David J. McGee Lab - LSU Health Shreveport

David J. McGee, PhD

Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Bachelor of Science, Microbiology - (1992) Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (now University of the Sciences in Philadelphia)
PhD, Microbiology and Immunology - (1997) Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (now Drexel University)
Post-Doctoral Fellow - University of Maryland-Baltimore

Major Research Interests: Helicobacter pylori and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum Host-Pathogen Interactions

News

Latest News

Patrick Gellings was awarded his PhD in 2019 for his dissertation titled Arcanobacterium haemolyticum utilizes ALN and PLD to mediate invasion into non-phagocytic cells.

Drs. McGee, Xiaohong Lu and Elizabeth Disbrow in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience co-published a review article summarizing the evidence for the roles of Helicobacter pylori in Parkinson’s disease and were featured in this press release, September 2018. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180924105749.htm.

Dr. McGee was awarded a grant from LaSPACE, announced in INSIDE LSU Winter 2017.

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RECENT LAB AWARDS

Taylor Dixon, 2019. Optimist Award, Bio-Start Program and Southwood High School Science Fair, Shreveport, LA (poster).

Sara Oberle, 2019. 3^rd place poster award, Caddo Magnet High School Science Fair, Shreveport, LA.

Kyle A. McGee, 2019. Optimist Award and 2^nd place poster, Caddo Magnet High School Science Fair, Shreveport, LA.

Jessica Q. Truong, 2018. First place, poster award, Centenary College 27^th Annual Student Research Forum, Shreveport, LA.

Lydia B. Grafton, 2018. First place, talk award, Centenary College 27^th Annual Student Research Forum, Shreveport, LA.

Patrick S. Gellings, 2018. McClesky Award for best talk, South-Central Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, Jackson, MS.

Patrick S. Gellings, 2017. McClesky Award for best talk, South-Central Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, Little Rock, AR.

Chandler E. Merriman. 2015. First place at both regional and state levels, Louisiana Science Fair-Microbiology, Shreveport, LA.

Research

Major Research Interests:

Helicobacter pylori and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum Host-Pathogen Interactions

Helicobacter pylori is a highly-adapted human pathogen of the stomach, surviving and thriving in the stressful acidic environment. H. pylori causes gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Our recent interest centers on how and why H. pylori steals host membrane cholesterol, glycosylates the cholesterol and decorates the bacterial cell surface. H. pylori becomes highly resistant to a wide range of stress, including acid and bile salts, when cultured with cholesterol. The organism changes its LPS and protein profiles in a cholesterol-dependent fashion and specific genes and proteins are being investigated further. Our research may lead to novel insights into host-pathogen interactions and into this unique mechanism of cholesteroldependent resistance to stress. This may lead to development of a desperately needed vaccine or new therapy to prevent H. pylori infection and its sequelae.

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a Gram positive rod that is an emerging pathogen. It causes pharyngitis in adolescents and wound infections. Our understanding of this organism is almost completely unknown. Several recently initiated projects include random sequence analysis of the genome, proteomics of organisms grown under different conditions, establishment of a tissue culture model, and characterization of two toxins, arcanolysin (ALN) and phospholipase D (PLD) in host-pathogen interactions. We aim to understand the mechanisms by which this poorly studied organism causes disease.

