VIRULENCE GENE REGULATION IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AND ID OF SMALL MOLECULES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major animal pathogens that continues to be a main public health concern; due to the lack of an effective vaccine and the emergence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains either in community associated or in hospital associated. Staphylococcal pathogenesis is a complex multifactorial process, which involves multiple regulatory systems. The function of the regulatory systems or the transcriptional regulation of the basic biological process is based on DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions to the upstream promoter region; therefore, understanding the role of the networks involved in gene regulation will be useful for the development of new agents to control and prevent staphylococcal infections. One of these regulatory systems is the SarA protein family in Staphylococcus. A total of ten SarA paralogs (SarA, SarR-V, SarX and Z, MgrA and Rot) are found almost in all sequenced S. aureus and S. epidermidis genomes. These proteins regulate many genes involved in regulation, virulence, autolysis, biofilm formation and metabolic processes. The precise mechanisms, by which this family of genes are regulated and regulate its target genes, are the research focuses in our laboratory. Apart from these, we are also working on metal oxide nanoparticles to develop potential agents, which will control and prevent the bacterial spreading in the community and hospital settings. Mindy Novak worked with Dr. Manna with ARRA funding during the summer of 2010. She received $4000 and the laboratory received $1000. Dr. Manna hosted a fellow from Mt. Marty College during the summer of 2010.