# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# overview
Jon Skare is Regents Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology in the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University. He has been a faculty member at Texas A&M since 1996 and has led a research laboratory centered around the pathogenic mechanisms operative in Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal bacterium that causes Lyme disease. He has published over 50 peer reviewed manuscript, reviews, and book chapters and been funded continuously by the NIH since 1999 with over $20 million dollars in total costs. Dr. Skare has trained ten graduate students, sixteen postdoctoral fellows, and numerous undergraduate students in his research group during his time at Texas A&M. The majority of his postdoctoral trainees and students have gone on to hold academic or industry positions in the medical sciences.

Research interests are focused on microbial pathogenesis with an emphasis in spirochetal infections, particularly Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. Broad training in the molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry of prokaryotic systems is employed to answer research-related questions. Long-term interests in the lab are centered on understanding how B. burgdorferi promotes its pathogenic potential and persists in the disparate hosts it occupies in nature (e.g., both ticks and mammals). In this regard, the research program is aligned with: (i) regulatory pathways that contribute to the establishment of infection during the arthropod to mammalian transition; (ii) identifying and characterizing surface structures that contribute to the colonization and maintenance of infection via adherence mechanisms; and (iii) the ability of B. burgdorferi and relapsing fever Borrelia to persistently infect hosts in the face of a potent innate and adaptive immune response.

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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2.2 Factors Relating To The Physical Environment

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1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of California, Irvine - (Irvine, California, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Washington State University - (Pullman, Washington, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of California Los Angeles - (Los Angeles, California, United States)

# awardsAndHonors[].label
College of Medicine, Research Excellence Award, Senior Division

# publications[].label
Analysis of mechanisms associated with loss of infectivity of clonal populations of Borrelia burgdorferi B31MI.

# publications[].label
The BBA33 lipoprotein binds collagen and impacts Borrelia burgdorferi pathogenesis.

# publications[].label
The Oms66 (p66) protein is a Borrelia burgdorferi porin.

# publications[].label
The BB0646 protein demonstrates lipase and haemolytic activity associated with Borrelia burgdorferi, the aetiological agent of Lyme disease.

# publications[].label
Recombinant Treponema pallidum rare outer membrane protein 1 (Tromp1) expressed in Escherichia coli has porin activity and surface antigenic exposure.

# publications[].label
BB0744 Affects Tissue Tropism and Spatial Distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Cloning and molecular characterization of plasmid-encoded antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Genome-wide screen identifies novel genes required for Borrelia burgdorferi survival in its Ixodes tick vector.

# publications[].label
A structural basis for inhibition of the complement initiator protease C1r by Lyme disease spirochetes

# publications[].label
VraA (BBI16) protein of Borrelia burgdorferi is a surface-exposed antigen with a repetitive motif that confers partial protection against experimental Lyme borreliosis.

# publications[].label
Conformational dynamics of complement protease C1r inhibitor proteins from Lyme disease- and relapsing fever-causing spirochetes.

# publications[].label
"Conformational dynamics of C1r inhibitor proteins from Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes".

# publications[].label
Isolation of the outer membranes from Treponema pallidum and Treponema vincentii.

# publications[].label
Virulent strain associated outer membrane proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].publisher
American Society for Clinical Investigation

# publications[].label
A high-throughput genetic screen identifies previously uncharacterized Borrelia burgdorferi genes important for resistance against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.

# publications[].label
Rabbit model of Lyme borreliosis: erythema migrans, infection-derived immunity, and identification of Borrelia burgdorferi proteins associated with virulence and protective immunity.

# publications[].publisher
American Society for Clinical Investigation

# publications[].label
Staphylococcus epidermidis ST2 strains associated with bloodstream infections contain a unique mobile genetic element encoding a plasmin inhibitor.

# publications[].label
In Vivo Imaging Demonstrates That Borrelia burgdorferi ospC Is Uniquely Expressed Temporally and Spatially throughout Experimental Infection.

# publications[].label
Escherichia coli TonB protein is exported from the cytoplasm without proteolytic cleavage of its amino terminus.

# publications[].label
Transcriptional profiling of Borrelia burgdorferi containing a unique bosR allele identifies a putative oxidative stress regulon.

# publications[].label
Structural determination of the complement inhibitory domain of Borrelia burgdorferi BBK32 provides insight into classical pathway complement evasion by Lyme disease spirochetes.

# publications[].label
Dissolved oxygen levels alter gene expression and antigen profiles in Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Role of the TonB amino terminus in energy transduction between membranes.

# publications[].label
Characterization of a conditional bosR mutant in Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Borrelia burgdorferi alters its gene expression and antigenic profile in response to CO2 levels.

# publications[].label
Energy transduction between membranes. TonB, a cytoplasmic membrane protein, can be chemically cross-linked in vivo to the outer membrane receptor FepA.

# publications[].label
Invasion of eukaryotic cells by Borrelia burgdorferi requires (1) integrins and Src kinase activity.

# publications[].label
Borrelia miyamotoi FbpA and FbpB Are Immunomodulatory Outer Surface Lipoproteins With Distinct Structures and Functions.

# publications[].label
Decreased infectivity in Borrelia burgdorferi strain B31 is associated with loss of linear plasmid 25 or 28-1.

# publications[].label
A Structural Basis for Inhibition of the Complement Initiator Protease C1r by Lyme Disease Spirochetes.

