McCormick, John - University of Western Ontario - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

个人简介

Our laboratory has a primary focus on the bacterial toxins known as “superantigens”. These toxins function by directly activating T cells of the adaptive immune system, and we are interested in understanding how the toxins contribute to the bacterial life cycle as well as infections caused by the bacterial pathogens Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. As superantigens activate your immune system, we also have significant efforts to engineer these proteins as targeted immunotherapeutics. In addition, we are interested in mechanistic studies of toxic shock syndrome, and the molecular genetics and biotechnology of probiotic lactobacilli. Our team uses a range of multidisciplinary techniques including bacterial genetics, immunology, protein biochemistry, functional genomics and in vivo models of infectious disease.

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Armstrong, B. D., C. A. Herfst, N. C. Tonial, A. T. Wakabayashi, J. J. Zeppa, and J. K. McCormick*. Identification of a two-component class IIb bacteriocin in Streptococcus pyogenes by recombinase-based in vivo expression technology. Scientific Reports. 6: 36233. (LINK) Baroja, M. L., C. A. Herfst, K. J. Kasper, S. X. Xu, D. A. Gillett, J. Li, G. Reid and J. K. McCormick*. The SaeRS two-component system is a direct and dominant transcriptional activator of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in Staphylococcus aureus. The Journal of Bacteriology. JB.00425-16. (LINK) Zeppa, J. J., A. T. Wakabayashi, K. J. Kasper, S. X. Xu, S. M. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick*. 2016. Nasopharyngeal infection of mice with Streptococcus pyogenes and in vivo detection of superantigen activity. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1396:95-107 (LINK) Xu, S. X., K. J. Kasper, J. J. Zeppa, and J. K. McCormick. 2015. Superantigens modulate bacterial density during Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization. Toxins. 7: 1821-1836. (LINK) Anantha, R.V., D. Mazzuca, S. X. Xu. S. A. Porcelli, T. Mele, D. D. Fraser, C. Martin, S.M. Haeryfar*, J. K. McCormick*. 2014. Th2-polarized invariant natural killer T cells reduce disease severity in intra-abdominal sepsis. Clinical and Experimental Immunology. 178 (2), 292-309. (LINK) Xu, S. X., K. J. Gilmore, P. Szabo, J. J. Zeppa, M. L. Baroja, S. M. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick*. 2014. Superantigens subvert the neutrophil response to promote abscess formation and enhance Staphylococcus aureus survival in vivo. Infection and Immunity. 82(9):3588-98. (LINK) Kasper, K. J., J. J. Zeppa, A. T. Wakabayashi, S. X. Xu, D. M. Mazzuca, I. Welch, M. L. Baroja, M. Kotb, E. Cairns, P. P. Cleary, S. M. M. Haeryfar and J. K. McCormick*. 2014. Bacterial superantigens promote acute nasopharyngeal infection by Streptococcus pyogenes in a human MHC class II-dependent manner. PLoS Pathogens. 10(5): e1004155. (LINK) Patterson, K. G., J. L. Dixon, P. S. Bastedo, D. Hess, S. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick*. 2014. Control of established colon cancer xenografts using a novel humanized single chain antibody-streptococcal superantigen fusion targeting the 5T4 oncofetal antigen. PLoS One. 15;9(4):e95200. (LINK) Xu, S. X. and J. K. McCormick. 2012. Staphylococcal superantigens in colonization and disease. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2:52. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00052 (LINK) Hayworth, J. L., D. M. Mazzuca, S. M. Vareki, I. Welch, J. K. McCormick, S. M. M. Haeryfar. 2012. CD1d-independent activation of mouse and human invariant NKT cells by bacterial superantigens. Immunology and Cell Biology. advance online publication 1 November 2011. (LINK) Li, J., W. Wang, S. X. Xu, N. A. Magarvey, and J. K. McCormick. 2011. Lactobacillus reuteri-produced cyclic dipeptides quench agr-mediated expression of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in staphylococci. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 108(8):33 (LINK) Rahman, A. K. M. N., D. A. Bonsor, C. A. Herfst, F. Pollard, M. Peirce, A. W. Wyatt, K. J. Kasper, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2011. The TCR β-chain CDR2 loop governs T cell activation and Vβ-specificity by bacterial superantigens. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286(6):4871-81. (LINK) Chau, T. A., M. L. McCully, W. Brintnell, G. An, K. J. Kasper, E. D. Vinés, P. Kubes, S. M. M. Haeryfar, J. K. McCormick, E. Cairns, D. E. Heinrichs, and J. Madrenas. 2009. TLR2/6 Ligands on the staphylococcal cell wall down-regulate superantigen-induced T cell activation and prevent toxic shock syndrome. Nature Medicine. 15:641-8. (LINK) Kasper, K. J., W. Xi, A. K. M. N. Rahman, M. Nooh, M. Kotb, E. J. Sundberg, J. Madrenas and J. K. McCormick. 2008. Molecular requirements for MHC class II alpha-chain engagement and allelic discrimination by the bacterial superantigen streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin C. The Journal of Immunology. 181:3384-92. (LINK) Brouillard, J-N. P., S. Günther, A. K. Varma, I. Gryski, A. K. M. N. Rahman, C. A. Herfst, P. M. Schlievert, D. Y. M. Leung, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2007. Crystal structure of the streptococcal superantigen SpeI and functional role of a novel loop domain in T cell activation by group V superantigens. The Journal of Molecular Biology. 367:925-34. (LINK) Moza, B., A. K. Varma, R. A. Buonpane, P. Zhu, C. A. Herfst, M. J. Nicholson, A.-K. Wilbuer, K. W. Wucherpfennig, J. K. McCormick, D. M. Kranz, and E. J. Sundberg. 2007. Structural basis of T cell specificity and activation by the bacterial superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. The EMBO Journal. 26:1187-97. (LINK) Rahman, A. K. M. N., C. A. Herfst, B. Moza, L. Chau, C. Bueno, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2006. Molecular basis of TCR selectivity, cross-reactivity and allelic discrimination by a bacterial superantigen: integrative functional and energetic mapping of the SpeC-Vβ2.1 molecular interface. The Journal of Immunology. 77:8595-603. (LINK) Bueno, C., G. Criado, M. L. Boroja, S. S. G. Ferguson, A. K. M. N. Rahman, C. D. Tsoukas, J. K. McCormick, and J. Madrenas. 2006. Bacterial superantigens bypass Lck-dependent T cell receptor signaling by activating a Galpha11-dependent, PLC-beta-bediated pathway. Immunity. 25:67-78. (LINK) Laughton, J. M., E. Devillard, D. E. Heinrichs, G. Reid, and J. K. McCormick. 2006. Inhibition of expression of a staphylococcal superantigen-like protein by a soluble factor from Lactobacillus reuteri. Microbiology. 152: 1155-67. (LINK) McCormick, J. K., J. M. Yarwood, and P. M. Schlievert. 2001. Bacterial superantigens and toxic shock syndrome: An update. The Annual Review of Microbiology 55:77-104. (LINK)