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Agneta Richter-Dahlfors, Ph.D.

Agneta Richter-Dahlfors

Agneta Richter-Dahlfors Group

Complex tissue responses to bacterial infections studied in real-time

Bacterial infections rapidly induce severe alterations in host tissue homeostasis. The coordinated signalling pathways induced in the primary infected cells and the molecular details of these complex tissue responses are currently unclear. Studies in this area have previously been hampered by a lack of appropriate techniques. We combine bacterial genetics with multi-photon microscopy and micropuncture techniques to enable visualization of the progression of infection in real-time within the organ of a single animal. This visualisation technique is combined with the molecular analysis of the infected tissue at various stages of infection. Increased knowledge about microbe-induced organ- and tissue-specific cell communication is essential in understanding the relevance of bacterial virulence factors for the infectious process. While we focus on uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) induced pyelonephritis, the technique can be applied to similar studies of a wide range of bacterial infections. Collectively, knowledge gathered from these studies is crucial to guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat bacterial infections.

Selected Publications

Uhlén P, Laestadius A, Jahnukainen T, Söderblom T, Bäckhed F, Celsi G, Brismar H, Normark S, Aperia A, Richter-Dahlfors A

Alpha-haemolysin of uropathogenic E. coli induces Ca2+ oscillations in renal epithelial cells.

Nature 405: 694-697, 2000

This article was recognized by Nature Medicine which published a summary of it in their News and Views section: Ludwig A, Goebels W. Dangerous signals from E. coli toxin. Nature Medicine 6: 741-742, 2000

Torstensson E., Kjäll P., Richter-Dahlfors A Visualization of E. coli in vivo.

Peptidergic neurones.

In: E. coli and Salmonella Cellular and Molecular Biology (eds: F. Neidhardt, R Curtiss III, JL Ingraham, et al.) ASM Press, Washington, DC, 2005. http://www.asm.org, http://www.ecosal.org

Månsson LE, Melican K, Boekel J, Sandoval R, Hautefort I, Tanner GA, Molitoris B, Richter-Dahlfors A

Real-time studies of the progression of bacterial infections and immediate tissue responses in live animals.

Cellular Microbiology 9: 413-424, 2007

Månsson LE, Melican K, Molitoris BA, Richter-Dahlfors A

Progression of bacterial infections studied in real timenovel perspectives provided by multiphoton microscopy.

Cellular Microbiology 9: 2334-2343, 2007

Månsson LE, Kjäll P, Pellett S, Nagy G, Welch R, Bäckhed F, Frisan T, Richter-Dahlfors A

Role of the LPS/CD14 complex for the activity of Hemolysin from uropathogenic E. coli.

Infection and Immunity 75: 997-1004, 2007

Professor Agneta Richter-Dahlfors

Work:
08-524 874 25
Fax:
08-34 26 51
E-mail:
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institutet
Retzius väg 8
S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Last modified by: Ida Engqvist 2008-04-25

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