
Prof. Dr. Ilse Denise Jacobsen
Microbial Immunology
Phone: +49 3641 532-1223 Fax: +49 3641 532-0810 Email: ilse.jacobsen@leibniz-hki.de
- Immunology and infection biology of pathogenic fungi
- In vivo and ex vivo infection models
- Mucosal pathogen-host-interaction
Professional Career
since 2014 | Professor for Microbial Immunology, FSU Jena |
since 2013 | Head of the research group "Microbial Immunology", HKI Jena |
2013 | Habilitation and Venia legendi in microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena |
2007-2013 | Head of the working group "Infection Models" within the department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, HKI Jena, Deputy Supervisor |
2007 | Veterinary surgeon specialising in microbiology |
2005-2007 | Research assistant (postdoc) at the Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, within the SFB 587 (immune reaction of the lungs in case of infection and allergy, project A4) |
2002-2005 | PhD studies at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, project: "molecular mechanisms of the adaptation of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae to the respiratory tract of pigs" (DFG Research Training Group 745: Mucosal host-pathogen-interaction), PhD degree summa cum laude |
2001 | Veterinary license |
1995-2001 | Studies in veterinary medicine in Hanover and Pretoria, South Africa |
Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities
since 2013 | Note taker within the specialist group "eukaryotic pathogens", Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM) |
2013 | Co-organiser FEBS Advanced Practical Course "state-of-the-art infection models for human pathogenic fungi" |
since 2012 | Academic editor for PLoS One and Medical Mycology Case Reports |
2010-2013 | Deputy member of the advisory panel in accordance with § 15 clause 1 Animal Welfare Act, Thuringia |
2007 | Partial fellowship for taking part in the course molecular mycology: current approaches to fungal pathogenesis, Woods Hole, USA |
2005 | Award in veterinary medicine from the Kurt-Alten-Foundation for the best PhD-thesis |
2001-2004 | Fellow at the DFG’s research training group 745 |
2000 | Full fellowship (The Wellcome Trust) at the summer school: fundamentals of veterinary science, University of Cambridge, UK |
1998 | Awards from the H. Wilhelm Schaumann Stiftung zu Hamburg for the best student achievements |
1995-2001 | Fellow at the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes |
(2021) Significant differences in host-pathogen interactions between murine and human whole blood. Front Immunol , Details Open Access
(2020) Multiplex genetic engineering exploiting pyrimidine salvage pathway-based endogenous counterselectable markers. mBio 11(2), e00230-20. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) The impact of the Fungus-Host-Microbiota interplay upon Candida albicans infections: current knowledge and new perspectives. FEMS Microbiol Rev [Epub ahead of print] Details PubMed
(2020) Clinical Candida albicans vaginal isolates and a laboratory strain show divergent behaviors during macrophage interactions. mSphere 5(4), e00393-20. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Immune modulation by complement receptor 3-dependent human monocyte TGF-ß1-transporting vesicles. Nat Commun 11(1), 2331. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Proteome analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids reveals host and fungal proteins highly expressed during invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in mice and humans. Virulence 11(1), 1337-1351. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Salt generates antiinflammatory Th17 cells but amplifies pathogenicity in proinflammatory cytokine microenvironments. J Clin Invest 130(9), 4587-4600. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Ahr1 and Tup1 contribute to the transcriptional control of virulence-associated genes in Candida albicans. mBio 11(2), e00206-20. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Fungal biotin homeostasis is essential for immune evasion after macrophage phagocytosis and virulence. Cell Microbiol 22(7), e13197. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Dynamic interplay of host and pathogens in an avian whole blood model. Front Immunol 11, 500. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2020) Active neutrophil responses counteract Candida albicans burn wound infection of ex vivo human skin explants. Sci Rep 10(1), 21818. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2019) Safeguard function of PU.1 shapes the inflammatory epigenome of neutrophils. Nat Immunol 20(5), 546-558. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2019) Animal models to study mucormycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 5(2), 27. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2019) Fungal infection strategies. Virulence 10(1), 835-839. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access
(2019) Unaltered fungal burden and ethality in human CEACAM1-transgenic mice during Candida albicans dissemination and systemic infection. Front Microbiol 10, 2703. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2019) Lack of CD45 in FLT3-ITD mice results in a myeloproliferative phenotype, cortical porosity, and ectopic bone formation. Oncogene 38(24), 4773-4787. Details PubMed
