Junior Research Group
Molecular Medicine of Infectious Diseases

Head: Dr. Reinhard K. Straubinger,
E-Mail: straubinger@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de

Co-Worker: Dr. Samiya Al-Robaiy
E-Mail: robaiy@server3.medizin.uni-leipzig.de

	Curriculum Vitae
	Research Interests
	Publications
	Other selected scientific meeting presentations
	Interesting Links

Curriculum Vitae

Since 05/2001
Head of the Junior Research Group 'Molecular Medicine of Infectious Diseases', BBZ (Biotechnological-Biomedical Center), Institute Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany.

12/2000 - 04/2001
Research associate at the Institute Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany.

10/1997 - 11/2002
Research Associate II and head of the Hadley C. Stephenson Laboratory for the Study of Canine Diseases at the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.

08/1994 - 09/1997
Graduate Research Assistant at the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Ph.D. (Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University) with emphasis on infectious disease and immunology.

05/1993 - 07/1995
Research fellow at the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Dr. med. vet. ( Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich)

11/1987 - 02/1993
Studies of Veterinary Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany.
Approbation: 04/1993

11/1985 - 10/1987
Studies of Physics at the Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany.
Vordiplom: 08/1987

Research Interests

The goals of our research are to investigate the molecular mechanisms that allow the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, to change its shape from a spiral to sphere when unfavorable environmental condition are encountered. Unfavorable conditions may be represented by the immune system of the infected mammalian or avian host or by the nutrient-deprived lumen of the midgut in questing ticks. Methods employed include cell culture, microscopy, DNA and RNA preparations, real-time PCR, microarray technologies, gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and protein analysis in collaboration with other research groups.

Publications

Straubinger, R. K., T. D. Rao, E. Davidson, B. A. Summers, R. H. Jacobson, and A. B. Frey. Protection against tick-transmitted Lyme disease in dogs vaccinated with a multiantigenic vaccine. Vaccine 20:181-193. 2001.

Philipp, M. T., L. C. Bowers, P. T. Fawcett, M. B. Jacobs, F. T. Liang, A. R. Marques, P. D. Mitchell, J. E. Purcell, M. S. Ratterree, and R. K. Straubinger. Antibody response to IR6, a conserved immunodominant region of the VlsE lipoprotein, wanes rapidly after antibiotic treatment of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in experimental animals and in humans. J. Infect. Dis. 184:870-878. 2001.

Simpson, K. W., D. Strauss-Ayali, R. K. Straubinger, E. Scanziani, P. L. McDonough, A. F. Straubinger, M. I. Esteves, J. G. Fox, Y.?F. Chang, C. Domeneghini, N. Arebi, and J. Calam. Gastric secretory function in cats with Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis. Helicobacter 6:1-14. 2001.

Murphy D. J., R. J. Todhunter, S. L. Fubini, M. Vernier-Singer, R. K. Straubinger, and G. Lust. The effects of methylprednisolone on normal and monocyte-conditioned medium-treated articular cartilage from dogs and horses. Veterinary Surgery 29:546-557. 2000.

Liang F. T., R. H. Jacobson, R. K. Straubinger, A. Grooters, and M. T. Philipp. Identification of a Borrelia burgdorferi VlsE invariable region for canine Lyme disease serodiagnosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:4160-4166. 2000.

Straubinger, R. K. PCR-based quantification of Borrelia burgdorferi organisms in canine tissues over a 500-day post infection period. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:2191-2199. 2000.

Straubinger, R. K., A. F. Straubinger, B. A. Summers, and R. H. Jacobson. Status of Borrelia burgdorferi infection after antibiotic treatment and the effects of corticosteroids: an experimental study. J. Infect. Dis. 181:1069-1081. 2000.

Straubinger, R. K. Lyme borreliosis in dogs. In Recent Advances in Veterinary Medicine, Carmichael, L. E. (ed.), International Veterinary Information Services (http://www.ivis.org), Ithaca, NY., 2000.

