Nicole T. Perna, PhD

Assistant Professor Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin 1656 Linden Drive Madison, WI 53706-1581 Phone: 608-262-3177 Fax: 608-262-7420 Email: perna@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu Web: http://gel.ahabs.wisc.edu

Research Areas

Molecular Epidemiology
Bacterial Genomics
Molecular Evolution

Research Description

The family Enterobacteriaciae is phenotypically diverse ranging from commensals to pathogens of humans, mammals, birds, reptiles and plants. The species E. coli alone includes harmless intestinal flora as well as strains associated with diarrheal disease, urinary tract infections, neonatal septicemia and meningitis. Genome sequences are now available for several representatives of this group and provide a solid foundation for investigation of the genetic basis of organismal differences in complex traits like virulence. We use genome scale comparative analyses to identify the genetic elements that distinguish one complete genome from another and survey the distribution of these factors in the population as a whole. These data will provide unparalle led sensitivity for pathogen identification and also generate insight into the evolution of virulence and the emergence of novel pathogens from within established species. Analyses to date have revealed an extraordinary level of horizontal transfer among enterobacterial strains and species punctuating a conserved clonally diverging ancestral genomic framework. We are now expanding this research to investigate regulatory variation by global gene expression pattern monitoring.

Publications

• J. D. Glasner, P. Liss, G. Plunkett III, A. Darling, T. Prasad, M. Rusch, A. Byrnes, M. Gilson, B. Biehl, F. R. Blattner, N. T. Perna. ASAP, a systematic annotation package for community analysis of genomes. Nucleic Acids Research 2003, Jan 1:31(1):147- 151. Abstract
• R.A. Welch, V. Burland, G. Plunkett III, P. Redford, P. Roesch, D. Rasko, E. L. Buckles, S.-R. Liou, A. Boutin, J. Hackett, D. Stroud, G. Mayhew, D. Rose, S. Zhou, D. C. Schwartz, N. T. Perna, H. L. T. Mobley, M. S. Donnenberg and F. R. Blattner. Extens ive mosaic structure revealed by the complete genome sequence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. PNAS 2002 Dec. 24; 99(26):17120-4. Abstract
• Deng, W., V. Burland, G. Plunkett III, A. Boutin, G. F. Mayhew, P. Liss, N. T. Perna, D. J. Rose, B. Mau, D. C. Schwartz, S. Zhou, J. D. Fetherston, L. E. Lindler, R. R. Brubaker, G. V. Plano, S. C. Straley, K. A. McDonough, M. L. Nilles, J. S. Matson, F. R. Blattner, R. D. Perry. Genome sequence of Yersinia pestis KIM. J. Bacteriol. 2002 Aug; 184(16): 4601-11. Abstract
• Y. Okinaka, C.H. Yang, N.T. Perna and N.T. Keen. Microarray profiling of Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937 genes that are regulated during plant infection. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2002 Jul; 15(7): 619-29. Abstract
• Perna, N. T., G. Plunkett III, V. Burland, B. Mau, J. D. Glasner, D. J. Rose, G. F. Mayhew, P. S. Evans, J. Gregor, H. A. Kirkpatrick, G. Posfai, J. Hackett, S. Klink, A. Boutin, Y. Shao, L. Miller, E. J. Grotbeck, N. W. Davis, A. Lim, E. Dimalanta, K. Potamousis, J. Apodaca, T. S. Anantharaman, J. Lin, G. Yen, D. C. Schwartz, R. A. Welch, and F. R. Blattner. Genome sequence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Nature. 2001 Jan 25; 409(6819):529-533. Abstract
• Perna, N. T., G. F. Mayhew, G. Posfai, S. Elliott, M. S. Donnenberg, J. B. Kaper and F. R. Blattner, 1998. Molecular evolution of a Pathogenicity Island from Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Infection and Immunity. 1998 Aug; 66(8):3810-3817. Abstract
• Blattner, F. R., G. Plunkett III, C. A. Bloch, N.T. Perna, V. Burland, M. Riley, J. Collado-Vides, J. D. Glasner, C. K. Rode, G. Mayhew, J. Gregor, N. W. Davis, H. A. Kirkpatrick, M. Goeden, D. Rose, R. Mau, and Y. Shao. The Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12. Science. 1997 Sep 5; 277(5331):1453-1474. Abstract

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