Ronald L. Thune
Professor of Aquatic Animal Health
Professor of Veterinary Science
Pathobiological Sciences Department Head
Laboratory:
Aquatic Animal Medicine
Phone: 225-578-9680
Fax: 225-578-9701
thune@vetmed.lsu.edu
|
 |
Education:
B.S. Colorado State University • M.S. Western Illinois University • Ph.D. Auburn University
Dr. Thune assumed his present position as head of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in December, 2000. Prior to assuming his present position, Dr. Thune had been jointly appointed with the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology in the School of Veterinary Medicine and with the Department of Veterinary Science in the LSU Agricultural Center for 20 years. Dr. Thune is certified as a Fish Pathologist by the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society. He established and directs the Louisiana Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which provides diagnostic services to state fisheries biologists, state research projects and aquaculturists nationwide. Accessions to the diagnostic laboratory supply a constant source of specimens for research and teaching in aquatic animal diseases and provide an opportunity for students to obtain clinical experience. Dr. Thune teaches graduate courses in aquatic animal diseases and pathogenic bacteriology, and is coordinator and instructor for 'Aquamed', an annual month-long course on aquatic animal health offered by the Gulf States Consortium for Aquatic Pathobiology. Dr. Thune is actively involved in the Fish Health Section of the American Fisheries Society, having recently served as President. He has served as editor of the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society for 8 years and participates in the Multidisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease.
Research Interests
Dr. Ron Thune conducts research and directs graduate student research on
infectious diseases of aquatic animals, particularly Edwardsiella
ictaluri in the channel catfish and Photobacterium damselae sub
piscicida in hybrid striped bass. This work uses modern molecular
genetic approaches to study pathogen host interactions, with an emphasis
on bacterial pathogenesis and protective vaccine development. He has
recently completed studies to establish the intracellular nature of E.
ictaluri and P. damselae sub piscicida, to identify
virulence factors associated with their ability to enter and replicate in
host cells, to evaluate antigen delivery systems for channel catfish
immunization programs, and to develop a DNA vaccine for channel catfish
virus, In previous research, work was conducted to develop specialized
media for pathogen growth and to characterize possible virulence factors
for Streptococcus iniae.
Selected Publications
Moore, M. M. and R. L. Thune. 1999. Evaluation of the expression of immunogenic and non-immunogenic proteins of Edwardsiella ictaluri under different growth conditions using mini-two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 11:262-274.
Thune, R. L, D. Fernandez, and J. Battista. 1999. An aroA mutant of Edwardsiella ictaluri is safe and efficacious as a live, attenuated vaccine. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 11:358-372.
Fernandez, D.H, L. Pittman-Cooley, and R. L. Thune. 2001. Sequencing and analysis of the Edwardsiella ictaluri plasmids. Plasmid. 45:52-56.
Maurer, K. J., Lawrence, M. L., Fernandez, D. H., and Thune, R. L. 2001. Evaluation and optimization of a DNA transfer system for Edwardsiella ictaluri. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 13(2):31-35.
Moore, M. M. and R. L. Thune. 2002. Cloning and characterization of antigenic Edwardsiella ictaluri proteins and evaluation of their protective capabilities in channel catfish. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 52(2):93-107.
Elkamel, A. A., J. P. Hawke, W. Henk, and R. L. Thune. 2003. Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida is capable of replicating in hybrid striped bass macrophages. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 15:175-183.
Elkamel, A. A. and R. L. Thune. 2003. Invasion and replication of Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida in fish cell lines. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 15:167-174.
Thune, R. L., J. P. Hawke and D. H. Fernandez. 2003. An efficacious vaccine for Photobacterium damsela subsp. piscicida. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 57:51-58.
Hawke, J. P., R. L. Thune and R. K. Cooper. 2003. Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida from hybrid striped bass in Louisiana, USA. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 15(3):189-201.
Plant K. P. and R. L. Thune. 2004 Cloning and characterization of a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Mx gene. Fish and Shellfish Immunology. 16(3):391-405.
Plant K. P. , H. Harbottle, R. L. Thune. 2005. Poly IC induces an antiviral state against Ictalurid herpesvirus 1 and Mx transcription in the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Developmental and Comparative Immunology. 29(7):627-635.
Harbottle, H., K. P. Plant, R. L. Thune. 2005. DNA vaccination against channel catfish virus (CCV) is not efficacious although immune responses are elicited. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 17(3):251-262.
Booth, N. A. El Kamel, and R. L. Thune. 2006. Intracellular replication of Edwardsiella ictaluri in channel catfish macrophages. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 18:101-108.
|
