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Helene Andrews-Polymenis, DVM, PhD

Helene Andrews-Polymenis
Helene Andrews-Polymenis, DVM, PhD

Professor

Presidential Impact Fellow

Contact

Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology 8
8447 Riverside Pkwy Medical Research & Education Building, Room. 3008
Bryan, TX 77807-3260
handrews@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.0340
Fax: 979.436.0360

Education and Training

  • Brown University, AB Biology, 1989
  • Tufts University, PhD, 1999
  • Texas A&M University , DVM, 2001

Research Interests

  • Salmonella is a leading cause of food-borne illness, causing an estimated 1.4 million human cases of Salmonella enteritis annually in the United States, and hundreds of millions of cases worldwide. Children, the elderly, and immune compromised individuals are at high risk to develop Salmonella bacteremia which can be fatal. Despite the importance of this pathogen and over 30 years of study, much of the genome and biology of this organism remains incompletely understood and unexplored. We identify Salmonella genes needed during infection of model and natural hosts using genetics and determine their molecular function using a range of methodologies.

Representative Publications

  • Faber, F., Thiennimitr, P., Byndloss, M., Lawhon, S., Andrews-Polymenis, H., Winter, S., Baumler, A.J. (2016) Respiration of microbiota-derived 1,2-propanediol drives Salmonella expansion during colitis. PLOS Pathogens.Accepted 12/14/2016.
  • McLaughlin, P., McClelland, M., Yang, H.J., Porwollik, S., Bogomolnaya, L., Chen, J.S., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., and A.W.M. van der Velden (2016) Contribution of asparagine catabolism to Salmonella virulence. Infection and Immunity. Accepted 11/10/2016
  • Wrande, M., Andrews-Polymenis, H., Twedt, D.J., Steele-Mortimer, O., Porwollik, S., McClelland, M., and L.A. Knodler (2016) Determinants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium proliferation in the cytosol of epithelial cells. Infection and Immunity. Accepted 09/2016.
  • Yang, H.J., Bogomolnaya, L.M., Endicott-Yazdani, T., Reynolds, M.M., Porwollik, S., Cheng, P., Xia, X.Q., McClelland, M., and H. Andrews-Polymenis. (2016) Screening of pools of multi-gene deletion mutants identifies Salmonella genes needed during infection of chicks. Infection and Immunity, doi:10.1128/IAI.01525-15 .
  • Silva-Valenzuela, C.A., Molina-Quiroz, R.C., Desai, P., Valenquela, C., Porwollik, S., Zhao, M., Hoffman, R.M., Andrews-Polymenis, H., Contreras, I., Santiviago, C.A., and M. McClelland (2016) Analysis of two complementary single-gene deletion mutant libraries of Salmonella Typhimurium in intraperitoneal infection of BALB/c mice. Frontiers in Microbiology. Dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01455
  • Elfenbein, J.R., Knodler, L.A., Nakayasu, E.S. Ansong, C., Brewer, H.M., Bogomolnaya, L., Adams, L.G., McClelland, M., Adkins, J.N., and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2015) Multicopy single-stranded DNA directs intestinal colonization of enteric pathogens. PLOS Genetics, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005472 .
  • Bogomolnaya, L.M., Aldrich, L., Ragoza, Y., Talamantes, M., McClelland, M., and H. Andrews-Polymenis. (2014) Identification of novel factors involved in modulating motility of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. PLOS One, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0111513.
  • Porwollik, S., Santiviago, C.A., Cheng, P. Long, F., Desai, P., Fredlund, J., Srikumar, S., Chu, W., Chen, X., Canals, R., Reynolds, M.M., Bogomolnaya, L., Shields, C. Cui, P., Guo, J., Endicott-Yazdani, T., Yang, H.J., Maple, A., Ragoza, Y., Blondel, C.J., Valenzuela, C., Santiviago, C.A., and H. Andrews-Polymenis*, and M. McClelland* (2014) Defined single-gene and multi-gene mutant collections in Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium. PLOS One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099820. *Co-corresponding authors
  • Pezoa, D., Blondel, C.J., Silva, C.A., Yang, H.J., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Santiviago, C.A., and I. Contreras. (2014) Only one of the two Type VI secretion systems encoded in the Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin genome is involved in colonization of the avian and murine host. Veterinary Research Journal. 45:2. doi:10.1186/1297-9716-45-2
