A5036985639- Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Cystic Fibrosis Research Advances
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Gut microbiota and health
- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Microbial infections and disease research
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Biochemical and Structural Characterization
- Machine Learning in Bioinformatics
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Tracheal and airway disorders
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
American Museum of Natural History
2016-2025
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2016-2025
University of Pennsylvania
2016-2025
California University of Pennsylvania
2021-2024
University of Pittsburgh
2023
Rush University Medical Center
2023
The Wistar Institute
2023
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
2023
National Institutes of Health
2023
Carnegie Mellon University
2023
Chronic infection and concomitant airway inflammation is the leading cause of morbidity mortality for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Although chronic in CF undeniably polymicrobial, involving a lung microbiota, surveillance control approaches remain underpinned by classical aerobic culture-based microbiology. How to use microbiomics direct clinical management infections remains crucial challenge. A pivotal step towards leveraging microbiome care understand ecology identify...
ABSTRACT The gram-negative coccobacillus, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , is the putative agent for localized juvenile periodontitis, a particularly destructive form of periodontal disease in adolescents. This bacterium has also been isolated from variety other infections, notably endocarditis. Fresh clinical isolates A. tenacious biofilms, property likely to be critical colonization teeth and surfaces. Here we report identification locus seven genes required nonspecific adherence...
Macromolecular transport systems in bacteria currently are classified by function and sequence comparisons into five basic types. In this classification system, type II IV secretion both possess members of a superfamily genes for putative NTP hydrolase (NTPase) proteins that strikingly similar structure, function, sequence. These include VirB11, TrbB, TraG, GspE, PilB, PilT, ComG1. The predicted protein product tadA , recently discovered gene required tenacious adherence Actinobacillus...
Many respiratory pathogens, including Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, express neuraminidases that can cleave α2,3-linked sialic acids from glycoconjugates. As mucosal surfaces are heavily sialylated, have been thought to modify epithelial cells by exposing potential bacterial receptors. However, in contrast neuraminidase produced the influenza virus, a role for pathogenesis has not yet clearly established. We constructed mutant of P. aeruginosa...
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , a Gram‐negative bacterium responsible for localized juvenile periodontitis and other infections such as endocarditis, produces long fibrils of bundled pili that are believed to mediate non‐specific, tenacious adherence surfaces. Previous investigations have implicated an abundant, small (≈ 6.5 kDa), fibril‐associated protein (Flp/Fap) the primary fibril subunit. Here, we report studies on structure function evolution Flp. High‐resolution electron...
We report the case of a patient from Brazil with bloodstream infection caused by strain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that was susceptible to vancomycin (designated BR-VSSA) but acquired vanA gene cluster during antibiotic therapy and became resistant BR-VRSA). Both strains belong sequence type (ST) 8 community-associated genetic lineage carries staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) IVa S. protein A (spa) t292 are phylogenetically related MRSA USA300....
The success of character-based DNA barcoding depends on the efficient identification diagnostic character states from molecular sequences that have been organized hierarchically (e.g. according to phylogenetic methods). Similarly, reliability these identified must be assessed their ability diagnose new sequences. Here, a set software tools is presented implement previously described Characteristic Attribute Organization System for both and diagnostic-based classification. publicly available...
Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a major cause of bacteremia, pneumonia, and otitis media despite vaccines effective antibiotics. The neuraminidase S. pneumoniae, which catalyzes the release terminal sialic acid residues from glycoconjugates, is involved in host colonization animal models infection may provide novel target for preventing pneumococcal infection. We demonstrate that (NanA) cleaves show it biofilm formation, suggesting an additional role pathogenesis, shares this property with...
Lactobacillus iners is a common constituent of the human vaginal microbiota. This species was only recently characterized due to its fastidious growth requirements and has been hypothesized play role in pathogenesis bacterial vaginosis. Here we present identification molecular characterization protein toxin produced by L. iners. The genome encodes an open reading frame with significant primary sequence similarity intermedilysin (ILY; 69.2% similarity) vaginolysin (VLY; 68.4% similarity),...
