The Faculty Mark R. Brown Donald E. Champagne Daniel G. Colley Harry W. Dickerson, Jr. Roberto Docampo Stephen L. Hajduk Donald Harn Jessica Kissinger Patrick J. Lammie Kojo A. Mensa-Wilmot Julie M. Moore Silvia N.J. Moreno Ynes R. Ortega David S. Peterson Pejman Rohani Robert Sabatini Mike R. Strand Boris Striepen Rick L. Tarleton

Boris Striepen
Associate Professor
Department of Cellular Biology
Ph.D., 1995, Philipps-Universitat, Marburg, Germany

Office:
310A Coverdell Center
706-583-0588
striepen@cb.uga.edu

Lab:
306 Coverdell Center
706-583-0589

Striepen Lab Page

Search PubMed for striepen, b

Research

We are interested in the cell and molecular biology of protozoan parasites. Most of our work is focused on members of the phylum Apicomplexa. Organisms in this group cause a number of important diseases including malaria, severe opportunistic infections associated with AIDS, and fetal and early childhood diseases. We use a broad array of modern genomic, genetic, cell biological and biochemical approaches to understand fundamental parasite biology and use this knowledge to identify and develop targets for intervention. Currently we are focusing on the following specific areas:

The function and cell biology of the parasite chloroplast

Apicomplexan parasites harbor a remnant chloroplast (the apicoplast) that they obtained through secondary endosymbiosis. This organelle is essential for parasite growth and as human cells lack chloroplasts offers a unique opportunity for anti-parasitic drug development. Using Toxoplasma gondii as a robust genetic model we are characterizing the specific metabolic functions of the organelle to pinpoint which pathway(s) would be most suitable as a drug target. The apicoplast also provides a tractable model to study the cell biology of endosymbiosis. What is the cellular machinery that builds, maintains and replicates an organelle that formed through the merger of three previously independent organisms (one prokaryotes and two eukaryotes)? Our current work uses a mix of genomics and genetics to mechanistically dissect apicoplast biogenesis, protein import and division.

Novel targets for the treatment of Cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidium is an important human pathogen causing severe disease in AIDS patients and young children. Neither vaccines nor fully effective drugs are available for this disease. We are studying the nucleotide metabolism of Cryptosporidium parvum in an effort to develop effective therapy. We have discovered that the parasite depends entirely on salvage of purines and pyrimidines from its host cell and that several key enzymes were obtained via horizontal gene transfer from a bacterial source. Current work is focused on the further development of lead compounds obtained through a completed high throughput screen in collaboration with the Hedstrom lab at Brandeis. Taking a broader biological perspective we are also interested to learn what the selective advantages might been that have fixed these bacterial genes in the parasite's eukaryotic genome.

Forward genetic analysis in Toxoplasma gondii

Forward genetic analysis by mutant isolation and complementation is a powerful approach to dissect pathogen biology. Over the last years we have developed a number of strategies and reagents to push this technology forward. We have isolated temperature sensitive mutants using a fluorescent parasite line in a high throughput replica assay. To identify the genes affected in these mutants we have developed an expression cloning system for phenotypic complementation . In addition we have also used this system for expression cloning using antibodies and GFP localization as screens.

Representative Publications:

Agrawal, S., van Dooren, G.G., Beatty, W.L., Striepen, B. (2009) Genetic evidence that an endosymbiont-derived ERAD  system functions in import of apicoplast proteins. J. Biol. Chem in press

Chtanova, T., Han, S.J., Schaeffer, M., van Dooren, G.G., Herzmark, P., Striepen, B., and Robey, E.A. (2009) Dynamics of T cell, antigen presenting cell, and pathogen interactions during recall responses in the lymph node. Immunity 31: 342-355.

Reiff, S. and Striepen, B. (2009) The malaria gatekeeper revealed. Nature 459: 918-919.

Schaeffer M, Han SJ, Chtanova T, van Dooren GG, Herzmark P, Chen Y, Roysam B, Striepen B*, Robey EA* (2009) Dynamic imaging of T cell-parasite interactions in the brains of mice chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii. J Immunol. 182: 6379-6393. (*joint senior authors)

Breinich MS, Ferguson DJ, Foth BJ, van Dooren GG, Lebrun M, Quon DV, Striepen B, Bradley PJ, Frischknecht F, Carruthers VB, Meissner M. (2009) A dynamin is required for the biogenesis of secretory organelles in Toxoplasma gondii. Curr Biol. 19:277-286.

van Dooren, G.G., Reiff, S, Tomova, C., Meissner, M., S., Humbel, B., M., and Striepen, B. (2009) A novel dynamin-related protein has been recruited for apicoplast fission in Toxoplasma gondii. Curr. Biol. 19: 267-276.

van Dooren, G.G., Tomova, C., Agrawal, S., Humbel, B., and Striepen, B. (2008) Toxoplasma gondii Tic20 is essential for apicoplast protein import. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105:13574-13579.

Chtanova, T. , Schaeffer, M., Han, S.J., van Dooren, G.G., Striepen, B., Nollmann, M., Herzmark, P., , Chan, S.W., Satija, H., Camfield, K., Aaron, H., Striepen, B., and Robey E.A. (2008) Dynamics of neutrophils in lymph nodes during infection Immunity 29: 1-10.

Umejiego, N.N., Gollapalli, D., Sharling, L., Volftsun, A., Lu, J., Stroupe, A.H.,Benjamin, N., Striepen, B. and Hedstrom, L. (2008) Targeting a prokaryotic protein in a eukaryotic pathogen: identification of lead compounds against Cryptosporidiosis. Chemistry & Biology 15: 70-77.

Gubbels, M.J., Lehmann, M., Muthalagi, M., Jerome, M.E., Brooks, C., Szatanek, T. Flynn, J., Parrot, B., Radke, J., Striepen, B. * and White, M.W. * (2008) Forward genetic analysis of the apicomplexan cell division cycle in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens 4: E36.(*joint senior authors)

Mazumdar, J. and Striepen, B. (2007) Make it or take it the fatty acid metabolism of apicomplexan parasites. Eukaryot. Cell 6: 1727-35.

Striepen, B., Jordan, C.N., Reiff, S. and van Dooren, G.G. (2007) Building the perfect parasite: apicomplexan cell division. PLoS Pathogens 3: e78

Mazumdar, J., Wilson, E., Masek, K., Hunter, C. and Striepen, B (2006) Apicoplast fatty acid synthesis is essential for organelle biogenesis and survival in Toxoplasma gondii. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103:13192-13197.

Vaishnava, S. and Striepen, B. (2006) The cell biology of endosymbiosis - How parasites build, divide and segregate the apicoplast. Mol. Microbiol. 61: 1380-1387

Gubbels, M.J., Vaishnava, S., Boot, N., Dubremetz, J.F. and Striepen, B., (2006) A MORN-repeat protein is a dynamic component of the Toxoplasma gondii cell division apparatus. J. Cell Sci. 119, 2236-2245.