Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine

 (photo)

Linda Groppe Eissenberg

Instructor
Phone: (314)-362-2741
FAX: (314)-362-1232
email: lindae@borcim.wustl.edu

10240 McDonnell Pediatric Research Building
Box 8230 Department of Molecular Microbiology
Washington University School of Medicine
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110-1093.

Research Interests | CV | Publications |

Research Interests

Histoplasma lives in the soil as a mycelial form consisting of both hyphal filaments and spore-like conidia. Upon inhalation by mammals, the infectious form of the fungus, the conidia, undergoes a rapid conversion into yeasts. This intracellular pathogen survives and multiplies within macrophages and other host cells and can establish persistent infections of man or animals and can lie latent for years before eventual reactivation to cause disease.

I am interested in further elucidating the basic biology of this organism. My previous research includes examining oxidative responses of macrophages to H. capsulatum, assessing fusion of lysosomes with H. capsulatum-laden phagosomes, determining the pH of phagolysosomes housing the fungus, and development of an in vitro model to study persistence and "latency" in histoplasmosis. I have also described the phenotypic variation that occurs to the yeast upon interactions with various host cells and which can lead to a relatively avirulent or non-cytotoxic phenotype.

More recently I have explored the possibility that quorum sensing may regulate the incorporation of a major component into the cell wall of the fungus, how the cell wall changes during the conversion from conidia into yeasts, and the influence of the GAL7 gene on virulence.

keywords: intracellular pathogens, fungus, macrophages, phagocytosis, phagolysosome fusion, host-pathogen interactions, dimorphism, quorum sensing

CV

Present position
1987-presentInstructor
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

Education
1977 B.A. Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
1982 Ph.D. Bacteriology & Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Editorial Responsibilities
Ad hoc reviewerInfection and Immunity
 Journal of Infectious Diseases
 Journal of Leukocyte Biology
 Mycopathologia

Professional Society Membership
American Society for Microbiology

My Position as an Instructor
My teaching consisted of running the spring semester medical students' microbiology laboratory for 11 years and an occasional lecture on intracellular pathogens.

My research is conducted as a member of Bill Goldman's laboratory.

Publications

Peer-reviewed primary publications
  1. Eissenberg, L. G. and P. B. Wyrick. 1981. Inhibition of phagolysosome fusion is localized to Chlamydia psittaci-laden vacuoles. Infection and Immunity 32:889-896.
  2. Eissenberg, L. G., P. B. Wyrick, C. H. Davis, and W. J. Rumpp. 1983. Chlamydia psittaci elementary body envelopes: Ingestion and inhibition of phagolysosome fusion. Infection and Immunity 40:741-751.
  3. Eissenberg, L. G. and W. E. Goldman. 1987. Histoplasma capsulatum fails to trigger release of superoxide from macrophages. Infection and Immunity 55:29-34.
  4. Eissenberg, L. G., P. H. Schlesinger, and W. E. Goldman. 1988. Phagolysosome fusion in macrophages infected with Histoplasma capsulatum. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 43:483-491.
  5. Eissenberg, L. G., J. L. West, J. P. Woods, and W. E. Goldman. 1991. Infection of P388D1 macrophages and respiratory epithelial cells by Histoplasma capsulatum: Selection of avirulent variants and their potential role in persistent histoplasmosis. Infection and Immunity. 59:1639-1646
  6. Eissenberg, L. G., W. E. Goldman, and P. H. Schlesinger. 1993. Histoplasma capsulatum modulates the pH of phagolysosomes. Journal of Experimental Medicine 177:1605-1611.
  7. Eissenberg, L. G., S. Poirier, and W. E. Goldman. 1996. Phenotypic variation and persistence of Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts in host cells. Infection and Immunity 64:5310-5314.
  8. Eissenberg, L.G., S. A. Moser, and W. E. Goldman. 1997. Alterations to the cell wall of Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts during infection of macrophages or epithelial cells. Journal of Infectious Diseases 175:1538-1544.
Invited manuscripts
  1. Eissenberg, L.G., and W.E. Goldman. 1988. Fusion of lysosomes with phagosomes containing Histoplasma capsulatum: Use of fluoresceinated dextran. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 239:53-61.
  2. Eissenberg, L. G. and W. E. Goldman. 1991. Histoplasma capsulatum variation and adaptive strategies for parasitism: New perspectives on histoplasmosis. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 4:411-421.
  3. Eissenberg, L. G. and W. E. Goldman. 1994. The interplay between Histoplasma capsulatum and its host cells. Bailliére's Clinical Infectious Diseases 1: 265-283.
  4. Kugler, S., T. S. Sebghati, L. G. Eissenberg, and W. E. Goldman. 2000. Phenotypic variation and intracellular parasitism by Histoplasma capsulatum. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97:8794-8798.
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Department of Molecular Microbiology, Box 8230
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO 63110-1093 USA

Tel 314-362-7250, FAX 314-362-1232