Biology Faculty - Aho
Research Page
Project description:
Our research group studies bacteria belonging to the genus Neisseria. One species in this genus, Neisseria meningitidis, is a cause of the disease meningitis. Cases of meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis are found worldwide, however this organism is responsible for particularly severe epidemic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Neisseria also contains several other species that do not typically cause disease and are found as normal inhabitants in the human upper airway. We are interested in understanding differences between the pathogenic and nonpathogenic Neisseria species, as well as the evolutionary history of this genus. Projects in our lab include studies focused on bacterial surface structures, called pili, that play a key role in the interaction between Neisseria and human cells, and analyses designed to help us understand interspecies interactions within the genus Neisseria. Learn more about Neisseria at the links below.
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Selected presentations and publications by Concordia research team members:
Horien, C., L. Stinar, S. Rostad, R. Exley, and E. Aho. 2011. Bioinformatic analysis of pilS genes in the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis. Poster presentation at the 7th Annual Northwest Regional Undergraduate Research in the Molecular Sciences Meeting, Moorhead, USA.
Strand, K., A. Ritter, K. Compton, C. Newton, J. Drees, and E. Aho. 2009. Meningococci undergo transcriptional changes in the presence of a Neisseria lactamica biofilm. Poster presentation at the Biofilms 2009 Conference, Cancun, Mexico.
Compton, K., A. Ritter, C. Newton, J. Drees, K. Strand and E. Aho. 2009. Neisseria lactamica biofilms induce transcriptional changes in planktonic Neisseria meningitidis. Oral presentation at the 5th Annual ASBMB Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Molecular Sciences, Fargo, USA.
Ritter, A., K. Compton, J. Drees, C. Newton, K. Strand and E. Aho. 2009. Transcriptional changes in Neisseria meningitidis in a cell-exclusion co-culture with a Neisseria lactamica biofilm. North Dakota Academy of Science Proceedings 64:18.
Cortez, P., K. Peterson, N. Ranatunga, E. Aho. 2007. Examination of pilE gene expression in commensal Neisseria species utilizing reverse transcriptase-PCR. Poster presentation at the Northwest Regional Undergraduate Affiliate Network Meeting, Moorhead, USA.
Aho, E., R.Urwin, A. Batcheller, A. Holmgren, K. Havig, A. Kulakoski, E. Vomhof, N. Longfors, C. Erickson, Z. Anderson, J. Dawlaty, and J. Mueller. 2005. Neisserial pilin genes display extensive interspecies diversity. FEMS Microbiology Letters 249:327-334.
Aho E., A. Batcheller, A. Denault, H. Jordheim, R. Ramemden, Z. Aanderson, C. Erickson, K. Havig, A. Kulackoski, N. Longfors, E. Vomhof, 2004. A comparative analysis of pilin-encoding genes from ten species of Neisseria. Poster presentation at the 14th International Neisseria Conference, Milwaukee, USA.
Batcheller A., A. Denault (faculty advisor E. Aho). 2003. Identification of two tandemly arranged pilin-like genes in Neisseria elongata. Oral presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Salt Lake City, USA.
Aho, E., A. Keating, and S. McGillivray.; 1999. A comparative analysis of pilin genes from pathogenic and nonpathogenic Neisseria species. Microbial Pathogenesis 28:81-88.
Aho E., A. Keating, and S. McGillivray. 1998. Pilin genes in nonpathogenic Neisseria species. Poster presentation at the 11th International Neisseria Conference, Nice, France.
Aho E., J. Botten, R. Hall, M. Larsen and J. Ness. 1997. Characterization of a class II pilin expression locus in Neisseria meningitidis: evidence for increased diversity among pilin genes in pathogenic Neisseria species. Infection and Immunity 65:2613-2620.
Gustafson E., E. Aho, and P. Norrod. 1996. Activity of glutathione reductase in various species of Neisseria. Poster presentation at the meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, USA.
Aho, E. L. and L. P. Kelly. 1995. Identification of a glutathione peroxidase homolog in Neisseria meningitidis. DNA Sequence: The Journal of Sequencing and Mapping 6:55-60.
Aho, E. L., A. Bohling, P. Jones and D. Pipho. 1994. The molecular biology of neisserial pilin proteins. North Dakota Academy of Science Proceedings 48:66.
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