  • *Bogomolnaya, L.M., Andrews, K.D., Talamantes, M., Maple, A., Ragoza, Y. and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2013) An ABC-type efflux pump MacAB is involved in protection of Salmonella enterica serot. Typhimurium against oxidative stress. mBio Oct 29; 4(6) pii: e00630-13. doi 10.1128/mBio.00630-13.
    *mBio's most highly accessed paper of Jan 2014, cited by Faculty of 1000
  • Elfenbein, J.R., Endicott-Yazdani, T., Porwollik, S. Bogomolnaya, L.M., Cheng, P. Guo, J., Zheng, Y., Yang, H.J., Talamantes, M., Shields, C., Maple, A., Ragoza, Y., DeAtley, K., Tatsch, T., Cui, P., Andrews, K.D., McClelland, M., Lawhon, S., and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2013) Novel determinants of intestinal colonization of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium identified in bovine enteric infection. Infection and Immunity. September doi:10.1128/IAI.00874-13.
  • Nagy, T.A., Moreland, S.M., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., and C. Detweiler (2013) The ferric enterobactin transporter, Fep, is required for persistent Salmonella infection. Infection and Immunity. August, doi: 10.1128/IAI.00412-13
  • Zheng, Y., Sambou, T., Cirillo, J.D., McClelland, M., and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2013) The EAL-domain containing protein STM2215 (rtn) is a cyclic di-GMP phosphodiesterase that is needed during Salmonella infection. Mol. Microbiology. Online 12 July 2013. DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12284.
  • Pezoa, D., Blondel, C.J., Santiviago, C.A., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., and I. Contreras (2013) The type VI secretion system encoded in SPI-6 plays a role in gastrointestinal colonization and systemic spread of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in the chicken. PLoS One 8(5) e63917. PMCID: PMC3653874
  • Kullas, A.L., McClelland, M., Yang, H.J., Torres, A., Porwollik, S., Mena, P., Andrews-Polymenis, H., and A.W.M., van der Velden (2012) Salmonella utilize L-asparaginase II to inhibit the response of mammalian T cells. Cell, Host and Microbe. 12(6), 791-8. doi 10.1016/j.chrom.2012.10.018
  • Hao, L.y., Willis, D.K., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., McClelland, M., and J.D. Barak (2012) Salmonella enterica requires siderophore biosynthesis to colonize plants. App. Environ. Microbiology. 13:4561-4570.
  • Canals, R., Xia, X.Q., Fronick, C., Clifton, S.W., Ahmer, B.M.M., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Porwollik, S., and M. McClelland (2012) High-throughput comparison of gene fitness among related bacteria. BMC Genomics, 13(1): 212.
  • Silva, C.A., Blondel, C.J., Quezada, C.P., Porwollik, S., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Toro, C.S., Zaldivar, M., Contreras, I., McClelland, M., and C.A. Santiviago (2012) Infection of mice by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis involves additional genes that are absent in the genome of serovar Typhimurium. Infection and Immunity, doi:10.1128/IAI.05497-11.
  • Kanluk, N.A., Canadlen, V., Bagshaw, R.D., Makowski, M., Braun, V., Landekic, M., Mitra, S., Huang, J., Heo, W.D., Meyer, T., Pelletier, L., Andrews-Polymenis, H., McClelland, M., Pawson, T., Grinstein, S., and J.H. Brumell. (2011) Salmonella exploits Arl8B-directed kinesin activity to promote endosome tubulation and cell-to-cell transfer. Cellular Microbiology. doi:10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01663.x, PMID: 21824248
  • Reynolds, M., Bogomolnaya, L., Guo, J., Aldrich, L., Bokhari, D., Santiviago, C.A., McClelland, M., and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2011) Abrogation of the twin arginine transport system in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium leads to colonization defects during infection. PLoS One. Jan 26;6(1):e15800. PMID 21298091. PMCID: PMC3027627
  • Weatherspoon, N. Zhao, G., Kong, W., Kong, Y. Morigen, M. Andrews-Polymenis, H., McClelland, M. and Yixin Shi (2011) The CpxR/CpxA two-component system up regulates two Tat-dependent peptidoglycan amidases to confer bacterial resistance to the antimicrobial peptide protamine. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286(7): 5529-39. PMID:21149452
