1. Molecular biology of mycoplasmas. Cloning, expression and sequence analysis of genes encoding regulatory and virulence determinants. Modulation of gene expression by regulatory proteins.
2. Pathogenic mechanisms of mycoplasmas. Mechanisms of attachment; cytadherence molecules and host cell receptors. Investigation of variably expressed cell surface proteins.
3. Vaccine Development. Immunologic and genetic means of analysis for the detection and speciation of mycoplasmas.
Graduate Students:
Phone: (860) 486-0835
Fax: (860) 486-2794
E-Mail: steven.geary@uconn.edu
Geary, S. J., Gabridge, M. G., Intres, R., Draper, D. L., and M. F. Gladd. 1989. Identification of Mycoplasma binding proteins utilizing a 100 Kilodalton Lung Fibroblast Receptor. J. Receptor Res. 9: 465–478.
Forsyth, M. H., Tourtellotte, M. E., and S. J. Geary. 1992. Localization of an immunodominant 64 kDa lipoprotein (LP64) in the membrane of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and its role in cytadherence. Mol. Micro. 6:2099–2106.
Gorton, T. S., Goh, M. S., and S. J. Geary. 1995. Physical mapping of the Mycoplasma gallisepticum S6 genome with localization of selected genes. J. Bacteriol. 177:259-263. (Download PDF)
Forsyth, M. H., Saoud, S., and S. J. Geary. 1995.Sequence and transcriptional analysis of the genes encoding the class-11 topoisomerase of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Gene163:161-162. (Download PDF)
Forsyth, M. H. and S. J. Geary. 1996. The repetitive element RepMP1 of Mycoplasma pneumoniae exists as a core element within a larger, variable repetitive mosaic. J. Bacteriol. 178:917-921. (Download PDF)
Gorton, T. S. and S. J. Geary. 1997. Antibody mediated selection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum phenotypes expressing variable surface proteins. FEMS Microbiology Letters 155:31-38. (Download PDF)
Goh, M. S., Gorton, T. S., Forsyth, M. H., Troy, K. E., and S. J. Geary. 1998. Molecular and biochemical analysis of a 105 kDa Mycoplasma gallisepticum cytadhesin (GapA). Microbiology 144:2941-2950. (Download PDF)
Papazisi, L., K. E. Troy, T. S. Gorton, X. Liao, S. J. Geary. 2000. Analysis of a GapA- Cytadherence Deficient Mycoplasma gallisepticum Strain R Infect Immun 68:6643-6649. (Download PDF)
Papazisi, L., Silbart, L. K., Frasca Jr., S., Rood, D., Liao, X., Gladd, M. Javed, M. A. and S. J. Geary. 2002. A Modified Live Mycoplasma gallisepticum Vaccine to Protect Chickens From Respiratory Disease, Vaccine, 20:3709-3719. (Download PDF)
Papazisi, L., Frasca Jr., S., Gladd, M., Liao, X., Yogev, D., and S. J. Geary. 2002. GapA and CrmA co-expression is essential for Mycoplasma gallisepticum cytadherence and virulence. Infect Immun 70:6839-45 (Download PDF)
The complete genome sequence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain R, GenBank Accession #: AE015450, October 17th, 2002.
Papazisi, L., Gorton, T. S. , Kutish, G., Markham, P. F., Browning, G. F., Nguyen, D. K., Swartzell, S., Madan, A., Mahairas, G., and S. J. Geary. 2003. The complete genome sequence of the avian pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain Rlow. Microbiology 149:2307-2316. (Download PDF)Orenstein, S. M., S. Levisohn, S. J. Geary, and D. Yogev. 2003. Cytadherence-deficient mutants of Mycoplasma gallisepticum generated by transposon mutagenesis. Infection and Immunity, 71:3812-3820.
Browning, G., Whithear, K., and S. J. Geary. 2004. Vaccines. In Mycoplasmas: pathogenesis, molecular biology, and emerging strategies for control. Blanchard, A. and G. Browning (eds.) Horizon Scientific Publishers.
Frasca, Jr., S., Weber, S. E., Urquhart, H., Liao, X., Gladd, M., Cecchini, K., Hudson, P., May, M., Gast, R. J., Gorton, T. S., and S. J. Geary. 2005. Isolation and characterization of Mycoplasma sphenisci sp. nov. from the choana of an aquarium-reared jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus). Journal of Clinical Microbiology 43:2976-2979.
Javed, M., Frasca Jr., S., Rood, D., Cecchini, K., Gladd, M., Geary, S. J., and L. K. Silbart. 2005. Correlates of Immune Protection in GT5 Vaccinated Chickens Challenged with Pathogenic Mycoplasma gallisepticum R low. Infect Immun. 73:5410-5419.
Gorton, T. S., Barnett, M. M., Gull, T., French, R. A., Lu, Z., Kutish, G. F., Adams, L. G., and S. J. Geary. 2005. Development of real-time diagnostic assays specific for Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides Small Colony. Veterinary Microbiology, 111:51-58.
Hudson, P., Gorton, T. S., Papazisi, L., Cecchini, K., Frasca, Jr., S., and S. J. Geary. 2006. Identification of a virulence-associated determinant, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (lpd), in Mycoplasma gallisepticum through in vivo screening of transposon mutants. Infection and Immunity, 74:931-939.
May, M., Papazisi, L., Gorton, T. S., and S. J. Geary. 2006. Identification of fibronectin-binding proteins in Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain R. Infection and Immunity, 74:1777-1785.
Jenkins, C., Geary, S. J. and S. P. Djordjevic. 2006. The Mycoplasma gallisepticum OsmC-like protein MG1142 resides on the cell surface and binds heparin. Microbiology (in press)