Kirby Laboratory
Location
Microbiology & Immunology
BSB B2410
General Interests
Bacterial Signal Transduction, Microbial Communities, Predator-Prey Dynamics, Xenobiotic Disruption of Microbiomes
Research Areas
Microbiome
We are examining the role of xenobiotics for their capacity to disrupt the gut microbiota with deleterious consequences on host physiology and metabolism. Disease models used in the lab are a salt-sensitive rat model for hypertension, a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, and a mouse model of obesity induced by the second-generation antipsychotic risperidone. We perform physiological measurements related to each disease model, fecal material transfers to establish a causal link between the microbiota and disease, and 16S rDNA and metagenomic sequencing to analyze taxonomic and functional composition of the microbiota. Metagenomic analyses allow us to identify and test candidate probiotic strains of bacteria with specific metabolic features that influence the progression of disease. We have filed a patent (US 2020/0016124 A1) based on our work leading to reduction of weight gain and are in discussions to create a startup company.
Predator-Prey Interactions
The above work is a direct product of our understanding of bacterial interactions between Myxococcus xanthus and Bacillus subtilis as a model for microbial predator-prey interactions. Our primary goal is to assess the role of specialized metabolites produced by both the predator and the prey. Detailed molecular mechanisms for predator-prey interactions in vitro provide insights into gut-based systems in rodents and humans.
Current Members
Recent Publications
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(Pickrum AM, DeLeon O, Dirck A, Tessmer MH, Riegert MO, Biller JA, Ledeboer NA, Kirby JR, Frank DW.) Infect Immun. 2020 06 22;88(7) PMID: 32366575 PMCID: PMC7309624 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85088536617 05/06/2020
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(Tiwari N, López-Redondo M, Miguel-Romero L, Kulhankova K, Cahill MP, Tran PM, Kinney KJ, Kilgore SH, Al-Tameemi H, Herfst CA, Tuffs SW, Kirby JR, Boyd JM, McCormick JK, Salgado-Pabón W, Marina A, Schlievert PM, Fuentes EJ.) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 05 19;117(20):10989-10999 PMID: 32354997 PMCID: PMC7245129 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85084961758 05/02/2020
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(Bretl DJ, Ladd KM, Atkinson SN, Müller S, Kirby JR.) PLoS Genet. 2018 10;14(10):e1007714 PMID: 30346960 PMCID: PMC6211767 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85055910992 10/23/2018
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Ancient Regulatory Role of Lysine Acetylation in Central Metabolism.
(Nakayasu ES, Burnet MC, Walukiewicz HE, Wilkins CS, Shukla AK, Brooks S, Plutz MJ, Lee BD, Schilling B, Wolfe AJ, Müller S, Kirby JR, Rao CV, Cort JR, Payne SH.) mBio. 2017 11 28;8(6) PMID: 29184018 PMCID: PMC5705920 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85039922037 12/01/2017
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The Gut Microbiome, Energy Homeostasis, and Implications for Hypertension.
(Riedl RA, Atkinson SN, Burnett CML, Grobe JL, Kirby JR.) Curr Hypertens Rep. 2017 Apr;19(4):27 PMID: 28316052 PMCID: PMC5773096 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85015782153 03/21/2017
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(Kelly PH, Bahr SM, Serafim TD, Ajami NJ, Petrosino JF, Meneses C, Kirby JR, Valenzuela JG, Kamhawi S, Wilson ME.) mBio. 2017 01 17;8(1) PMID: 28096483 PMCID: PMC5241394 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85014830318 01/18/2017
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(Müller S, Strack SN, Ryan SE, Shawgo M, Walling A, Harris S, Chambers C, Boddicker J, Kirby JR.) J Bacteriol. 2016 12 15;198(24):3335-3344 PMID: 27698086 PMCID: PMC5116937 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84996939200 10/05/2016
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(Bretl DJ, Müller S, Ladd KM, Atkinson SN, Kirby JR.) Mol Microbiol. 2016 10;102(1):37-53 PMID: 27393239 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84988461449 07/10/2016
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Molecular Mechanisms of Signaling in Myxococcus xanthus Development.
(Bretl DJ, Kirby JR.) J Mol Biol. 2016 09 25;428(19):3805-30 PMID: 27430596 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84986915805 07/20/2016
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(Bahr SM, Weidemann BJ, Castro AN, Walsh JW, deLeon O, Burnett CM, Pearson NA, Murry DJ, Grobe JL, Kirby JR.) EBioMedicine. 2015 11;2(11):1725-34 PMID: 26870798 PMCID: PMC4740326 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84958879311 02/13/2016
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(Bahr SM, Tyler BC, Wooldridge N, Butcher BD, Burns TL, Teesch LM, Oltman CL, Azcarate-Peril MA, Kirby JR, Calarge CA.) Transl Psychiatry. 2015 Oct 06;5:e652 PMID: 26440540 PMCID: PMC4930121 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84943422862 10/07/2015