(2019) Fungal-bacterial interactions in health and disease. Pathogens 8(2), 70. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2019) A three-dimensional immunocompetent intestine-on-chip model as in vitro platform for functional and microbial interaction studies. Biomaterials 220, 119396. Details PubMed
(2018) Candida albicans-induced epithelial damage mediates translocation through intestinal barriers. mBio 9(3), e00915. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Competition of Candida glabrata against Lactobacillus is Hog1 dependent. Cell Microbiol 20(12), e12943. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Module-detection approaches for the integration of multilevel omics data highlight the comprehensive response of Aspergillus fumigatus to caspofungin. BMC Syst Biol 12(1), 88. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Protein kinase a and high-osmolarity glycerol response pathways cooperatively control cell wall carbohydrate mobilization in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio 9(6), e01952-18. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) The 5' untranslated region of the EFG1 transcript promotes its translation to regulate hyphal morphogenesis in Candida albicans. mSphere 3(4), e00280-18. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Candida: Platelet interaction and platelet activity in vitro. J Innate Immun 11(1), 52-62. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Kallikrein cleaves C3 and activates complement. J Innate Immun 10(2), 94-105. Details PubMed Open Access
(2018) Fungi as part of the microbiota and interactions with intestinal bacteria. In: Curr Top Microbiol Immunol (ed.) Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 422, pp. 265-301. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. (Review) Details PubMed
(2018) The secreted Candida albicans protein Pra1 disrupts host defense by broadly targeting and blocking complement C3 and C3 activation fragments. Mol Immunol 93, 266-277. Details PubMed
(2018) Monitoring of fluconazole and caspofungin activity against in vivo Candida glabrata biofilms by bioluminescence imaging. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 63(2), e01555-18. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2018) Farnesol signalling in Candida albicans - more than just communication. Crit Rev Microbiol 44(2), 230-243. (Review) Details PubMed
(2018) Molecular signatures of liver dysfunction are distinct in fungal and bacterial infections in mice. Theranostics 8(14), 3766-3780. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2018) Fungal infections in animals: a patchwork of different situations. Med Mycol 56(suppl_1), 165-187. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2018) Editorial: Immunity to human fungal pathogens: Mechanisms of host recognition, protection, pathology, and fungal interference. Front Immunol 9, 2337. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2018) Reply to kang and brooks: Comment on the interpretation of binding of Pra1, the fungal immune evasion protein from Candida albicans to the human C3 and on the conformational changes of C3 upon activation: Kang and brooks optimization of biolayer-interfero. Mol Immunol 101, 638-639. Details PubMed
(2017) IL-10 overexpression predisposes to invasive aspergillosis by suppressing antifungal immunity. J Allergy Clin Immunol 140(3), 867-870.e9. Details PubMed
(2017) Factor H Binds to Extracellular DNA Traps Released from Human Blood Monocytes in Response to Candida albicans. Front Immunol 7, 671. Details PubMed
(2017) Candida albicans morphology: still in focus. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 15(4), 327-330. (Review) Details PubMed Open Access
(2017) Commensal to Pathogen Transition of Candida albicans. In: Elsevier (ed.) Reference Module in Life Sciences 2017 Elsevier. ISBN: 9780128096338. (Review) Details Open Access
(2017) A Flow-assay for Farnesol Removal from Adherent Candida albicans Cultures. Bio-protocol 7(19), e2562. Details Open Access
(2017) Quorum sensing by farnesol revisited. Curr Genet 63(5), 791-797. (Review) Details PubMed
(2017) A functional link between hyphal maintenance and quorum sensing in Candida albicans. Mol Microbiol 103(4), 595-617. Details PubMed
(2017) Ketoacidosis alone does not predispose to mucormycosis by Lichtheimia in a murine pulmonary infection model. Virulence 8(8), 1657-1667. Details PubMed
(2017) Permissiveness of bovine epithelial cells from lung, intestine, placenta and udder for infection with Coxiella burnetii. Vet Res 48(1), 23. Details PubMed
(2016) Enemies and brothers in arms: Candida albicans and gram-positive bacteria. Cell Microbiol 18(12), 1709-1715. (Review) Details PubMed
(2016) A non-canonical melanin biosynthesis pathway protects Aspergillus terreus conidia from environmental stress. Cell Chem Biol 23(5), 587-597. Details PubMed
