Catharine B Saelinger , PhD

 My long-term research interests have been in bacterial toxins and their contribution to the virulence of the organisms producing them. Specifically I have been involved in elucidating the mechanism of action of pseudomonas toxin, both in vivo in an intact experimental animal model, and in vitro, using tissue culture. We identified the receptor for pseudomonas exotoxin A on toxin sensitive cells (the LRP), examined the role of the receptor associated protein in toxin trafficking, and examined  the site of toxin entry into the cell cytosol.  We determined that the toxin enters the cytoplasm from the endoplasmic reticulum in entry, probably by interaction with the KDEL receptor.  We also examined the ability of toxin to induce apoptosis both in tissue culture cells and in intact animals. Understanding this process may help to generate information on how/why the exotoxin contributes to severe infections in compromised individuals.   The questions asked bridge the fields of Microbiology and Cell Biology.
 
At present, the vast majority of my time is spent on educational endeavors and on service to the department, college and university

Ph.D.: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH, 1970 (Microbiology)

M.S.: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio, 1968 (Microbiology)

A.B.: Smith College Northampton MA, 1965 (Bacteriology)

The primary objectives of my research are concerned with determining the mechanisms of action of microbial toxins, particularly the protein exotoxin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the contributions of the toxin to microbial virulence. Work is carried out in vitro, in tissue culture, and in the intact experimental animal. Interaction of toxin with the surface of sensitive mammalian cells (receptors) and its subsequent internalization, movement through the Golgi apparatus to the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and subsequent entry into the cytosol are examined. Studies on the ability of toxin to induce apoptosis in tissue culture cells and in vivo are on-going. Recently we also have been determining the development of apoptosis following a flame burn in a mouse model system. Retrograde trafficking, apoptosis, receptor, burn.

1976 -To Present Assistant, Associate and Full Professor, Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH

Peer Reviewed Publications

Le Poole, I C; Boissy, R E; Sarangarajan, R; Chen, J; Forristal, J J; Sheth, P; Westerhof, W; Babcock, G; Das, P K; Saelinger, C B (2000. ) PIG3V, an immortalized human vitiligo melanocyte cell line, expresses dilated endoplasmic reticulum.In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal, , 36 (5 ) ,309-19 More Information

Mucci, D; Forristal, J; Strickland, D; Morris, R; Fitzgerald, D; Saelinger, C B (1995. ) Level of receptor-associated protein moderates cellular susceptibility to pseudomonas exotoxin A. Infection and immunity, , 63 (8 ) ,2912-8

FitzGerald, D J; Fryling, C M; Zdanovsky, A; Saelinger, C B; Kounnas, M; Winkles, J A; Strickland, D; Leppla, S (1995. ) Pseudomonas exotoxin-mediated selection yields cells with altered expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein. The Journal of cell biology, , 129 (6 ) ,1533-41

Fitzgerald, D J; Fryling, C M; Zdanovsky, A; Saelinger, C B; Kounnas, M; Strickland, D K; Leppla, S (1994. ) Selection of Pseudomonas exotoxin-resistant cells with altered expression of alpha 2MR/LRP. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, , 737 ,138-44

Saelinger, C B; Morris, R E (1994. ) Uptake and processing of toxins by mammalian cells. Methods in enzymology, , 235 ,705-17

Kounnas, M Z; Morris, R E; Thompson, M R; FitzGerald, D J; Strickland, D K; Saelinger, C B (1992. ) The alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor/low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein binds and internalizes Pseudomonas exotoxin A. The Journal of biological chemistry, , 267 (18 ) ,12420-3

Morris, R E; Ciraolo, G M; Saelinger, C B (1992. ) Validation of the biotinyl ligand-avidin-gold technique. The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society, , 40 (5 ) ,711-21

Morris, R E; Ciraolo, G M; Saelinger, C B (1991. ) Gold enhancement of gold-labeled probes: gold-intensified staining technique (GIST). The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society, , 39 (11 ) ,1585-91

Forristal, J J; Thompson, M R; Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1991. ) Mouse liver contains a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A-binding protein. Infection and immunity, , 59 (9 ) ,2880-4

Thompson, M R; Forristal, J; Kauffmann, P; Madden, T; Kozak, K; Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1991. ) Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A binding glycoprotein from mouse LM cells. The Journal of biological chemistry, , 266 (4 ) ,2390-6

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1990. ) Visualization of intracellular trafficking of proteins. Methods in enzymology, , 184 ,379-88

Saelinger, C B (1988. ) Use of exotoxin A to inhibit protein synthesis. Methods in enzymology, , 165 ,226-31

Kozak, K J; Saelinger, C B (1988. ) Preparation of Pseudomonas exotoxin A. Methods in enzymology, , 165 ,147-52

Saelinger, C B; Morris, R E (1987. ) Intracellular trafficking of Pseudomonas exotoxin A. Antibiotics and chemotherapy, , 39 ,149-59

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1986. ) Problems in the production and use of 5 nm avidin-gold colloids. Journal of microscopy, , 143 (Pt 2 ) ,171-6

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1986. ) Reduced temperature alters Pseudomonas exotoxin A entry into the mouse LM cell. Infection and immunity, , 52 (2 ) ,445-53

