Skip to main content
Melissa M. Kendall

Melissa M. Kendall

Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology

Primary Location
Pinn Hall 7th floor 7231
Primary Phone Number
Fax Number
434.982.1071

Bio & Overview

Chemical and nutrient signaling are fundamental for all cellular processes, including interactions between the mammalian host and the microbiota, which have a significant impact on health and disease. My lab is interested in understanding how bacterial pathogens exploit chemical and nutrient signaling to precisely regulate virulence gene expression to establish infection and cause disease. Elucidating these processes may enhance our arsenal of tools, such as new therapies or vaccines, to combat infectious diseases.

Academic Information

Department
Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology
Academic Title
Assistant Professor

Primary Education

  • PhD, Environmental Sciences and Resources: Microbiology, Portland State University, 2006

Other Affiliations

  • MSTP
  • Assistant Professor, BIMS
  • BIMS

Research Interests

Bacterial cell signaling, host-pathogen interactions, intestinal pathogens

Research Disciplines

  • Biochemistry
  • Bioinformatics and Genomics
  • Genetics
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases/Biodefense
  • Metabolism
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Physiology

Research Opportunities

  • Biochemistry
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

PhD Programs

  • Microbiology

Selected Publications

2024

Gonyar, L. A., Sauder, A. B., Mortensen, L., Willsey, G. G., & Kendall, M. M. (2024). The yad and yeh fimbrial loci influence gene expression and virulence in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. MSPHERE. doi:10.1128/msphere.00124-24

2022

Kreutzberger, M. A. B., Sobe, R. C., Sauder, A. B., Chatterjee, S., Pena, A., Wang, F., . . . Egelman, E. H. (2022). Flagellin outer domain dimerization modulates motility in pathogenic and soil bacteria from viscous environments. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 13(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-022-29069-y

2021

Sauder, A. B., & Kendall, M. M. (2021). A pathogen-specific sRNA influences enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli fitness and virulence in part by direct interaction with the transcript encoding the ethanolamine utilization regulatory factor EutR. NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 49(19), 10988-11004. doi:10.1093/nar/gkab863

Smallets, S., & Kendall, M. M. (2021). Post-transcriptional regulation in attaching and effacing pathogens: integration of environmental cues and the impact on gene expression and host interactions. CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY, 63, 238-243. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2021.08.003

Kendall, M. M., & Sperandio, V. (2021). Gut microbes regroup to aid defence after infection.. Nature, 592(7852), 29-31. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00642-7

Kendall, M. M., & Sperandio, V. (2021). Gut microbes regroup to aid defence after infection. NATURE, 592(7852), 29-31. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00642-7

2020

Satkovich, J., Anderson, C. J., Medina, C. B., Ottolini, M., Lukens, J. R., & Kendall, M. M. (2020). RIPK3-Dependent Recruitment of Low-Inflammatory Myeloid Cells Does Not Protect from Systemic Salmonella Infection. MBIO, 11(5). doi:10.1128/mBio.02588-20

Rowley, C. A., Sauder, A. B., & Kendall, M. M. (2020). The Ethanolamine-Sensing Transcription Factor EutR Promotes Virulence and Transmission during Citrobacter rodentium Intestinal Infection. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, 88(9). doi:10.1128/IAI.00137-20

Ragland, S. A., Gray, M. C., Melson, E. M., Kendall, M. M., & Criss, A. K. (2020). Effect of Lipidation on the Localization and Activity of a Lysozyme Inhibitor in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 202(8). doi:10.1128/JB.00633-19

2019

Melson, E. M., & Kendall, M. M. (2019). The sRNA DicF integrates oxygen sensing to enhance enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli virulence via distinctive RNA control mechanisms. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 116(28), 14210-14215. doi:10.1073/pnas.1902725116

Rowley, C. A., & Kendall, M. M. (2019). To B12 or not to B12: Five questions on the role of cobalamin in host-microbial interactions. PLOS PATHOGENS, 15(1). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1007479

2018

Rowley, C. A., Anderson, C. J., & Kendall, M. M. (2018). Ethanolamine Influences Human Commensal Escherichia coli Growth, Gene Expression, and Competition with Enterohemorrhagic E-coli O157:H7. MBIO, 9(5). doi:10.1128/mBio.01429-18

Sauder, A. B., & Kendall, M. M. (2018). After the Fact(or): Posttranscriptional Gene Regulation in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 200(19). doi:10.1128/JB.00228-18

Anderson, C. J., Satkovich, J., Koeseoglu, V. K., Agaisse, H., & Kendall, M. M. (2018). The Ethanolamine Permease EutH Promotes Vacuole Adaptation of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes during Macrophage Infection. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, 86(5). doi:10.1128/IAI.00172-18

2017

Santiago, A. E., Yan, M. B., Hazen, T. H., Sauder, B., Meza-Segura, M., Rasko, D. A., . . . Nataro, J. P. (2017). The AraC Negative Regulator family modulates the activity of histone-like proteins in pathogenic bacteria. PLOS PATHOGENS, 13(8). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1006545

