Anna Tischler

Biography

Education

Publications

Selected Publications

Block AM, Nair RR, Miekle V, Wiegert PC, White DW, Zhang L, Niederweis M and
Tischler AD. 2025. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESX-5 secretion system enables
carbon source utilization and growth in mice. biorxiv pre-print:
doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.28.685107

Ravindran Nair R, Miekle V, Dubey S, Pavlenok M, Tischler AD and Niederweis M.
2025. Control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein secretion by ESX-4 and the outer
membrane EsxUT-EsxEF complex. Nat Commun. 16: 10228. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-
025-65061-y

Block AM, Wiegert PC, Namugenyi SB and Tischler AD. 2024. Transposon sequencing
reveals metabolic pathways essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. PLoS
Pathogens 20: e1011663. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011663

Kirk NM, Huang Q, Vrba S, Rahman M, Block AM, Murphy H, White DW, Namugenyi
SB, Ly H, Tischler AD, Liang Y. 2023. Recombinant Pichinde viral vector expressing
tuberculosis antigens elicits strong T cell responses and protection in mice. Front.
Immunol. 14: 1127515. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127515

Block AM, Namugenyi SB, Palani NP, Brokaw AM, Zhang L, Beckman KB and Tischler
AD. 2023. Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires the outer membrane lipid phthiocerol
dimycocerosate for starvation-induced antibiotic tolerance. mSystems 8: e0069922.
DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00699-22

Pajuelo D, Tak U, Zhang L, Danilchanka O, Tischler AD and Niederweis M. 2021. Toxin
secretion and trafficking by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat. Commun. 12: 6592. DOI:
10.1038/s41467-021-26925-1

Elliott SR, White DW and Tischler AD. 2019. Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires
regulation of ESX-5 secretion for virulence in Irgm1-deficient mice. Infect. Immun.
87:e00660-18. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00660-18

White DW, Elliott SR* Odean E, Bemis LT and Tischler AD. 2018. Mycobacterium
tuberculosis Pst/SenX3-RegX3 regulates membrane vesicle production independently
of ESX-5 activity. mBio 9: e00778-18. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00778-18

Namugenyi SB, Aagesen AM, Elliott SR and Tischler AD. 2017. Mycobacterium
tuberculosis PhoY proteins promote persister formation by mediating Pst/SenX3-RegX3
phosphate sensing. mBio. 8: e00494-17. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00494-17

Research

The Tischler lab is focused on defining molecular mechanisms by which Mycobacterium
tuberculosis establishes and maintains persistent infections to enable design of novel
TB therapeutics and vaccines. We use mycobacterial genetics and mouse infection
models to uncover mechanisms by which M. tuberculosis evades host immune
responses and identify new targets for drug development. We have active research
projects in the following areas:

Defining the roles of the ESX-5 Type VII secretion system and its exported
substrates in M. tuberculosis physiology and pathogenesis. Because ESX-5 is
essential for M. tuberculosis growth in vitro, it is a potential target for TB drug
development. We developed strains in which components of the ESX-5 system
are conditionally expressed to determine the roles of ESX-5 in in vitro growth and
pathogenesis and to define substrate proteins exported via ESX-5. We are
exploring the roles of ESX-5 cytosolic chaperone proteins and multiple Esx
substrate paralogs in ESX-5 secretion system function.
Identifying M. tuberculosis metabolic pathways essential during infection. We
used a collection of auxotrophic mutants and Tn-seq to identify several central
metabolic pathways that M. tuberculosis requires during mouse infection. We are
exploring these metabolic pathways as targets for TB drug development.
Determining M. tuberculosis antibiotic tolerance mechanisms. We identified the
M. tuberculosis phosphate-sensing Pst/SenX3-RegX3 signal transduction system
and the outer membrane lipid phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM) that are
required for tolerance to antibiotics. We identified additional determinants of M.
tuberculosis drug tolerance in vitro using a Tn-seq screen. We are exploring the
mechanisms by which these factors influence antibiotic tolerance.
TB vaccine development. In a collaboration with the labs of Yuying Liang and
Hinh Ly in the UMN College of Veterinary Medicine, we are working to develop a
tuberculosis vaccine based on a novel Pichinde viral vector.

Anna Tischler, PhD

Biography

Education

Publications

Research