Morris, R E; Gerstein, A S; Bonventre, P F; Saelinger, C B (1985. ) Receptor-mediated entry of diphtheria toxin into monkey kidney (Vero) cells: electron microscopic evaluation. Infection and immunity, , 50 (3 ) ,721-7

Saelinger, C B; Morris, R E; Foertsch, G (1985. ) Trafficking of Pseudomonas exotoxin A in mammalian cells. European journal of clinical microbiology, , 4 (2 ) ,170-4

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1985. ) Route of pseudomonas and diphtheria toxin entry into mammalian cells: basis for susceptibility to toxin. Survey and synthesis of pathology research, , 4 (1 ) ,34-43

Manhart, M D; Morris, R E; Bonventre, P F; Leppla, S; Saelinger, C B (1984. ) Evidence for pseudomonas exotoxin A receptors on plasma membrane of toxin-sensitive lm fibroblasts. Infection and immunity, , 45 (3 ) ,596-603

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1984. ) Visualization of intracellular trafficking: use of biotinylated ligands in conjunction with avidin-gold colloids. The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society, , 32 (1 ) ,124-8

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1983. ) Diphtheria toxin does not enter resistant cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Infection and immunity, , 42 (2 ) ,812-7

FitzGerald, D; Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B Inhibition of the activity of pseudomonas toxin by methylamine. Reviews of infectious diseases, , 5 Suppl 5 ,S985-91

Morris, R E; Manhart, M D; Saelinger, C B (1983. ) Receptor-mediated entry of Pseudomonas toxin: methylamine blocks clustering step. Infection and immunity, , 40 (2 ) ,806-11

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1982. ) Combined use of immunoferritin and immunocolloidal gold for the simultaneous demonstration of two antigens by immuno-electron microscopy. Stain technology, , 57 (4 ) ,225-37

Weber, B; Nickol, M M; Jagger, K S; Saelinger, C B (1982. ) Interaction of pseudomonas exoproducts with phagocytic cells. Canadian journal of microbiology, , 28 (6 ) ,679-85

Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1982. ) A simple reliable method for producing electron dense markers of uniform size for use in immunoelectron microscopy. Journal of immunological methods, , 49 (3 ) ,237-46

Fitzgerald, D; Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1982. ) Essential role of calcium in cellular internalization of Pseudomonas toxin. Infection and immunity, , 35 (2 ) ,715-20

FitzGerald, D; Morris, R E; Saelinger, C B (1980. ) Receptor-mediated internalization of Pseudomonas toxin by mouse fibroblasts. Cell, , 21 (3 ) ,867-73

Jagger, K; Nickol, M M; Saelinger, C B (1980. ) Resistance of exotoxin A to purified Pseudomonas proteolytic enzymes. Infection and immunity, , 28 (3 ) ,746-52

Snell, K; Holder, I A; Leppla, S A; Saelinger, C B (1978. ) Role of exotoxin and protease as possible virulence factors in experimental infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection and immunity, , 19 (3 ) ,839-45

Saelinger, C B; Snell, K; Holder, I A (1977. ) Experimental studies on the pathogenesis of infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: direct evidence for toxin production during Pseudomonas infection of burned skin tissues. The Journal of infectious diseases, , 136 (4 ) ,555-61

Saelinger, C B; Bonventre, P F; Ivins, B; Straus, D (1976. ) Uptake of diphtheria toxin and its fragment A moiety by mammalian cells in culture. Infection and immunity, , 14 (3 ) ,742-51

Bonventre, P F; Saelinger, C B; Ivins, B; Woscinski, C; Amorini, M (1975. ) Interaction of cultured mammalian cells with [125I] diphtheria toxin. Infection and immunity, , 11 (4 ) ,675-84

Ivins, B; Saelinger, C B; Bonventre, P F; Woscinski, C (1975. ) Chemical modulation of diphtheria toxin action on cultured mammalian cells. Infection and immunity, , 11 (4 ) ,665-74

Saelinger, C B; Higginbotham, R D (1974. ) Hypersensitivity responses to bee venom and the mellitin. International archives of allergy and applied immunology, , 46 (1 ) ,28-37

Bonventre, P F; Saelinger, C B; Imhoff, J G (1973. ) Studies on the effect of diphtheria toxin on protein synthesis in mice. Journal of medical microbiology, , 6 (2 ) ,169-76

Saelinger, C B; Imhoff, J G; Bonventre, P F (1973. ) Studies on the mode of action of diphtheria toxin. VI. Inhibition of protein synthesis induced by local infection with toxingenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (New York, N.Y.), , 142 (1 ) ,41-5

Bonventre, P F; Saelinger, C B (1972. ) Inhibition of protein synthesis after intravenous or intramuscular challenge with diphtheria toxin. Infection and immunity, , 6 (3 ) ,418-21

2013 Faculty Award for Exemplary Contributions in Service to the University of Cincinnati

Retrograde Transport,Microbiologist,Host-parasite Specialist,Cell Biologist,Membranes,Receptors,Cell Surface Receptors,Apoptosis,Bacterial Toxins, Burns

Academic - Office 3260 Medical Sciences Building
231 Albert Sabin Way
Cincinnati  Ohio, 45267-0524
Phone: (513)558-0072
saelincb@ucmail.uc.edu