Associate Physician
Brigham and Women's Hospital

cashbaugh@channing.harvard.edu

Our laboratory is interested in the pathogenesis of group A streptococcal infection. A major focus of the laboratory is the derivation of isogenic group A streptococcal mutants deficient in postulated virulence factors and characterization of the mutant phenotype in animal models of human pharyngeal colonization and invasive soft-tissue infection. Recent results of this work have demonstrated the importance of two group A streptococcal cell surface components, the hyaluronic acid capsule and M protein, in both pharyngeal colonization and necrotizing soft-tissue infection. A second focus of the laboratory is characterization of the group A streptococcal hyaluronan synthase, the enzyme that synthesizes the capsular polysaccharide.

Selected Publications

Ashbaugh CD, Wessels MR. Identification of a gene similar to ABC transporters near the capsule synthesis region of the group A streptococcal chromosome. In: Ferretti JJ,. Gilmore MS, Klaenhammer TR, Brown D eds. Genetics of streptococci, enterococci and lactococci. Dev Biol Stand. Basel:Karger 1995;85:231-235. [abstract]

Ashbaugh CD, Wessels MR. Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of the group A streptococcal guaB gene encoding inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase. Gene 1995;165:57-60. [abstract]

Alberti SA, Ashbaugh CD, Wessels MR. Structure of the has operon promoter and regulation of hyaluronic acid capsule expression in group A Streptococcus. Mol Microbiol 1998;28:343-353. [abstract]

Ashbaugh CD, Warren HB, Carey VJ, Wessels MR. Molecular analysis of the role of the group A streptococcal cysteine protease, hyaluronic acid capsule, and M protein in a murine model of human invasive soft-tissue infection. J Clin Invest 1998;102:550-560. [abstract]

Ashbaugh CD, Wessels MR. Molecular analysis of the capsule gene region of group a Streptococcus: the hasAB genes are sufficient for capsule expression. J Bacteriol 1998;180:4955-4959. [abstract]