Selected Publications
by Topic
Category list Heading link
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PrfA: Master Regulator of Virulence
- A novel C-terminal mutation resulting in constitutive activation of the Listeria monocytogenes central virulence regulatory factor PrfA. Xayarath B, Smart JI, Mueller KJ, Freitag NE. Microbiology (Reading). 2011 Nov;157(Pt 11):3138-3149.
- A novel prfA mutation that promotes Listeria monocytogenes cytosol entry but reduces bacterial spread and cytotoxicity. Miner MD, Port GC, Bouwer HG, Chang JC, Freitag NE. Microb Pathog. 2008 Oct;45(4):273-81.
- Constitutive activation of PrfA tilts the balance of Listeria monocytogenes fitness towards life within the host versus environmental survival. Bruno JC Jr, Freitag NE. PLoS One. 2010 Dec 7;5(12):e15138.
- Identification of novel Listeria monocytogenes secreted virulence factors following mutational activation of the central virulence regulator, PrfA. Port GC, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2007 Dec;75(12):5886-97.
- Pleiotropic enhancement of bacterial pathogenesis resulting from the constitutive activation of the Listeria monocytogenes regulatory factor PrfA. Mueller KJ, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2005 Apr;73(4):1917-26.
- Sequence variations within PrfA DNA binding sites and effects on Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression. Williams JR, Thayyullathil C, Freitag NE. J Bacteriol. 2000 Feb;182(3):837-41.
- Dual promoters of the Listeria monocytogenes prfA transcriptional activator appear essential in vitro but are redundant in vivo. Freitag NE, Portnoy DA. Mol Microbiol. 1994 Jun;12(5):845-53.
- A novel mutation within the central Listeria monocytogenes regulator PrfA that results in constitutive expression of virulence gene products. Wong KK, Freitag NE. J Bacteriol. 2004 Sep;186(18):6265-76.
- Regulation of the prfA transcriptional activator of Listeria monocytogenes: multiple promoter elements contribute to intracellular growth and cell-to-cell spread. Freitag NE, Rong L, Portnoy DA. Infect Immun. 1993 Jun;61(6):2537-44.
- Probing the role of protein surface charge in the activation of PrfA, the central regulator of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis. Xayarath B, Volz KW, Smart JI, Freitag NE. PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e23502.
- Selected prfA* mutations in recombinant attenuated Listeria monocytogenes strains augment expression of foreign immunogens and enhance vaccine-elicited humoral and cellular immune responses. Yan L, Qiu J, Chen J, Ryan-Payseur B, Huang D, Wang Y, Rong L, Melton-Witt JA, Freitag NE, Chen ZW. Infect Immun. 2008 Aug;76(8):3439-50.
- Negative regulation of PrfA, the key activator of Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression, is dispensable for bacterial pathogenesis. Greene SL, Freitag NE. Microbiology (Reading). 2003 Jan;149(Pt 1):111-20.
Foldase Chaperone PrsA: Don't Leave The Cell Without It Heading link
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Foldase Chaperones PrsA: Don't Leave The Cell Without Them
- The chaperone PrsA2 regulates the secretion, stability, and folding of listeriolysin O during Listeria monocytogenes infection. Agbavor C, Zimnicka A, Kumar A, George JL, Torres M, Prehna G, Alonzo F 3rd, Durrant JD, Freitag NE, Cahoon LA. mBio. 2024 May 29:e0074324. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00743-24.
- An mRNA-mRNA Interaction Couples Expression of a Virulence Factor and Its Chaperone in Listeria monocytogenes. Dmitriy Ignatov, Karolis Vaitkevicius, Sylvain Durand, Laty Cahoon, Stefanie S. Sandberg, Xijia Liu, Birgitte H. Kallipolitis, Patrik Rydén, Nancy Freitag, Ciarán Condon, Jörgen Johansson. Cell Rep. 2020 Mar 24; 30(12): 4027–4040.
- Listeria monocytogenes two component system PieRS regulates secretion chaperones PrsA1 and PrsA2 and enhances bacterial translocation across the intestine. Cahoon LA, Alejandro-Navarreto X, Gururaja AN, Light SH, Alonzo F, Anderson WF, Freitag NE. Mol Microbiol. 2022 Jul 31.
