Faculty

Frank Blecha PhD, Immunology, Washington State University, 1981 University Distinguished Professor Phone (785) 532-4537 e-mail blecha@vet.k-state.edu

Research Interests:

Our laboratory studies the interrelationship of immunology and physiology in animals. This includes evaluation of the regulatory mechanisms involved in innate immunity and in stress- and pathogen-induced immune alterations.

One of the most fundamental, innate defense mechanisms is the cellular production of antimicrobial peptides. These natural antibiotics are produced by a diverse array of cell types including cells of the immune system and epithelial cells of the small intestine and respiratory tract. Because of the pluripotent functions of many of these antibacterial peptides, we are investigating the role of porcine antimicrobial peptides in innate immune mechanisms of young pigs. "Natural Antibiotics"  Cytokine immunopotentiation and regulation, and investigations of the influence of environmental stressors on cellular and antibody-mediated immune responses also have been a focus of our laboratory.

Selected Publications:  

Sang, Y., M.T. Ortega, K. Rune, W. Xiau, G. Zhang, J.L. Soulages, G.H. Lushington, K. Fang, T.D. Williams, F. Blecha, and T. Melgarejo. 2007. Canine cathelicidin (K9CATH): gene cloning, expression, and biochemical activity of a novel pro-myeloid antimicrobial peptide. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 31:1278-1296.

Ganta, C.K., B.G. Helwig, F. Blecha, R.R. Ganta, R. Cober, S. Parimi, T.I. Musch, R.J. Fels, and M.J. Kenney. 2006. Hypothermia-enhanced splenic cytokine gene expression is independent of the sympathetic nervous system. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 291:R558-R565.

Sang, Y., A.A. Patil, G. Zhang, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. 2006. Bioinformatic and expression analysis of novel porcine β-defensins. Mammalian Genome 17:332-339.

Hennig-Pauka, I., I. Jacobsen, F. Blecha, K.-H. Waldmann, and G.-F. Gerlach. 2006. Differential proteomic analysis reveals increased cathelicidin expression in porcine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after an Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection. Vet. Res. 37:75-87.

Sang, Y., B. Ramanathan, J.E. Minton, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. 2006. Porcine liver-expressed antimicrobial peptides, hepcidin and LEAP-2: cloning and induction by bacterial infection. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 30:357-366.

Sang, Y., B. Ramanathan, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. 2005. Gene silencing and overexpression of porcine peptidoglycan recognition protein long isoforms: involvement in β-defensin-1 expression. Infect. Immun. 73:7133-7141.

Ramanathan, B., J.E. Minton, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. 2005. PU.1-mediated transcriptional regulation of prophenin-2 in primary bone marrow cells. Gene. 352:1-9.

Sang, Y., M.T. Ortega, F. Blecha, O. Prakash, and T. Melgarejo. 2005. Molecular cloning and characterization of three β-defensins from canine testis. Infect. Immun. 73:2611-2620.

Ganta, C.K., F. Blecha, R.R. Ganta, B.G. Helwig, S. Parimi, N. Lu. R.J. Fels, T.I. Musch, and M.J. Kenney. 2004. Hyperthermia-enhanced splenic cytokine gene expression is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Physiol. Genomics. 19:175-183.

Ramanathan, B., H. Wu, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. 2004. PR-39, a porcine antimicrobial peptide, inhibits apoptosis: involvement of caspase-3. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 28:163-169.

Lu, N., Y. Wang, F. Blecha, R.J. Fels, H.P. Hoch, and M.J. Kenney. 2003. Central interleukin-1beta antibody increases renal and splenic sympathetic nerve discharge. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 284:H1536-H1541.

Kenney, M.J., Blecha F., Wang Y., McMurphy R., and Fels R.J. Sympathoexcitation to intravenous interleukin-1ß is dependent on forebrain neural circuits. Am. J. Physiol Heart Circ. Physiol. 283:H501-H505, 2002.

Wu, H., Ross C., and Blecha F. Characterization of an upstream open reading frame in the 5' untranslated region of PR-39, a cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide. Mol. Immunol. 39:9-18, 2002.

Kenney, M.J., F. Blecha, R.J. Fels, and D.A. Morgan. Altered frequency responses of sympathetic nerve discharge bursts after interleukin-1ß and mild hypothermia. J. Appl. Physiol. 93:280-288, 2002.

Ramanathan, B., E.G. Davis, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. Cathelicidins: microbicidal activity, mechanisms of action, and roles in innate immunity. Microbes Infect. 4:361-372, 2002.

Kenney, M.J., F. Blecha, D.A. Morgan, and R.J. Fels. Interleukin-1 beta alters brown adipose tissue but not renal sympathetic nerve responses to hypothermia. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ Physiol. 281:H2441-H2445, 2001.

Blecha, F. Immunology. In: Biology of the Domestic Pig, ( W.G. Pond and H.J. Mersmann, Eds.),pp. 688-711, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2001.

Wu, H., G. Zhang, J.E. Minton, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha.  Regulation of cathelicidin gene expression: induction by lipopolysaccaride, interleukin-6, retinoic acid, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection.  Infect.  Immun.  68: 5552-5558, 2000.

Korthuis, R.J., D.C. Gute, F. Blecha, and C. Ross. PR-39, a proline/arginine-rich antimicrobial peptide prevents postischemic microvascular dysfunction. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 46): H1007-H1013, 1999.

Zhang, G., H. Hiraiwa, H. Yasue, H. Wu, C.R. Ross, D.Troyer, and F. Blecha. Cloning and characterization of the gene for a new epithelial β-defensin: genomic structure, chromosomal localization, and evidence for its constitutive expression. J. Biol. Chem. 274:24031-24037, 1999.

Shi, J., G. Zhang, H. Wu, C. Ross, F. Blecha, and T. Ganz. Porcine epithelial β-defensin-1 is expressed in the dorsal tongue at antimicrobial concentrations. Infect. Immun. 67:3121-3127, 1999.

Wu, H., G. Zhang, C.R. Ross, and F. Blecha. Cathelicidin gene expression in porcine tissues: roles in ontogeny and tissue specificity. Infect. Immun. 67:439-442, 1999.

Shi, J., C.R. Ross, T.L. Leto, and F. Blecha. PR-39, a proline-rich antibacterial peptide that inhibits phagocyte NADPH oxidase activity by binding to Src homology 3 domains of p47phox. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:6014-6018, 1996.