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James B. MahonyBSc, PhDProfessor

Research Interests

Dr. Mahony’s research interests focus on the pathophysiology of respiratory pathogens including influenza, SARS and coronaviruses and the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae.One of the major focuses of the laboratory is the development of new antimicrobial agents for both respiratory viruses and chlamydiae. Most antimicrobial agents are small molecules and interact with a small number of amino acids of the target protein. The laboratory is developing peptide mimetics that will target protein-protein interactive domains (20-30 aa) that should be refractory to the development of resistance. We have developed a novel influenza inhibitor that blocks viral transcription and are presently testing it against high pathogenicity avian influenza virus. The second major research interest of the laboratory is the characterization of proteins of the type III secretion system of Chlamydia and elucidating how these proteins interact to form the secretion apparatus. The goal is to identify novel drug targets and then develop peptidomimetics that will inhibit protein interaction and type III secretion. We have recently been successful with this approach and have developed inhibitors for type III secretion in C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a major respiratory pathogen) that inhibit bacterial cell invasion.Additional projects in the laboratory include the elucidation of how coronaviruses interfere with the innate immune response in myeloid dendritic cells, identification of host cell proteins controlling West Nile virus infection, and development of improved diagnostic tests for potentially pandemic influenza viruses.

Contact

McMaster University St. Joseph's Healthcaretelephone: 905-521-6021 email: mahonyj@mcmaster.ca

Program Area

Infection & Immunity

Research Focus

Emerging viral infections, Chlamydia vaccine development, Anti-viral therapeutics, Genetic engineering of commensal bacteria to deliver therapeutic proteinsView faculty member's publications on PubMed

Selected Publications

• Chlamydia pneumoniae CopD translocator protein plays a critical role in type III secretion (T3S) and infection. Bulir DC, Waltho DA, Stone CB, Mwawasi KA, Nelson JC, Mahony JB.PLoS One. 2014 Jun 24;9(6):e99315. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099315. eCollection 2014.
• Structural characterization of a novel Chlamydia pneumoniae type III secretion-associated protein, Cpn0803. Stone CB, Sugiman-Marangos S, Bulir DC, Clayden RC, Leighton TL, Slootstra JW, Junop MS, Mahony JB. PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30220. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030220. Epub 2012 Jan 17.
• Molecular diagnosis of respiratory virus infections. Mahony JB, Petrich A, Smieja M.Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2011 Sep-Dec;48(5-6):217-49. doi: 10.3109/10408363.2011.640976. Review.