- Secretion Chaperones PrsA2 and HtrA Are Required for Listeria monocytogenes Replication following Intracellular Induction of Virulence Factor Secretion. Ahmed JK, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2016 Sep 19;84(10):3034-46.
- A structural comparison of Listeria monocytogenes protein chaperones PrsA1 and PrsA2 reveals molecular features required for virulence. Cahoon LA, Freitag NE, Prehna G. Mol Microbiol. 2016 Jul;101(1):42-61.
- Identification of Conserved and Species-Specific Functions of the Listeria monocytogenes PrsA2 Secretion Chaperone. Cahoon LA, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2015 Oct;83(10):4028-41.
- Functional analysis of the Listeria monocytogenes secretion chaperone PrsA2 and its multiple contributions to bacterial virulence. Alonzo F 3rd, Xayarath B, Whisstock JC, Freitag NE. Mol Microbiol. 2011 Jun;80(6):1530-48.
- Listeria monocytogenes PrsA2 is required for virulence factor secretion and bacterial viability within the host cell cytosol. Alonzo F 3rd, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2010 Nov;78(11):4944-57.
- The posttranslocation chaperone PrsA2 contributes to multiple facets of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis. Alonzo F 3rd, Port GC, Cao M, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2009 Jul;77(7):2612-23.
- Secretion Chaperones PrsA2 and HtrA Are Required for Listeria monocytogenes Replication following Intracellular Induction of Virulence Factor Secretion. Ahmed JK, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2016 Sep 19;84(10):3034-46.
- Transcriptional activation of the Listeria monocytogenes hemolysin gene in Bacillus subtilis. Freitag NE, Youngman P, Portnoy DA. J Bacteriol. 1992 Feb;174(4):1293-8.
L. monocytogenes Cardiotropic Isolates: Clinical Samples with High Vertical Transmission Heading link
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Cardiotropic Isolates of Lysteria monocytogenes: High Vertical Transmission in Clinical Samples
- Cardiotropic Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes with Enhanced Vertical Transmission Dependent upon the Bacterial Surface Protein InlB. Lamond NM, McMullen PD, Paramasvaran D, Visvahabrathy L, Eallonardo SJ, Maheswhari A, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2021 Jan 19;89(2):e00321-20.
- Assessing bacterial invasion of cardiac cells in culture and heart colonization in infected mice using Listeria monocytogenes. McMullen PD, Freitag NE. J Vis Exp. 2015 May 27;(99):e52497.
- Genome sequence of Listeria monocytogenes 07PF0776, a cardiotropic serovar 4b strain. McMullen PD, Gillaspy AF, Gipson J, Bobo LD, Skiest DJ, Freitag NE. J Bacteriol. 2012 Jul;194(13):3552.
- Listeria monocytogenes-infected phagocytes can initiate central nervous system infection in mice.
- Exploration of host-pathogen interactions using Listeria monocytogenes and Drosophila melanogaster
- Evidence for subpopulations of Listeria monocytogenes with enhanced invasion of cardiac cells. Alonzo F, Bobo LD, Skiest DJ, Freitag NE. J Med Microbiol. 2011 Apr;60(Pt 4):423-434.
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Propofol Sedation Affects Host Immunity: Lessons for Hospital-Acquired Infections
- Propofol Sedation Exacerbates Kidney Pathology and Dissemination of Bacteria during Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections. Visvabharathy L, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2017 Jun 20;85(7):e00097-17.
- Propofol Increases Host Susceptibility to Microbial Infection by Reducing Subpopulations of Mature Immune Effector Cells at Sites of Infection. Visvabharathy L, Xayarath B, Weinberg G, Shilling RA, Freitag NE. PLoS One. 2015 Sep 18;10(9):e0138043.
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Diversion of Host's Actin for Listerial Motility
- Evidence implicating the 5' untranslated region of Listeria monocytogenes actA in the regulation of bacterial actin-based motility. Wong KK, Bouwer HG, Freitag NE. Cell Microbiol. 2004 Feb;6(2):155-66.
- Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes mutants with high-level in vitro expression of host cytosol-induced gene products. Shetron-Rama LM, Mueller K, Bravo JM, Bouwer HG, Way SS, Freitag NE. Mol Microbiol. 2003 Jun;48(6):1537-51.