(2016) Dual-species transcriptional profiling during systemic candidiasis reveals organ-specific host-pathogen interactions. Sci Rep 6, 36055. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2016) SCF Ubiquitin Ligase F-box Protein Fbx15 Controls Nuclear Co-repressor Localization, Stress Response and Virulence of the Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus PLOS Pathog 12(9), e1005899. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2016) The hypoxia-induced dehydrogenase HorA is required for coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis, azole sensitivity and virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus Mol Microbiol 101(1), 92-108. Details PubMed
(2015) Csr1/Zap1 maintains zinc homeostasis and influences virulence in Candida dubliniensis but is not coupled to morphogenesis. Eukaryot Cell 14(7), 661-670. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2015) Of mice, flies - and men? Comparing fungal infection models for large-scale screening efforts. Dis Model Mech (8), 473-486. Details PubMed Open Access PDF
(2015) Neutrophil activation by Candida glabrata but not Candida albicans promotes fungal uptake by monocytes. Cell Microbiol 17(9), 1259-1276. Details PubMed
(2015) Adaptation to thermotolerance in Rhizopus coincides with virulence as revealed by avian and invertebrate infection models, phylogeny, physiological and metabolic flexibility. Virulence 6(4), 395-403. Details PubMed
(2015) Candida survival strategies. Adv Appl Microbiol 91, 139-235. Details PubMed
(2014) One small step for a yeast - Microevolution within macrophages renders Candida glabrata hypervirulent due to a single point mutation. PLOS Pathog 10(10), e1004478. Details PubMed Open Access
(2014) Pathogenicity mechanisms and host response during oral Candida albicans infections. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 12(7), 867-879. (Review) Details PubMed
(2014) Galleria mellonella as a model host to study virulence of Candida. Virulence 5(2), 237-239. Details PubMed
(2014) In vivo imaging of disseminated murine Candida albicans infection reveals unexpected host sites of fungal persistence during antifungal therapy. J Antimicrob Chemother 69(10), 2785-2796. Details PubMed
(2014) NF-κB2/p100 deficiency impairs immune responses to T-cell-independent type 2 antigens. Eur J Immunol 44(3), 662-672. Details PubMed
(2014) Identification of hypoxia-inducible target genes of Aspergillus fumigatus by transcriptome analysis reveals cellular respiration as important contributor to hypoxic survival. Eukaryot Cell 13(9), 1241-1253. Details PubMed
(2014) A family of glutathione peroxidases contributes to oxidative stress resistance in Candida albicans. Med Mycol 52(3), 223-239. Details PubMed
(2014) Candida albicans utilizes a modified β-oxidation pathway for the degradation of toxic propionyl-CoA. J Biol Chem 289(12), 8151-8169. Details PubMed
(2014) Differential role of NK cells against Candida albicans infection in immunocompetent or immunocompromised mice. Eur J Immunol 44(8), 2405-2414. Details PubMed
(2014) The pathogenic potential of the Lichtheimia genus revisited: Lichtheimia brasiliensis is a novel, non-pathogenic species. Mycoses 57(Suppl. 3), 128-131. Details PubMed
(2014) Mucormycoses caused by Lichtheimia species. Mycoses 57(Suppl. 3), 73-78. Details PubMed
(2014) Gene expansion shapes genome architecture in the human pathogen Lichtheimia corymbifera: an evolutionary genomics analysis in the ancient terrestrial Mucorales (Mucoromycotina). PLOS Genetics 10(8), e1004496. Details PubMed Open Access
(2014) Systematic phenotyping of a large-scale Candida glabrata deletion collection reveals novel antifungal tolerance genes. PLOS Pathog 10(6), e1004211. Details PubMed Open Access
(2014) Human natural killer cells acting as phagocytes against Candida albicans and mounting an inflammatory response that modulates neutrophil antifungal activity. J Infect Dis 209(4), 616-626. Details PubMed
(2014) Microevolution of Candida albicans in macrophages restores filamentation in a nonfilamentous mutant. PLOS Genet 10(12), e1004824. Details PubMed Open Access
(2014) Distinct roles of Candida albicans-specific genes in host-pathogen interactions. Eukaryot Cell 13(8), 977-989. Details PubMed
(2013) Factors supporting cysteine tolerance and sulfite production in Candida albicans. Eukaryot Cell 12(4), 604-613. Details PubMed
(2013) Serial passaging of Candida albicans in systemic murine infection suggests that the wild type strain SC5314 is well adapted to the murine kidney. PLOS One 8(5), e64482. Details PubMed Open Access
(2013) Limitation of (1→3)-β-D-glucan monitoring in major elective surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass. Crit Care 17(3), 437. Details PubMed
(2013) Phylogenetic and phenotypic characterisation of the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase gene family from the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. FEMS Yeast Res 13(6), 553-564. Details PubMed
(2012) Distinct intensity of host-pathogen interactions in Chlamydia psittaci- and Chlamydia abortus-infected chicken embryos. Infect Immun 80(9), 2976-2988. Details PubMed
(2012) Candida albicans scavenges host zinc via Pra1 during endothelial invasion. PLOS Pathog 8(6), e1002777. Details PubMed Open Access