Simpson K. W., D. Strauss-Ayali, E. Scanziani, R. K. Straubinger, P. L. McDonough, A. F. Straubinger, Y.-F. Chang, C. Domenghini, N. Arebi, and J. Calam. Helicobacter felis infection is associated with lymphoid follicular hyperplasia and mild gastritis but normal gastric secretory function in cats. Infect. Immun. 68:779-790. 2000

Straubinger A. F., M. M. Viveiros, and R. K. Straubinger. Identification of two transcripts of canine, feline, and porcine interleukin-1 alpha. Gene. 236:273-280. 1999.

Härter, L., R. K. Straubinger, B. A. Summers, H. N. Erb, and M. J. G. Appel. Up?regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA in dogs experimentally infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 67:271-284. 1999.

Greene C. E., M. J. G. Appel, and R. K. Straubinger. Lyme Borreliosis. In Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat, 2 ed., Greene C. E. (ed.), W. B. Sanders Company, Orlando, Fl., 1998.

Straubinger R. K., A. F. Straubinger, B. A. Summers, R. H. Jacobson, and H. N. Erb. Clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and effect of antibiotic treatment on Lyme borreliosis in dogs. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift. 110:874-881. 1998.

Straubinger, R. K., A. F. Straubinger, B. A. Summers, H. N. Erb, L. Härter, and M. J. G. Appel. Borrelia burgdorferi induces the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines in canine synovial explant cultures. Infect. Immun. 66:247-258. 1998.

Straubinger, R. K., A. F. Straubinger, R. H. Jacobson, Y.-F. Chang, B. A. Summers, H. N. Erb, and M. J. G. Appel. Two lessons from the canine model of Lyme disease: Migration of Borrelia burgdorferi in tissues and persistence after antibiotic treatment. Journal of Spirochetal and Tick-Borne Diseases. 4:24-31. 1997.

Straubinger, R. K., A. F. Straubinger, L. Härter, R. H. Jacobson, Y.-F. Chang, B. A. Summers, H. N. Erb, and M. J. G. Appel. Borrelia burgdorferi migrates into joint capsules and causes an up-regulation of interleukin-8 in synovial membranes of dogs experimentally infected with ticks. Infect. Immun. 65:1273-1285. 1997.

Straubinger, R. K., B. A. Summers, Y.-F. Chang, and M. J. G. Appel. Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in experimentally infected dogs after antibiotic treatment. J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:111-116. 1997.

Chang, Y.-F., R. K. Straubinger, R. H. Jacobson, J. B. Kim, T. J. Kim, D. Kim, S. J. Shin, and M. J. G. Appel. Dissemination of Borrelia burgdorferi after experimental infection in dogs. Journal of Spirochetal and Tick-Borne Diseases. 3:80-86. 1996.

Straubinger, R. K., Y.-F. Chang, R. H. Jacobson, and M. J. G. Appel. Sera from OspA-vaccinated dogs, but not those from tick-infected dogs, inhibit in vitro growth of Borrelia burgdorferi. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:2745-2751. 1995.

Chang, Y.-F., M. J. G. Appel, R. H. Jacobson, S. J. Shin, P. Harpending, R. K. Straubinger, L. Patrican, H. Mohammed, and B. A. Summers. Recombinant OspA protects dogs against infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect. Immun. 63:3543-3549. 1995.

Other selected scientific meeting presentations

78th Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Chicago, IL, USA (11/1997): Straubinger R. K., A. F. Straubinger, and M. J. G. Appel. "The potential anti-inflammatory role of interleukin-10 in acute Lyme arthritis in dogs".

Gordon Conference - The Biology of Spirochetes, Ventura, CA, USA (01/1998): "Immune and cytokine response to Borrelia burgdorferi during acute Lyme arthritis in the dog model".

11th Annual International Scientific Conference on Lyme Disease & other Tick-borne Disorders, New York City, NY, USA (05/1998): Straubinger R. K., A. F. Straubinger, R. H. Jacobson, and B. A. Summers. "Oral corticoid treatment of dogs infected with Borrelia burgdorferi".

Interesting Links

Cornell University
Institut für Immunologie der Veterinärmedizinischen Fakultät Leipzig
Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow
International Veterinary Information Service
Fachgruppe Kleintierkrankheiten der Deutschen Veterinärmedizinischen Gesellschaft e.V.