Dr. Saviola joined the faculty of the College of Osteopathic Medicine in April 2002

Courses Taught at Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine

• IDIT
• Neurosensory
• Blood and Lymphatics
• Dermal
• Musculoskeletal
• Respiratory
• Cardiovascular

Research Interests

General focus of Dr. Saviola's laboratory:
Regulation of a Virulence-Associated Acid Response to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The bacterium that causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can sense environmental stresses and resist them in order to survive in the body. Creating an acidic environment is one way the body controls bacterial infection. Bacteria can respond to this defense by altering the activity of many of their genes. I have identified in M. tuberculosis a gene, lipF, that is turned on in response to acid. I am studying the basis of this acid response, and anticipate it will provide the groundwork for the eventual identification of a general mechanism by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis can resist acidic stress. To this end I have defined a minimal DNA region upstream of the lipF gene which is transcriptionally upregulated by acidic stress. In addition, I am investigating a nearby gene, Rv3488, as its gene product binds to the lipF promoter region indicating that it may serve as a transcriptional regulator of acidic stress. Information about how virulent M. tuberculosis can respond to environmental stresses that commonly occur within the host could be used to develop therapies that target these mechanisms and make Mycobacterium tuberculosis more sensitive to the immune system's host defenses.

Grants Awarded

Potts Memorial Foundation
Identification of Mediators of Acid Regulation in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Potts Memorial Foundation
Granulysin upregulated genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

American Lung Association Biomedical Research Grant
A virulence related acid response in M. tuberculosis 07/05-12/07

California Lung Association Research Supplement 07/05-12/07

NIH R03 AI54794
Characterization of an Acid Response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 5/03-5/05

Potts Memorial Foundation
Identification of the plipF Transcriptional Regulator

Heiser Foundation
06/98-06/2000 Adaptation of Recombinase-based in vivo expression technology for use in Mycobacteria

University of Delaware Undergraduate Research Grant

Mills Act Historic Preservation Grant 2003

Selected Publications

• 2008, Gonzales, M. and B. Saviola. Mutational analysis of the -10 region from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipF promoter. In Press Molecular Biology Reports.
• 2007, Richter, L. and B. Saviola. The lipF promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is upregulated specifically by acidic pH but not by other stress conditions. In Press Microbiological Research .
• 2007, Richter, L., Tai, W., Felton, J., and B. Saviola. Determination of the minimal acid-inducible promoter region of the lipF gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Gene 395 22-28.
• 2004, Saviola, B., S., Bishai, W., Method to Intergrate Multiple Plasmids into the Mycobacterial Chromosome. Nucleic Acids Research 2004 Vol 32, No 1, 1-4.
• 2003, Saviola, B., S., and Bishai, W. Isolation of Acid Induced Genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Recombinase-based in vivo Expression Technology. Infection and Immunity. Vol 71, No 3, 1379-1388.
• 2001, Saviola, B. and W. Bishai Mycobacteria- Medical, The Prokaryotes, An online resource, Springer
• 1999, Manabe, Y., Saviola, B., Sun, L., Murphy, J., and Bishai, W., Attenuation of Virulence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Expressing a Constitutively Active Iron Repressor. Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Science 96, 22 12844-12848.
• 1998, Saviola, B., Seabold, R., and Schleif, R.F. DNA bending by AraC- a Negative Mutant. Journal of Bacteriology 180: 16, 4227-32.
• 1998, Saviola, B., Seabold, R. and Schleif, R., Domain-Domain interactions in AraC. Journal of Molecular Biology278, 3, 539-548.
• 1993, Adachi, K., Kim, J.Y., Konitzer, P., Asakura, T., Saviola, B., Surrey, S., Effects of Beta 6 Amino Acid Hydrophobicity on Stability and Solubility of Hemoglobin Tetramers. FEBS Lett 315: 1, 47-50.

2004 Saviola, B.J. and Miller, Laetitia Determination of the minimal region of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipF promoter. AAAS conference, Seattle Washington

2005 Miller, L. and Saviola, B., Identification of the minimal acid inducible promoter region of lipf of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. California State Graduate Student Conference, Los Angeles California.

2005 Saviola, B. and Miller, L., LipF is an Acid Inducible Lipase. Keystone Symposia on Tuberculosis, Whistler British Columbia, Canada

2005 Saviola, B. and Richter, L. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis promoter lipF is induced at a pH encountered in macrophages. US Japan Meeting on Tuberculosis, Seattle Washington.

2008 Beatrice Saviola, Mutational Analysis of the -10 Region of the M. tuberculosis lipF promoter. ASM General Meeting, Boston, MA.

2008 Beatrice Saviola, Acid induced Chromogenicity in Mycobacteria, US-Japan Conference on Tuberculosis and Leprosy, Baltimore, MD.

1995 Saviola, B., and Schleif, R. F. Talk, Interdepartmental Biophysics Meeting

1995 Saviola, B., and Schleif, R.F., Positive Control Mutants in AraC, Abstract, FASEB, Prokaryotic Transcription Meeting, Vermont

2001 Saviola, B Acid induced promoters of M. tuberculosis, George Washington University, District of Columbia

2001 Saviola, B. Acid induced promoters of M. tuberculosis, The Sequella Foundation, Rockville, Maryland

2004 Saviola, B. An acid inducible lipase of M. tuberculosis is involved in virulence. Aizona State University, Tempe Arizona

2005 Saviola, B. An acid inducible lipase of M. tuberculosis is involved in virulence. California State University San Bernadino, San Bernadino California

2006 Saviola, B. Address, Dedication of the Carvel Research Center, University of Delaware, Georgetown Delaware.

2008 Beatrice Saviola. A Virulence Associated Acid Response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Novartis Research Institute. Siena, Italy.

2008 Beatrice Saviola, Chromogenicity in Mycobacteria, Johns Hopkins University Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD.

Selected Honors

1991 National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Fellowship

1991 B.S. Animal Science, magna cum laude, with Distinction, University of Delaware

1991 University of Delaware Senior Scholar

1991 University of Delaware Senior Scholar

1990 American Society of Animal Science Scholarship Award

1988 Alpha Zeta Annual Freshman Award, University of Delaware

1988 Member of Panel of Agricultural Science Scholarship Award

1987 Agricultural Science Full Merit Scholarship, University of Delaware