  • Winter, S.E., Winter, M. G., Godinez, I. Yang, H.J., Russman, H., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., and A.J. Baumler (2010) A rapid change in virulence gene expression during the transition from the intestinal lumen into tissue promotes systemic dissemination of Salmonella. PLoS Pathogens 6(8) e1001060. PMCID: PMC2924370
  • Blondel, C.J., Yang, H.J., Castro, B., Chiang, S., Toro, C.S., Zaldivar, M., Contreras, I.,Andrews-Polymenis, H.L.**, and Carlos A. Santiviago**. (2010) Contribution of the Type VI Secretion System encoded in SPI-19 to chicken colonization by Salmonella enterica serotypes Gallinarum and Enteritidis. PLoS One 5(7): e11724. Doi:10.1371. PMCID: PMC2908676
  • Reynolds, M.M., Canals, R. McClelland, M., and H.L., Andrews-Polymenis (2011) High-Throughput Screening to Determine the Genetic Requirements for Salmonella Survival under different Growth Conditions. In ' Salmonella- from genome to function' Ed. Steffen Porwollik (Horizon Press) 2010.
  • Canals, R., McClelland, M., Santiviago, C.A., and H.L. Andrews-Polymenis (2010) Genomics of Salmonella ssp. In 'Genomics of Foodborne Pathogens'. Ed. Wei Zhang & Martin Wiedmann, (Springer) 2010.
  • Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Baumler, A.J., McCormick, B.A., and F. Fang (2010) Taming the Elephant: Frontiers in Salmonella Biology, Pathogenesis and Prevention. Infection and Immunity. 78(6) p. 2356-2369. PMCID: PMC2876576
  • Santiviago, C.A., Blondel, C.L., Quezada, C.P., Silva, C.A., Tobar, P.M., Porwollik, S., McClelland, M., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Toro, C.S., Zaldivar, M., and I. Contreras (2010) Spontaneous excision of the Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis-specific defective prophage-like element ΦSE14. J. Bacteriology, 192(8), 2246-2254 . PMCID: PMC2698986
  • Nunes, J.S., Lawhon, S.D., Rossetti, C.A., Khare, S., Figueiredo, J.F., Gull, T., Burghardt, R.C., Baumler, A.J., Tsolis, R.M., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., and L.G. Adams (2010) Morphologic and Cytokine Profile Characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium Infection in Calves with Bovine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency. Veterinary Pathology, 47(2) 322-333. PMCID: PMC2848297
  • Santiviago, C.A.*, Reynolds, M*. Porwollik, S., Choi, S.H., Long, F. Andrews-Polymenis, H.**, and M. McClelland** (2009) Analysis of pools of targeted Salmonella deletion mutants identifies novel genes affecting fitness during competitive infection in mice. PLOS Pathogens, 5(7): e1000477. PMCID: PMC2698986 *Co-First,**Co-Corresponding
  • Katribe, E., Bogomolnaya, L.M., Wingert, H. and H. Andrews-Polymenis (2009) Subspecies IIIa and IIIb Salmonellae colonize the intestine poorly in murine models of infection. Journal of Bacteriology 191 (8) 2843-2850. PMCID: PMC2668413
  • Andrews-Polymenis, H.L.*, Santiviago, C. and M. McClelland (2009) Novel Genetic Tools for Studying Food Borne Salmonella. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 20, 1-9. PMCID: PMC2762399
  • Sivula, C.P., Bogomolnaya, L.B., and H.L. Andrews-Polymenis (2008) A Comparison of Cecal Colonization of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in White Leghorn Chicks and Salmonella-resistant Mice. BMC Microbiology, 8, 182. PMCID: PMC2596157
  • Bogomolnaya, L.M., Santiviago, C.A., Yang, H.J., Baumler, A.J., and H. L. Andrews-Polymenis (2008) 'Form Variation' of the O12 antigen is critical for persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium in the Murine Intestine. Mol. Microbiology, 70(5), 1105-1119.
  • Lenz, L.L. and H. Andrews-Polymenis. (2008) Silencing the Alarm: insights into the interaction between host and pathogen. EMBO Reports 9, 27-32. PMCID: PMC2246619
  • Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Dorsey, C.,W., Raffatellu, M., and Bäumler. A.J. (2006)'Expression, function, and in vivo identification of Salmonella virulence factors.' In Salmonella Infections: Clinical, Immunological and Molecular Aspects. Ed. Pietro Mastroeni (Cambridge University Press).
