Vanessa Ante, Assistant Professor
Contact information
338 Ackert Hall
(785) 532-6615
ante@ksu.edu
Education
Ph.D. 2015, University of Pittsburgh. Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
Area(s) of Specialization
Pathogenic Microbiology, Bacterial Genetics, Host-Pathogen Interaction, Tick-Borne Diseases
Research Focus
My laboratory focuses on understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of the spirochetal bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease. B. burgdorferi is a unique and interesting bacteria that largely relies on dynamic genetic regulation and antigenic variability to establish infection and elicit adaptation within the host. The overall goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms used by B. burgdorferi to regulate pathogenesis. We are primarily interested in characterizing B. burgdorferi environmental sensing and genetic and physiological adaptation to the host and tick. Ongoing interests in the lab include: characterizing hypothetical proteins which are unique to B. burgdorferi, investigating the role of signal transduction cascades at the host-Borrelia interface, and investigating the production and regulation of B. burgdorferi cyclic nucleotides.
Selected Publications
Ante VM, Farris LC, Saputra EP, Hall AJ, O'Bier NS, Oliva Chávez AS, Marconi RT, Lybecker MC, Hyde JA. The Borrelia burgdorferi Adenylate Cyclase, CyaB, Is Important for Virulence Factor Production and Mammalian Infection. Front Microbiol. 2021;12:676192. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.676192. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 34113333; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8186283.
Bina XR, Howard MF, Taylor-Mulneix DL, Ante VM, Kunkle DE, Bina JE. The Vibrio cholerae RND efflux systems impact virulence factor production and adaptive responses via periplasmic sensor proteins. PLoS Pathog. 2018 Jan;14(1):e1006804. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006804. eCollection 2018 Jan. PubMed PMID: 29304169; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5773229.
Bina XR, Howard MF, Ante VM, Bina JE. Vibrio cholerae LeuO Links the ToxR Regulon to Expression of Lipid A Remodeling Genes. Infect Immun. 2016 Nov;84(11):3161-3171. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00445-16. Print 2016 Nov. PubMed PMID: 27550934; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5067749.
Ante VM, Bina XR, Bina JE. The LysR-type regulator LeuO regulates the acid tolerance response in Vibrio cholerae. Microbiology (Reading). 2015 Dec;161(12):2434-43. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000194. Epub 2015 Sep 29. PubMed PMID: 26424466; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4811655.
Ante VM, Bina XR, Howard MF, Sayeed S, Taylor DL, Bina JE. Vibrio cholerae leuO Transcription Is Positively Regulated by ToxR and Contributes to Bile Resistance. J Bacteriol. 2015 Nov;197(22):3499-510. doi: 10.1128/JB.00419-15. Epub 2015 Aug 24. PubMed PMID: 26303831; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4621094.
Taylor DL, Ante VM, Bina XR, Howard MF, Bina JE. Substrate-dependent activation of the Vibrio cholerae vexAB RND efflux system requires vexR. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117890. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117890. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25695834; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4335029.
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