# publications[].label
Detection of Bioluminescent Borrelia burgdorferi from In Vitro Cultivation and During Murine Infection.

# publications[].label
Borrelia burgdorferi BBK32 Inhibits the Classical Pathway by Blocking Activation of the C1 Complement Complex.

# publications[].label
Sequence analysis and characterization of a 40-kilodalton Borrelia hermsii glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase homolog.

# publications[].label
Vascular binding of a pathogen under shear force through mechanistically distinct sequential interactions with host macromolecules.

# publications[].label
Porin activity of the native and recombinant outer membrane protein Oms28 of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Comparison of protection in rabbits against host-adapted and cultivated Borrelia burgdorferi following infection-derived immunity or immunization with outer membrane vesicles or outer surface protein A.

# publications[].label
Isolation and characterization of the outer membrane of Borrelia hermsii.

# publications[].label
Bioluminescent imaging of Borrelia burgdorferi in vivo demonstrates that the fibronectin-binding protein BBK32 is required for optimal infectivity.

# publications[].label
Minimal role for the alternative pathway in complement activation by HIT immune complexes.

# publications[].label
Structure-function analysis of immunomodulatory lipoproteins from Borrelia miyamotoi

# publications[].label
The Intergenic Small Non-Coding RNA ittA is Required for Optimal Infectivity and Tissue Tropism in Borrelia burgdorferi

# publications[].label
Profiling of temperature-induced changes in Borrelia burgdorferi gene expression by using whole genome arrays.

# publications[].label
Identification of TonB homologs in the family Enterobacteriaceae and evidence for conservation of TonB-dependent energy transduction complexes.

# publications[].label
Borrelia burgdorferi gene expression profiling with membrane-based arrays.

# publications[].label
The BosR regulatory protein of Borrelia burgdorferi interfaces with the RpoS regulatory pathway and modulates both the oxidative stress response and pathogenic properties of the Lyme disease spirochete.

# publications[].label
Biomechanics of Borrelia burgdorferi Vascular Interactions.

# publications[].label
A conservative amino acid change alters the function of BosR, the redox regulator of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
A mutation in the amino terminus of a hybrid TrpC-TonB protein relieves overproduction lethality and results in cytoplasmic accumulation.

# publications[].label
The absence of linear plasmid 25 or 28-1 of Borrelia burgdorferi dramatically alters the kinetics of experimental infection via distinct mechanisms.

# publications[].label
Minimal Role for the Alternative Pathway in Complement Activation By HIT Immune Complexes

# publications[].label
A novel fibronectin binding motif in MSCRAMMs targets F3 modules.

# publications[].label
A 9.0-kilobase-pair circular plasmid of Borrelia burgdorferi encodes an exported protein: evidence for expression only during infection.

# publications[].label
Borrelia burgdorferi lacking DbpBA exhibits an early survival defect during experimental infection.

# publications[].label
Evidence for a TonB-dependent energy transduction complex in Escherichia coli.

# publications[].label
The dual activity of BBK32: Implications for simultaneous inhibition of borrelial-specific antibody-dependent complement activation and fibronectin binding

# publications[].label
Genetic transformation of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
Complement Evasion by Lyme Disease Spirochetes.

# publications[].label
The Classical Complement Pathway Is Required to Control Borrelia burgdorferi Levels During Experimental Infection.

# publications[].label
Inactivation of the fibronectin-binding adhesin gene bbk32 significantly attenuates the infectivity potential of Borrelia burgdorferi.

# publications[].label
The intergenic small non-coding RNA ittA is required for optimal infectivity and tissue tropism in Borrelia burgdorferi.

# researcherOn[].label
Surface Proteins and Spirochetal Infections

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
An Intracelluar Niche for Borrelia burgdorferi

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Host Spirochete Interactions in Lyme Disease

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Classical Complement Pathway Evasion Mechanisms of Lyme Disease Spirochetes

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
The Role of Small Non-coding RNA in Borrelial Pathogenesis

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Virulence Mechanisms of Multifunctional Borrelial Proteins (Skare, Jon)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Geneitc Mechanisms in Borrelia burgdorferi Pathogenesis

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Coping with Stress: Next Generation Approaches to Borrelia burgdorferi Host Adaptation

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
A New Mammalian-Specific Function for OspC in Lyme Borreliosis

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Virulence Mechanisms of Multifunctional Borrelial Proteins

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Collagen Binding as a Virulence Mechanism in Lyme Borreliosis

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Characterization of Virulent Strain Associated and in vivo Expressed Antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
American Heart Association - (New York, New York, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
A novel antimicrobial resistance mechanism for Borrelia burgdorferi

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Regulatory Pathways in Borrelial Pathogenesis

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# streetAddress
Texas A&M Health Science Center; Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology; 1359 TAMUS

# organizations[]
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# schools[]
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# etdChairOf[].label
Zhi, Hui (2016-08). Deciphering Novel Functions of Borrelia Burgdorferi Surface Proteins and Their Potential Roles in Borrelial Pathogenesis. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Medina, Diana Natalie (2019-12). Characterization of Novel Small Regulatory RNAs In Borrelia burgdorferi and Their Role in Lyme Disease Pathogenesis. Doctoral Dissertation.

# etdChairOf[].label
Powell, Alexandra Daniela (2023-05). Inhibition of the Complement Classical Pathway as an Immune Evasion and Survival Technique Across Borrelia Species. Doctoral Dissertation.