Leonard D. Pearson
Professor

Phone: 491-6179
Fax: 491-0603
Email: Leonard.Pearson@colostate.edu
Office: 212 Pathology Building

 

Degrees

• B.S., Colorado State University, 1964
• D.V.M., Colorado State University, 1966
• Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1970

Board Certifications

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (Bacteriology, Mycology, Virology & Immunology), 1977

Research Interests

• SARS Coronavirus: Inhibition of Entry. The PI for this NIAID–sponsored Program Project (2005-2009) is Dr. Kathryn Holmes (Univ. CO Health Sciences Center). Cooperating institutions include Colorado State University , State University of New York, and the National Jewish Hospital. Dr. Pearson is director of Core B: Virus Propagation, Inoculation. Specific Aims for Core B: (1) Propagation, titration and purification of SARS–CoV. (2) Assay antibody–mediated detection of virus infection in cells by viral cytopathic effects, immunofluoresence, immunocytochemistry or FACS bioanalyzer. (3) Assay antibody–mediated inhibition of binding or infection of live virus with permissive host cells. (4) Assay viral S peptide–mediated inhibition of binding or infection of live virus with permissive host cells. (5) Prepare tissues (e.g. brush border membranes) from a variety of species for binding studies with SARS–CoV. (6) Extract SARS–CoV RNA to aid cloning of receptor cDNA. (7) Test anti–viral drugs or vaccines that target SARS–CoV receptor interactions in animals. Dr. Eric Mossel is performing BSL3 work on a project in collaboration with Dr. Robert Mason of the National Jewish Hospital in which we are analyzing the replication of SARS –CoV in primary human type 1–like and type II alveolar cells.
• A related College Research Council funded project: "Does Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 of Domestic Pigs, Cattle and Sheep Serve as a Receptor for Human SARS Coronavirus Infection?" is part of the research being conducted by Tshidi Tsibane.
• Development of Attenuated Strains of Salmonella abortus ovis, S. dublin, and S. typhimurium by Host Specific Neutrophil Adaptation. This project is being conducted with Dr. Ted Kramer, Special Appointment Professor of the MIP Dept. We are seeking to attenuate salmonellae by serial passage in neutrophils of sheep, cattle and pigs so they can be used as oral vaccines. Two veterinary students, Kelly Walsh and Jon Morrow, are working part-time on this project.

Selected Publications

• Limesand, K.H., S. Higgs, L.D. Pearson, B.J. Beaty. (2003). Effect of mosquito salivary gland treatment on vesicular stomatitis New Jersey replication and interferon alpha/beta expression in vitro. J. Medical Entomology. 40:199-205.
• Limesand, K.H., S. Higgs, L.D. Pearson, B.J. Beaty. (2000). Potentiation of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus infection in mice by mosquito saliva. Parasite Immunology. 22:461-467.
• Brodie, S.J., W.C. Wilson, P.M. O'Hearn, D. Muthui, K. Diem, and L.D. Pearson. (1998). The effects of pharmacological and lentivirus-induced immune suppression on orbivirus pathogenesis: Assessment of virus burden in blood monocytes and tissues by reverse transcription In Situ PCR. J. Virology. 72:5599-5609
• Brodie, S.J., W.C. Wilson, P.M. O'Hearn, D. Muthui, K. Diem, and L.D. Pearson. (1998). The effects of pharmacological and lentivirus-induced immune suppression on orbivirus pathogenesis: Assessment of virus burden in blood monocytes and tissues by reverse transcription In-Situ PCR. J. Virology. 72:5599-5609.
• Brodie, S.J., L.D. Pearson, M.C. Zink, H.M. Bickle, B.C. Anderson, K.A. Marcom, and J.C. DeMartini. 1995. Ovine lentivirus expression and disease: Virus replication, but not entry, is restricted to macrophages of specific tissues. American Journal of Pathology. 146:250-263.
• Hohenhaus, M.A., I.J. East, C.H. Eisemann, L.D. Pearson, P.G. Douch, R.S. Green, and P.M. Outteridge. 1995. Variation in immune responsiveness of sheep to the antigens of intestinal nematodes and blowfly larvae. International Journal of Parasitology. 25:629-636.
• Chung, C-S., L.D. Pearson, V.K. Ayers, and J.K. Collins. 1994. Monoclonal antibodies that distinguish between encephalitogenic bovine herpesvirus type 1.3 and respiratory bovine herpesvirus type 1.1. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 1:83-88
• Pearson, L.D. and P. Roy. 1993. Genetically engineered multi-component virus-like particles as veterinary vaccines. Immunology and Cell Biology 71:381-389.
• Brodie, S.J., L.D. Pearson, G.D. Snowder, and J.C. DeMartini. 1993. Host-virus interaction as defined by amplification of viral DNA and serology in lentivirus-infected sheep. Archives of Virology 130:413-428
• Brodie, S.J., K.A. Marcom, L.D. Pearson, B.C. Anderson, A. de la Concha-Bermejillo, J. A. Ellis, and J. C. DeMartini. 1992. Effects of virus load in the pathogenesis of lentivirus-induced lymphoid interstitial pneumonia. Journal of Infectious Diseases 166:531-541.
• Marcom, K.A., S.J. Brodie, L.D. Pearson, and J.C. DeMartini. 1992. Analysis of ovine lentivirus infectivity and replication by using a focal immunoassay and an antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 30:2852-2858.
• Pearson, L.D., M.L. Poss, and J.C. DeMartini. 1989. Animal lentivirus vaccines: Problems and prospects. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 20:183-212