Luzader, D. H., Clark, D. E., Gonyar, L. A., & Kendall, M. M. (2017). EutR Is a Direct Regulator of Genes That Contribute to Metabolism and Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (vol 195, pg 4947, 2013). JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 199(14). doi:10.1128/JB.00306-17

Kendall, M. M. (2017). Extra! Extracellular Effector Delivery into Host Cells via the Type 3 Secretion System. MBIO, 8(3). doi:10.1128/mBio.00594-17

Anderson, C. J., & Kendall, M. M. (2017). Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Strategies for Host Adaptation. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 8. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01983

2016

Luzader, D. H., Willsey, G. G., Wargo, M. J., & Kendall, M. M. (2016). The Type Three Secretion System 2-Encoded Regulator EtrB Modulates Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Virulence Gene Expression. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, 84(9), 2555-2565. doi:10.1128/IAI.00407-16

McKenney, E. S., & Kendall, M. M. (2016). Microbiota and pathogen 'pas de deux': setting up and breaking down barriers to intestinal infection. PATHOGENS AND DISEASE, 74(5). doi:10.1093/femspd/ftw051

Santiago, A. E., Yan, M. B., Minh, T., Wright, N., Luzader, D. H., Kendall, M. M., . . . Nataro, J. P. (2016). A large family of anti-activators accompanying XylS/AraC family regulatory proteins. MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, 101(2), 314-332. doi:10.1111/mmi.13392

Kendall, M. M., & Sperandio, V. (2016). What a Dinner Party! Mechanisms and Functions of Interkingdom Signaling in Host-Pathogen Associations. MBIO, 7(2). doi:10.1128/mBio.01748-15

Anderson, C. J., & Kendall, M. M. (2016). Location, location, location. Salmonella senses ethanolamine to gauge distinct host environments and coordinate gene expression. MICROBIAL CELL, 3(2), 89-91. doi:10.15698/mic2016.02.479

Kendall, M. M. (2016). Interkingdom Chemical Signaling in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. MICROBIAL ENDOCRINOLOGY: INTERKINGDOM SIGNALING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND HEALTH, 2ND EDITION, 874, 201-213. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-20215-0_9

2015

Luzader, D. H., & Kendall, M. M. (2016). Commensal 'trail of bread crumbs' provide pathogens with a map to the intestinal landscape. CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY, 29, 68-73. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2015.11.005

Anderson, C. J., Clark, D. E., Adli, M., & Kendall, M. M. (2015). Correction: Ethanolamine Signaling Promotes Salmonella Niche Recognition and Adaptation during Infection.. PLoS pathogens, 11(12), e1005365. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005365

Anderson, C. J., Clark, D. E., Adli, M., & Kendall, M. M. (2015). Ethanolamine Signaling Promotes Salmonella Niche Recognition and Adaptation during Infection. PLOS PATHOGENS, 11(11). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005278

DuVall, J. A., Borba, J. C., Shafagati, N., Luzader, D., Shukla, N., Li, J., . . . Landers, J. P. (2015). Optical Imaging of Paramagnetic Bead-DNA Aggregation Inhibition Allows for Low Copy Number Detection of Infectious Pathogens. PLOS ONE, 10(6). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129830

2014

Kendall, M. M., & Sperandio, V. (2014). Cell-to-cell signaling in E. coli and Salmonella.. EcoSal Plus, 2014.

Kendall, M. M., & Sperandio, V. (2014). Cell-to-Cell Signaling in Escherichia coli and Salmonella.. EcoSal Plus, 6(1). doi:10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0002-2013

2013

Gonyar, L. A., & Kendall, M. M. (2014). Ethanolamine and Choline Promote Expression of Putative and Characterized Fimbriae in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, 82(1), 193-201. doi:10.1128/IAI.00980-13

Luzader, D. H., Clark, D. E., Gonyar, L. A., & Kendall, M. M. (2013). EutR Is a Direct Regulator of Genes That Contribute to Metabolism and Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 195(21), 4947-4953. doi:10.1128/JB.00937-13

2012

Kendall, M. M., Gruber, C. C., Parker, C. T., & Sperandio, V. (2012). Ethanolamine Controls Expression of Genes Encoding Components Involved in Interkingdom Signaling and Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. MBIO, 3(3). doi:10.1128/mBio.00050-12

2011

Kendall, M. M., Gruber, C. C., Rasko, D. A., Hughes, D. T., & Sperandio, V. (2011). Hfq Virulence Regulation in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strain 86-24. JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY, 193(24), 6843-6851. doi:10.1128/JB.06141-11

2010

Kendall, M. M., Rasko, D. A., & Sperandio, V. (2010). The LysR-type regulator QseA regulates both characterized and putative virulence genes in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7. MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, 76(5), 1306-1321. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07174.x