Publications

Selected Publications

Ruther, H. S., K. Phillips, D. Ross, A. Crawford, M. P. Weidner, O. Sammra, C. Lammler, and D. J. McGee. 2015. Smooth and rough biotypes of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum can be genetically distinguished at the arcanolysin locus. PLOS One 10(9):e0137346. PMID: 26382754. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=26382754
Boyer, C. J., D. H. Ballard, J. A. Weisman, S. Hurst, D. J. McGee, D. K. Mills, J. A. Woerner, U. Jammalamadaka, K. Tappa, and J. S. Alexander. 2018. Three-dimensional printing antimicrobial and radiopaque constructs. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 5: 29-36. PMID: 31008143. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=31008143
Gellings P. S. and D. J. McGee. 2018. Arcanobacterium haemolyticum phospholipase D enzymatic activity promotes the hemolytic activity of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin arcanolysin. Toxins 10(6). pii: E213. doi: 10.3390/toxins10060213. PMID: 29882842. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=29882842
Boyer, C. J., J. E. Woerner, C. Galea, C. A. Gatlin, G. E. Ghali, D. K. Mills, J. A. Weisman, D. J. McGee, and J. S. Alexander. 2018. Personalized bioactive nasal supports for postoperative cleft rhinoplasty. J. Oral Maxillofac Surg 76: 1562.e1-1562.e5. PMID: 29679585. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=29679585
McGee, D. J., H.-H. Lu, and E. A. Disbrow. 2018. Stomaching the possibility of the pathogenic role of Helicobacter pylori in Parkinson’s disease. J. Parkinson’s Dis 8:367-374. PMID 29966206. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=29966206
Gellings, P. S. and D. J. McGee. 2019. Arcanobacterium haemolyticum utilizes both Phospholipase D and Arcanolysin to mediate its uptake into non-phagocytic cells. Infect. Immun. 87: pii: e00832-18. PMID: 30745329. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=30745329

Complete List of my Published Work in MyBibliography: LEARN MORE

Team

Present Trainee

Grace N. Dodd (2019-2020, Cellular Program, Centenary College).

Former Trainees (Abbreviated)

PhD

Elizabeth Trainor Schoenfeld (2007-2012). Present position: Instructor, Nashville State Community College.
Patrick S. Gellings (2015-2019). Present position: Postdoctoral fellow, Tulane University.

Melanie L. Bartels Langford (2003-2005). Later obtained PhD Present position: Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Florida Southern College https://www.flsouthern.edu/faculty/langford-melanie.aspx
Ryan J. Viator (2003-2005). Later obtained PhD Present position: Senior Scientist at Zoetis, Inc.
Salil Joshi (2012-13). Later obtained MPH. Present position: Research Associate, Stephens Inc Little Rock AR.
Haley S. Ruther Norwood (2011-2014). Present position: Research Associate II at Cedars-Sinai, CA.

Medical Students

Amanda Hammad Bunton, MD (2009, Medical student summer research program). Present position: OB/GYN doctor, Willis-Knighton, Shreveport, LA.

Undergraduate Students

Madeline Fechter Barclay (2011-2012, Cellular Program, Centenary College). Later obtained MPH. Present position: Director of Admissions, LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions and Instructor of Public Health.
M. Payton Weidner (2013, Cellular Program, Centenary College). Present position: in medical school, University of Tucson, AZ.
Dolores Ross (2014-15, Cellular Program, Centenary College). Present position: PhD program Organic Chemistry, University CA, Irvine.
Jessica Q. Truong (2017-2018). Present position: Patient-care technician, LA Arthritis & Rheumatology, Shreveport, LA.
Lydia B. Grafton (2017-2018). Present position: Technician, San Antonio, TX.
Fatimal Iqbal (2018, Summer Biomedical Undergraduate Research Fellowship). Present position: in medical school at LSU Health Shreveport.

High School Students

Brianna Jackson Schott (2013-2014, SMART). Later earned BS, Centenary College. Present position: Masters in Arts of Teaching, Centenary College.
James Barnette (2014, Bio-Start). Present positions: History major, University Louisiana Monroe; Production Assistant KEDM 90.3 Radio.
Chandler Merriman (2014-2015, SMART). Present position: BS program Chemistry & Biology, University Arkansas.
Taylor Dixon (2018, Bio-Start). Present position: BA Criminal Justice program, Northwestern University, LA.
Arizona D. Minister (2019, Bio-Start). Present position: after finishing high school at Southwood, will matriculate to LSU-S Fall 2020.