PROVIDE CHARACTERIZATION OF PATHOGENS AND THEIR ADHERENCE FACTORS TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS ON MAMMALIAN HOSTS. PROPOSED STUDY TO BE CONDUCTED FOR THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE/NORTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (NWFSC) IN SEATTLE, WA. BACTERIA OF THE GENUS VIBRIO ARE UBIQUITOUS IN MARINE AND ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS AND INCLUDE SEVERAL SPECIES CAPABLE OF CAUSING HUMAN DISEASE. VIBRIO SPECIES ARE PRIMARY CAUSE OF BACTERIAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH SEAFOOD AND AQUACULTURED PRODUCTS IN THE U.S. AND ELSEWHERE. THESE BACTERIA PERSIST IN A WIDE RANGE OF TEMPERATURES AND SALINITIES, ASSOCIATE WITH AQUATIC FLORA AND CONCENTRATE IN SHELLFISH SUCH AS OYSTERS THROUGH FILTER-FEEDING. IN THE U.S., THE MAJORITY OF SEAFOOD-RELATED, BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN HUMANS ARE DUE TO TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SPECIES, VIBRIO VULNIFICUS AND VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS. V. PARAHAEMOLYTICUS PROLIFERATES IN TEMEPRATURE WATERS AND CAN CAUSE GASTROENTERITIS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. THIS PATHOGEN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAJOR OUTBREAKS OF ILLNESS IN 1997 IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, AND IN 1998 IN TEXAS AND NEW ENGLAND. THESE CASES WERE ALL TRACED TO THE CONSUMPTION OF RAW OYSTERS. CONTRACTOR WILL DEVELOP A RESEARCH PLAN TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT TYPE IV FIMBRIAL ADHESINS MEDIATE ADHERENCE TO EPITHELIAL CELLS AND INTESTINAL COLONIZATION IN AN ANIMAL MODEL. CONTRACTOR WILL ALSO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SURFACE PROTEIN IRGA CONTRIBUTES TO THE ABILITY OF V. PARAHAEMOLYTICUS TO ADHERE TO EPITHELIAL CELLS AND COLNIZE THE INTESTING IN AN ANIMAL MODEL. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS 1/1/2006 – 9/30/2006. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (UW) WITH PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR DR. STEPHEN MOSELEY IS THE SUGGESTED SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTOR FOR THIS RESEARCH. SOURCES MAY SUBMIT QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE IN FIELD OF BACTERIAL MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS IF THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING RESEARCH DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS IS A SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION WITH AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF LESS THAN $100,000.

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