Education

• B.S. Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis
• M.A. Microbiology, University of California, Davis

Research Interests

Molecular and genetic research in areas of comparative immunology and pathobiology of aquatic organisms such as Atlantic salmon, trout, striped bass, flounder, and oysters.

Current Projects

• Rapid diagnostic and epidemiological studies of mycobacterial disease in striped bass of the Chesapeake Bay
• Investigations of Pax 5 homologue genes in trout: Genes which are vital to B cell lymphocyte development and activation
• Genetic analysis of immunoglobin genes in fish

Selected Publications

• Kaattari, I., Rhodes, M., Kator, H. and S. Kaattari. Accepted. Comparative analysis of mycobacterial infections in wild striped bass (Morone saxatilis) from the Chesapeake Bay. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
• Rhodes, M.W., Kator, H., McNabb, A., Deshayes, C., Reyrat, J.-M., Brown-Elliott, B.A., Wallace Jr. R., Trott, K.A., Parker, J.M., Lifland, B., Osterhout, G., Kaattari, I., Reece, K., Vogelbein, W., and C.A. Ottinger,. Accepted. Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii sp. nov., a slowly growing chromogenic species isolated from Chesapeake Bay striped bass (Morone saxatilis). International Journal of Systematics and Evolutionary Microbiology.
• Kaattari, S.L., Bromage, E.S., and I.M. Kaattari. Accepted. Vaccine design and the analysis of long-lived plasma cell production and regulation. Annual Review of Fish Diseases.
• Bromage, E. S., Kaattari, I.M., Zwollo, P., and S.L. Kaattari. 2004. Plasmablast and plasma cell production and distribution in trout immune tissues. Journal of Immunology 173:7317-7323.
• Bromage, E.S., Ye, J., Owens, L., Kaattari, I.M., and S.L. Kaattari. 2004. Use of Staphylococcal protein A in the analysis of teleost immunoglobulin structural diversity. Developmental and Comparative Immunology. 28:803-814.
• Rhodes, M., Kator, H., Kaattari, I.M., Gauthier, D., Vogelbein, W., and C. Ottinger. 2004. Isolation and characterization of Mycobacterium spp. from striped bass, Morone saxatilis, from the Chesapeake Bay. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 61(1-2):41-51.
• Kaattari, I., Rhodes, M., and H. Kator. Final Report: Mycobacteriosis in striped bass of the Chesapeake Bay: Expansion of studies emphasizing cultural and rapid molecular diagnostic methods to evaluate disease prevalence. Virginia Marine Resource Commission, 11/30/02. Available on-line: http://www.vims.edu/myco/pdfs/VMRC.pdf
• Rhodes, M. W., Kator, H., Kotob, S., van Berkum, P., Kaattari, I., Vogelbein W., Quinn, F., Floyd, M. M., Butler, W. R., and C. Ottinger. 2002. Mycobacterium shottsii sp. nov., a slowly growing species isolated from Chesapeake Bay striped bass (Morone saxatilis). International Journal of Systematics and Evolutionary Microbiology. Published on-line: 8/16/02; to be published March, 2003 (in press).
• Kaattari, S.L., Zhang, H.L., Khor, I.W., Kaattari, I.M., and D.A. Shapiro. 2002. Affinity maturation in trout: clonal dominance of high affinity antibodies late in the immune response. Comp and Dev Immunol, 26(2):191-200.
• Anspach, J., Poulsen G., Kaattari, I., Pollack, R., and P. Zwollo.2001.Reduction in DNA binding activity of the transcription factor Pax-5a in B lymphocytes of aged mice.Journal of Immunology, 166(4):2617-26.
• Rhodes, M., Kator, H., Kotob, S., van Berkum, P., Kaattari, I., Vogelbein, W., Floyd, M.M., Butler, W.R., Quinn, F.D., Ottinger, C., and E. Shotts.2001.A unique Mycobacterium sp. isolated from an epizootic of striped bass (Morone saxatilis).Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases, 7(5):896-899.
• Kaattari, S.L., Zhang, H.L., Khor, I.W., Kaattari, I.M., and D.A. Shapiro.2002. Affinity maturation in trout: clonal dominance of high affinity antibodies late in the immune response. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 26:191-200.

Grants

• Trout V_H gene function and diversity. Co-P.I.s: S. Kaattari and I. Kaattari. NRI/USDA, Genetics Section. 10/03-10/05. $272,785.
• Mycobacteriosis in striped bass of the Chesapeake Bay: Expansion of studies emphasizing cultural and rapid molecular diagnostic methods to evaluate disease prevalence. I. Kaattari, M. Rhodes, & H. Kator.$43,737 from Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Commonwealth of Virginia.

Presentations

• Kaattari, I., Rhodes, M., Kator, H., Vogelbein, W.K., and Kaattari, S. 2002. Mycobacteriosis in wild striped bass (Morone saxatilis) of the Chesapeake Bay. Mycobacteria Special Session. Abstracts of Fourth International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health, New Orleans, LA, September 1-5, 2002.
• Kaattari, I., Rhodes, M., Zwerner, D., and Kator, H. 2002. Mycobacteriosis in wild striped bass, Morone saxatilis, of the Chesapeake Bay: Comparison of histological, microbiological, and molecular methods of detection. Abstracts of American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, August, 18-22, 2002.
• American Society for Microbiology 101 General Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 20-24, 2001.

1. PCR/RFLP Analysis: Rapid identification of mycobacterial isolates from striped bass, Morone saxatilis, in the Chesapeake Bay.  I.M. Kaattari, M.W. Rhodes, H. Kator, S. Kotob, W. Vogelbein, S.L. Kaattari, C. Ottinger, & E. Shotts.
2. Characterization of a distinct group of slowly growing mycobacteria isolated during an epizootic of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) mycobacteriosis in the Chesapeake Bay.  M.W. Rhodes, H. Kator, S. Kotob, I. Kaattari, W. Vogelbein, M. Floyd, R. Butler, F. Quinn, C. Ottinger, & E. Shotts.
3. Molecular characterization of a novel Mycobacterium sp. from striped bass (Morone saxatilis) by sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene.S.I. Kotob, P. van Berkum, M.W. Rhodes, H. Kator, I. Kaattari, W. Vogelbein.

• 26th Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop, Shepherdstown, WV, April 23-26, 2001. Characterization of Mycobacterium spp. isolated from striped bass, Morone saxatilis, from the Chesapeake Bay.  M.W. Rhodes, H. Kator, I. Kaattari, S. Kotob, P. van Berkum, W. Vogelbein, & C. Ottinger.