- Intracellular induction of Listeria monocytogenes actA expression. Shetron-Rama LM, Marquis H, Bouwer HG, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2002 Mar;70(3):1087-96.
- Examination of Listeria monocytogenes intracellular gene expression by using the green fluorescent protein of Aequorea victoria. Freitag NE, Jacobs KE. Infect Immun. 1999 Apr;67(4):1844-52.
- Actin polymerization drives septation of Listeria monocytogenes namA hydrolase mutants, demonstrating host correction of a bacterial defect. Alonzo F 3rd, McMullen PD, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2011 Apr;79(4):1458-70.
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Listerial Resistance and Oxidative Stress
- Identification of Listeria monocytogenes Genes Contributing to Oxidative Stress Resistance under Conditions Relevant to Host Infection. Mains DR, Eallonardo SJ, Freitag NE. Infect Immun. 2021 Mar 17;89(4):e00700-20.
- The Listeria monocytogenes ChiA chitinase enhances virulence through suppression of host innate immunity. Chaudhuri S, Gantner BN, Ye RD, Cianciotto NP, Freitag NE. mBio. 2013 Mar 19;4(2):e00617-12.
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Regulation of Virulence and Pathogenicity by Pheromone Signaling
- Two Permeases Associated with the Multifunctional CtaP Cysteine Transport System in Listeria monocytogenes Play Distinct Roles in Pathogenesis. Vaval Taylor DM, Xayarath B, Freitag NE. Microbiol Spectr. 2023 May 18:e0331722. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03317-22. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37199604
- Listeria monocytogenes adapts to long-term stationary phase survival without compromising bacterial virulence
- Identification of a peptide-pheromone that enhances Listeria monocytogenes escape from host cell vacuoles
- Listeria monocytogenes CtaP is a multifunctional cysteine transport-associated protein required for bacterial pathogenesis
Reviews or Surveys of Topics at Your Fingertips Heading link
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Reviews: Effortless Surveys at Your Fingertips
- Revisiting old friends: updates on the role of two-component signaling systems in Listeria monocytogenes survival and pathogenesis. Alejandro-Navarreto X, Freitag NE. 2024. Infect Immun 92:e00345-23.
- Crossing the Barrier: A Comparative Study of Listeria monocytogenes and Treponema pallidum in Placental Invasion. Eallonardo SJ, Freitag NE. Cells. 2023 Dec 31;13(1):88. doi: 10.3390/cells13010088.
- Regulation of Listeria monocytogenes Virulence. Johansson J, Freitag NE. Microbiol Spectr. 2019 Jul;7(4).
- Vertical Transmission of Listeria monocytogenes: Probing the Balance between Protection from Pathogens and Fetal Tolerance. Lamond NM, Freitag NE. Pathogens. 2018 May 25;7(2):52.
- Listeria monocytogenes virulence factor secretion: don't leave the cell without a chaperone. Cahoon LA, Freitag NE. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2014 Feb 12;4:13.
- Optimizing the balance between host and environmental survival skills: lessons learned from Listeria monocytogenes. Xayarath B, Freitag NE. Future Microbiol. 2012 Jul;7(7):839-52.
- When being alone is enough: noncanonical functions of canonical bacterial quorum-sensing systems. Xayarath B, Freitag NE. Future Microbiol. 2016 Oct;11(11):1447-1459.
- Listeria monocytogenes - from saprophyte to intracellular pathogen. Freitag NE, Port GC, Miner MD. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2009 Sep;7(9):623-8.
- From hot dogs to host cells: how the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes regulates virulence gene expression. Freitag NE. Future Microbiol. 2006 Jun;1(1):89-101.
- How the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes mediates the switch from environmental Dr. Jekyll to pathogenic Mr. Hyde. Gray MJ, Freitag NE, Boor KJ. Infect Immun. 2006 May;74(5):2505-12
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Commentaries: Know What Your Boss is Thinking
- Bacillus subtilis Biofilms: a Matter of Individual Choice
- The electrifying energy of gut microbes
- Uncovering the Nonessential Nature of an Essential Second Messenger
- A bacterial pathogen flips the riboswitch
- Contribution of chitinases to Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis. Chaudhuri S, Bruno JC, Alonzo F 3rd, Xayarath B, Cianciotto NP, Freitag NE. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Nov;76(21):7302-5.
- Complete transcriptional profile of an environmental pathogen