  • Andrews-Polymenis, H.L. and Baumler, A.J. 'Salmonella ssp.' In Pathogenomics. Ed. Joerg Hacker and Ulrich Dobrindt, (WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim) 2005.
  • Tukel, C., Raffatellu, M., Humphries, A.D., Wilson, R.P., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Adams, L.G., and Baumler, A.J., (2005) CsgA is a pathogen-associated molecular pattern of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium that is recognized by Toll-like receptor 2. Molecular Microbiology, 58(1), 289-304.
  • Raffatellu, M., Wilson, R.P., Tran, Q.T., Chessa, D., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Lawhon, S.D., Figueiredo, J.F., Adams, L.G., and Baumler, A.J. (2005) Host restriction of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi is not caused by functional alteration of SipA, SopB or SopD. Infection and Immunity, 73(12), 7817-7826. PMCID: PMC1307101
  • Raffatellu, M., Wilson, R.P., Chessa, D., Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Tran, Q.T., Lawhon, S., Khare, S. Adams, L.G., and Bäumler, A.J. (2005) SipA, SopA, SopB, SopD, and SopE2 contribute to Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium invasion of epithelial cells. Infection and Immunity 73(1): 1-9. PMCID: PMC538951
  • Andrews-Polymenis, H.L., Rabsch, W., Porwollik, S., McClelland, M., Rosetti, C., Adams, L.G., and Bäumler, A.J.(2004) Host restriction of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium pigeon isolates does not correlate with loss of discrete genes. Journal of Bacteriology 186(9): 2619-2628. PMCID: PMC387805
  • Zhang, S., Kingsley, R.A., Santos, R.L., Andrews-Polymenis, H., Raffatellu, M., Figueiredo, J., Nunes, J., Tsolis, R.M., Adams, L.G., and Bäumler, A.J. (2003) Molecular Pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium-Induced Diarrhea. Infection and Immunity 71(1): 1-12. PMCID: PMC143292
  • Rabsch, W., Andrews, H.L., Kingsley, R.A., Prager, R., Tschaepe, H., Adams, L.G., and A. Bäumler, (2002) Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and its host adapted variants. Infection and Immunity 70: 2249-2255. PMCID: PMC127920
  • Watarai, M.*, Andrews, H.L.*, and Isberg, R. R., (2001) Formation of a fibrous structure on the surface of Legionella pneumophila associated with exposure of DotH and DotO proteins after intracellular growth. Molecular Microbiology 39(2): 313-329. PMID: 11136453
    *The first two authors contributed equally to this work.
  • Vogel, J.P., Andrews, H.L., Wong, S.K., and Isberg, R.R. (1998) Conjugative transfer by the virulence system of Legionella pneumophila. Science 279: 873-876. PMID: 9452389
  • Andrews, H.L., Vogel, J.P., and Isberg, R.R. (1998) Identification of linked genes of Legionella pneumophila essential for intracellular growth and evasion of the endocytic pathway. Infection and Immunity 66(3): 950-958. PMCID: PMC108001
  • Kirby, J.E., Vogel, J.P., Andrews, H.L., and Isberg, R.R. (1998) Evidence for pore forming ability by L. pneumophila. Molecular Microbiology 27(2): 323-336. PMID: 9484888
  • Wang, J., Andrews, H., and Thukral, V., (1992) Presynaptic glutamate receptors regulate noradrenaline release from isolated nerve terminals. J. Neurochemistry 58(1): 204-211.

Lab Members

Senior Personnel

  • Dr. Lydia Bogomolnaya, PhD, Assistant Professor for Research
  • Dr. Jyotsana Gupta, PhD, Associate Research Scientist
  • Dr. Callie Kobayashi, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • Ms. Marissa Talamantes, Research Technician

Graduate Students

  • Ms. Kristin Scoggin (Co-mentored with David Threadgill)
  • Mr. Aravindh Nagarajan (rotating)

Undergraduate Students

  • Christopher Bowden (BIMS program TAMU)
  • Yara Mohammed (Biomedical Engineering TAMU)
  • Sandhiya Ravichandran (Biology program TAMU)
  • Kaya O’Connor (Biomedical Engineering program TAMU)
  • Connor Mathis (TAMU Undergrad)
  • Christy Koufteros (Genetics program TAMU)

Graduate Students:

  • Dr. Christine Sivula, DVM, MA
  • Dr. Mollie Megan Reynolds, PhD
  • Hee-Jeong Yang - PhD
  • Tiana Endicott- MD, PhD
  • Dr. Johanna Elfenbein DVM, - PhD
  • (Current Position: Assistant Professor, NC State)

Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Dr. Yi Zheng (Former Postdoc)
  • Dr. Jinbai Guo (Former Postdoc)