microbiology conducted by an interdisciplinary group of faculty investigators at Vanderbilt University (VU) and Meharry Medical College (MMC). These investigators represent the coalescing disciplines of microbial pathogenesis and cell biology which evolve into the growing field of cellular microbiology. The Program offers trainees with research opportunities for new discoveries in the study of the pathogen-host interactions relevant to biodefense and other microbes that cause human diseases, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The training faculty at VU and MMC has demonstrated a highly effective commitment to 13 predoctoral students supported by this Program. The innovative features of this program are vested in state-of-the-science cell biology approaches as applied to the study of organisms important for human pathogenesis in the following areas: (i) Host-Cell Interaction with Potential Bioweapon Agents and Development of Countermeasures;(ii) Virus-Cell Interactions;(iii) Microbial Adhesion to Cellular Receptors;(iv) Microbial Cues for Cytoskeleton, Cytokinesis and Cell Cycle;(v) Endosomal-Lysosomal Pathway of Microbial Internalization and Processing;(vi) Signal Transduction and Gene Transcription Evoked by Pathogens;(vii) Nuclear Import and Export;(viii) RNA and DNA Binding Proteins in Pathogen-Host Interaction;(ix) ER and Golgi Pathways for Microbial Peptides, Glycolipids, and Glycoproteins;and (x) Mitochondria and Microbial Strategy for Survival. This well-defined Program recruits predoctoral trainees with explicit interests in cellular microbiology of pathogen-host interactions from a pool of graduate and MD/PhD students who matriculated to VU and MMC and have indicated microbiology, virology, immunology, and/or molecular cell biology as their area(s) of interest. These students are offered the Program's flagship course, """"""""Cellular Microbiology of the Pathogen-Host Interaction."""""""" The competing application also proposes inclusion of select summer undergraduate trainees, with special emphasis on underrepresented minorities, who seek a career in the biomedical sciences. The Program is based on a stringent selection and monitoring by the Steering Committee which promotes vigorous mentorship and scientific interactions between participating laboratories and early career counseling. The Program's overall mission is to interface trainees with a highly interactive group of VU/MMC faculty and to foster the career development of new pioneers in the field of cellular microbiology of the pathogen-host interactions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32AI007611-09
Application #
7653771
Study Section
Allergy & Clinical Immunology-1 (AITC)
Program Officer
Peters, Kent
Project Start
1999-09-30
Project End
2011-08-31
Budget Start
2009-09-01
Budget End
2010-08-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$170,199
Indirect Cost
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212
McCann, Tyler S; Guo, Yan; McDonald, W Hayes et al. (2016) Antagonistic roles for the ubiquitin ligase Asr1 and the ubiquitin-specific protease Ubp3 in subtelomeric gene silencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:1309-14
Cox, Reagan G; Mainou, Bernardo A; Johnson, Monika et al. (2015) Human Metapneumovirus Is Capable of Entering Cells by Fusion with Endosomal Membranes. PLoS Pathog 11:e1005303
Cox, Reagan G; Erickson, John J; Hastings, Andrew K et al. (2014) Human metapneumovirus virus-like particles induce protective B and T cell responses in a mouse model. J Virol 88:6368-79
Cox, Reagan G; Williams, John V (2013) Breaking in: human metapneumovirus fusion and entry. Viruses 5:192-210
Baldridge, Ryan D; Xu, Peng; Graham, Todd R (2013) Type IV P-type ATPases distinguish mono- versus diacyl phosphatidylserine using a cytofacial exit gate in the membrane domain. J Biol Chem 288:19516-27
Baldridge, Ryan D; Graham, Todd R (2013) Two-gate mechanism for phospholipid selection and transport by type IV P-type ATPases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:E358-67
Browne, Christopher M; Samir, Parimal; Fites, J Scott et al. (2013) The yeast eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B translation initiation complex interacts with the fatty acid synthesis enzyme YBR159W and endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Mol Cell Biol 33:1041-56
Frierson, Johnna M; Pruijssers, Andrea J; Konopka, Jennifer L et al. (2012) Utilization of sialylated glycans as coreceptors enhances the neurovirulence of serotype 3 reovirus. J Virol 86:13164-73
Baldridge, Ryan D; Graham, Todd R (2012) Identification of residues defining phospholipid flippase substrate specificity of type IV P-type ATPases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109:E290-8
Cox, Reagan G; Livesay, S Brent; Johnson, Monika et al. (2012) The human metapneumovirus fusion protein mediates entry via an interaction with RGD-binding integrins. J Virol 86:12148-60

Showing the most recent 10 out of 30 publications