FREDERICK D. QUINN
Professor and Department Head

The mission of this laboratory is to identify, isolate and analyze virulence factors from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. shottsii, and other pathogenic mycobacteria of humans and animals. The primary focus is currently on examining a number of mycobacterial genes for the purpose of understanding their regulation and control of the host-pathogen interaction. Ultimately, these genes, gene products or associated factors could be used as targets for (the causative agent of tuberculosis) and their genetic coding regions for potential use as vaccine and diagnostic candidates and perhaps as guides for novel disease treatments. An example of one of our studies involves a gene product only expressed during the latent stage of tuberculosis (the most common and most difficult phase to treat). The currently available diagnostic test for tuberculosis, the tuberculin skin test, is not always accurate, does not reflect active disease or latent disease, and most unfortunately, once a person is vaccinated with the currently available BCG vaccine, the skin reaction is positive for at least seven years. Additionally, since the BCG vaccine is not effective in a large fraction of the population, and as previously mentioned causes a positive tuberculin skin reaction, this vaccine is not recommended for use in the United States. We are currently attempting to define the role of this protein in disease and are engaged in an international field trial using this protein as a diagnostic for latent infection.

With the number of cases of tuberculosis and particularly multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at its highest level in decades, this project is extremely relevant to not only the goals of our laboratory but also public health agencies. Identifying and working with virulence-associated genes and gene products are not only attainable goals with current technologies but vitally necessary if we are to deal with the prevention of emerging infectious diseases such as the Mycobacteria. We anticipate that the genes and gene products analyzed in this project ultimately will be a useful beginning in the search for accurate diagnostic tests for latent disease (and perhaps active disease), more effective vaccines and more basic knowledge about the bacterial factors involved in the overall pathogenesis of tuberculosis.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

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Mehta, P. K., Karls, R. K., White, E. H., Ades, E. W. and Quinn, F. D. 2006. Entry and intracellular replication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in cultured human microvascular endothelial cells. Microbial Pathogenesis, in press.

Birkness, K. A., Guarner, J., Sable, S. B., Tripp, R. A., Kellar, K. L., Bartlett, J. and Quinn, F. D. 2006. An in vitro model of the leukocyte interactions associated with granuloma formation in M. tuberculosis infection. Immunology and Cell Biology, in press.

Swords, W. E., Guenthner, P. C., Birkness, K. A., Lal, R. B., Dezzutti, C. S. and Quinn, F. D. 2006. Mycobacterium xenopi multiplies within human macrophages and enhances HIV replication in vitro. Microbial Pathogenesis, 40(2):41-7.

Stewart, J. N., Rivera, H. N., Karls, R., Quinn, F. D., Roman, J. and Rivera-Marrero, C. A. 2006. Increased pathology in lungs of mice after infection with an alpha-crystallin mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: changes in cathepsin proteases and certain cytokines. Microbiology, 152(Pt 1):233-44.

Posey, J. E., Shinnick, T. M. and Quinn, F. D. 2006. Characterization of the twin-arginine translocase secretion system of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Journal of Bacteriology, 188(4):1332-40.

Karls R. K., Guarner, J., McMurray, D. N., Birkness, K. A. and Quinn, F. D. 2006. Examination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigma factor mutants using low-dose aerosol infection of guinea pigs suggests a role for SigC in pathogenesis. Microbiology, 152(Pt 6):1591-600.

Vargas-Villarreal, J., Mata-Cardenas, B. D., Deslauriers, M., Quinn, F. D., Castro-Garza, J., Martinez-Rodrlguez, H. G. and Said- Fernandez, S. 2003. Identification of acidic, alkaline, and neutral sphingomyelinase activities in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research., 9(6):BR225-30

Castro-Garza, J., King, C. H., Swords, W. E. and F.D. Quinn. 2002. Demonstration of spread by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in A549 epithelial cell monolayers. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 212(2):145-9

Owens, M. U., Swords, W. E., Schmidt, M. G., King, C. H. and Quinn, F. D. 2002. Cloning, expression and functional characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis secA gene. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 211(2):133-41.

Hudson, C. R., Frye, J. G., Quinn, F. D., and Gherardini, F. C. 2001. Induction of Borrelia burgdorferi vslE in response to infection in human tissue culture cells. Molecular Microbiology, 41:229-239.

Rhodes, M. W., Kator, H., Kotob, S., van Berkum, P., Kaattari, I., Vogelbein, W., Floyd, M. M., Butler, W. R., Quinn, F. D., Ottinger, C., and Shotts, E. 2001. A unique Mycobacterium sp. resembling Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium ulcerans isolated from striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Emerging Infectious Diseases, 7:896-900.

Dobos, K. M., Small, P. L., Deslauriers, M., Quinn, F. D., and King, C. H. 2001. Mycobacterium ulcerans cytotoxicity in an adipose cell model. Infectioun and Immunity, 69:7182-7186.

Email
fquinn@uga.edu

Office
358 Vet Med
706-542-5790

Degrees
MS, Indiana University, 1982
PhD, Indiana University, 1986