ABSTRACT The arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) is the largest genomic region distinguishing epidemic USA300 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from other S. strains. However, functional relevance ACME to infection and disease has remained unclear. Using phylogenetic analysis, we have shown that modular segments were assembled into a single genetic locus in epidermidis then horizontally transferred common ancestor an extremely recent event. Acquisition one...
Background. The community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) epidemic in the United States is attributed to spread of USA300 clone. An CA-MRSA closely related has occurred northern South America (USA300 Latin-American variant, USA300-LV). Using phylogenomic analysis, we aimed understand relationships between these 2 epidemics.
The strong epidemiological association between cigarette smoke (CS) exposure and respiratory tract infections is conventionally attributed to immunosuppressive irritant effects of CS on human cells. Since pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus are members the normal microbiota reside in close proximity nasopharyngeal cells, we hypothesized that bioactive components might affect these organisms potentiate their virulence. Using a model organism, observed presence increased both...
Much of the morbidity and mortality associated with influenza virus respiratory infection is due to bacterial coinfection pathogens that colonize upper tract such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Streptococcus pneumoniae. A major component immune response production type I III interferons. Here we show causes an increase restructuring microbiota in wild-type (WT) mice but not Il28r(-/-) mutant lacking receptor for interferon. Mice IL-28 fail induce STAT1 phosphorylation...
Abstract The common bed bug ( Cimex lectularius ) has been a persistent pest of humans for thousands years, yet the genetic basis bug’s basic biology and adaptation to dense human environments is largely unknown. Here we report assembly, annotation phylogenetic mapping 697.9-Mb genome, with an N50 971 kb, using both long short read technologies. A RNA-seq time course across all five developmental stages male female adults generated 36,985 coding noncoding gene models. most pronounced change...
ABSTRACT Topical mupirocin is used widely to treat skin and soft tissue infections eradicate nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Few studies date have characterized the rates S. resistance in pediatric populations. We retrospectively studied 358 unique isolates obtained from 249 children seen a predominantly outpatient setting by Division Pediatric Dermatology at major academic center New York City between 1 May 2012 17 September 2013. Mupirocin associated...
The tremendous success of S. aureus as a human pathogen has been explained primarily by its array virulence factors that enable the organism to evade host immunity. Perhaps equally important, but less well understood, is importance intensity response in determining extent pathology induced infection, particularly pathogenesis pneumonia. We compared infection caused two phylogenetically and epidemiologically distinct strains whose behavior humans characterized. Induction type I IFN cascade...
ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen causing a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections to life-threatening conditions. Bloodstream are particularly important, the treatment approach complicated by presence methicillin-resistant S. (MRSA) isolates. The emergence new genetic lineages MRSA has occurred in Latin America (LA) with rise dissemination community-associated USA300 American variant (USA300-LV). Here, we prospectively characterized...
Skin is the most common site of Staphylococcus aureus infection. While these infections are self-limited, recurrent common. Keratinocytes and recruited immune cells participate in skin defense against We postulated that S. able to adapt milieu within human keratinocytes avoid keratinocyte-mediated clearance. From a collection isolated from chronically infected patients with atopic dermatitis, we noted 22% had an agr mutant-like phenotype. Using several models infection, demonstrate...
Clonal complex 5 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CC5-MRSA) includes multiple prevalent clones that cause hospital-associated infections in the Western Hemisphere. Here, we present a phylogenomic study of these MRSA to reveal their phylogeny, spatial and temporal population structure, evolution selected traits. We studied 598 genome sequences, including 409 newly generated from 11 countries Central, North, South America, references Asia Europe. An early-branching CC5-Basal clade...
Bacteria have developed several evolutionary strategies to protect their cell membranes (CMs) from the attack of antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by innate immune system, including remodeling phospholipid content localization. Multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, an opportunistic human pathogen, evolves resistance lipopeptide daptomycin AMPs diverting antibiotic away critical septal targets using CM anionic redistribution. The LiaFSR stress response system...
infection (CDI) is an urgent public health threat with limited preventative options. In this work, we developed a messenger RNA (mRNA)-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine targeting