(2012) Embryonated chicken eggs as alternative infection model for pathogenic fungi. In: Brand AC, MacCallum DM (eds.) Methods in Molecular Biology. Host-fungus interactions. Methods and Protocols. 845, pp. 487-496. Humana Press (Springer). Details PubMed
(2012) Candida albicans dimorphism as a therapeutic target. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 10(1), 85-93. (Review) Details PubMed
(2012) The novel Candida albicans transporter Dur31 Is a multi-stage pathogenicity factor. PLOS Pathog 8(3), e1002592. Details PubMed
(2012) Small but crucial: the novel small heat shock protein Hsp21 mediates stress adaptation and virulence in Candida albicans. PLOS One 7(6), e38584. Details PubMed
(2012) The two-component sensor kinase TcsC and its role in stress resistance of the human-pathogenic mold Aspergillus fumigatus. PLOS One 7(6), e38262-e38262. Details PubMed
(2012) Direct analysis and identification of pathogenic Lichtheimia species by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight analyzer-mediated mass spectrometry. J Clin Microbiol 50(2), 419-427. Details PubMed
(2012) Lichtheimia species exhibit differences in virulence potential. PLOS One 7(7), e40908. Details PubMed
(2012) Persistence versus escape: Aspergillus terreus and Aspergillus fumigatus employ different strategies during interactions with macrophages. PLOS One 7(2), e31223-e31223. Details PubMed
(2012) Murine infection models for Aspergillus terreus pulmonary aspergillosis reveal long-term persistence of conidia and liver degeneration. J Infect Dis 205(8), 1268-1277. Details PubMed
(2011) Detection of precursor lesions of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in PET-CT in a genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Neoplasia 13(2), 180-186. Details PubMed
(2011) Pathogenesis of Candida albicans infections in the alternative chorio-allantoic membrane chicken embryo model resembles systemic murine infections. PLOS One 6(5), e19741-e19741. Details PubMed
(2011) Pyomelanin formation in Aspergillus fumigatus requires HmgX and the transcriptional activator HmgR but is dispensable for virulence. PLOS One 6(10), e26604. Details PubMed
(2011) The Candida albicans-specific gene EED1 encodes a key regulator of hyphal extension. PLOS One 6(4), e18394. Details PubMed
(2011) Molecular epidemiology and virulence assessment of Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from white stork chicks and their environment. Vet Microbiol 148(2-4), 348-355. Details PubMed
(2011) Fungal species identification from avian lung specimens by single hypha laser microdissection and PCR product sequencing. Med Mycol 49(1), 56-61. Details PubMed
(2011) Secretome analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus reveals Asp-hemolysin as a major secreted protein. Int J Med Microbiol 301(7), 602-611. Details PubMed
(2010) Secreted Aspergillus fumigatus protease Alp1 degrades human complement proteins C3, C4, and C5. Infect Immun 78(8), 3585-3594. Details PubMed
(2010) Heptahelical receptors GprC and GprD of Aspergillus fumigatus are essential regulators of colony growth, hyphal morphogenesis, and virulence. Appl Environ Microbiol 76(12), 3989-3998. Details PubMed
(2010) Candida glabrata persistence in mice does not depend on host immunosuppression and is unaffected by fungal amino acid auxotrophy. Infect Immun 78(3), 1066-1077. Details PubMed
(2010) Embryonated eggs as an alternative infection model to investigate Aspergillus fumigatus virulence. Infect Immun 78(7), 2995-3006. Details PubMed
(2010) Approaching the secrets of N-glycosylation in Aspergillus fumigatus: characterization of the AfOch1 protein. PLOS One 5(12), e15729-e15729. Details PubMed
(2010) Resection of a large intra-abdominal tumor in the Mexican axolotl: a case report. Vet Surg 39(2), 232-233. Details PubMed
(2010) Evaluation of lysine biosynthesis as an antifungal drug target: biochemical characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus homocitrate synthase and virulence studies. Eukaryot Cell 9(6), 878-893. Details PubMed
(2010) HapX-mediated adaption to iron starvation is crucial for virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. PLOS Pathog 6(9), e1001124-e1001124. Details PubMed
(2009) Synthesis and pharmacological activities of some sesquiterpene quinones and hydroquinones. Bioorg Med Chem 17(4), 1422-1427. Details PubMed
(2009) Polyphasic study of plant- and clinic-associated Pantoea agglomerans strains reveals indistinguishable virulence potential. Infect Genet Evol 9(6), 1381-1391. Details PubMed
(2009) Identifying infection-associated genes of Candida albicans in the postgenomic era. FEMS Yeast Res 9(5), 688-700. (Review) Details PubMed
(2008) Molecular characterization of the Aspergillus fumigatus NCS-1 homologue, NcsA. Mol Genet Genomics 280(6), 483-495. Details PubMed
(2008) SreA-mediated iron regulation in Aspergillus fumigatus. Mol Microbiol 70(1), 27-43. Details PubMed
(0) [Study of the virulence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in finishing pigs as a basis for vaccination development]. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr 121(5-6), 189-197. Details PubMed