Research Bio
The major focus of my research has been on dental caries, which is increasing substantially in the world and putting more and more demand on resources of healthcare systems. Dental caries is a biofilm-dependent infectious disease that affects populations worldwide, and results from the interaction of specific bacteria and salivary constituents with dietary carbohydrates in the oral cavity. Streptococcus mutans are the major pathogens of dental caries. These organisms are able to succeed in the complex microbial community of the oral biofilm and cause caries because of their critical virulence properties: production of extracellular polysaccharides from sucrose, acidogenicity and acid tolerance.
The combination of sucrose and starch, the main dietary carbohydrates in modern societies, is potentially more cariogenic than either carbohydrate alone in humans. The biochemical reactions arising from interactions between specific salivary-amylases and bacterial-derived glucosyltransferases and dietary carbohydrates (sucrose and starch) promote cariogenic biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans by increasing synthesis of the extracellular polysaccharide matrix and acidogenicity; which include modulation of expression of proven virulence genes (gtfBCD). Thus, understanding the roles of starch and sucrose in formation of biofilms of Streptococcus mutans and the microbial traits critical for enhancing the cariogenic potential of this bacterium could lead to the development of new therapeutic approach.
| William H. Bowen Award, Rochester Section of the American Association for Dental Research |
2009 |
| 2nd Place, Postdoctoral Category, Edward S. Hatton Competition, American Association for Dental Research |
2008 |
| Unilever Travel Award, International Association for Dental Research |
2008 |
| 1st Place, Junior Category, Edward S. Hatton Competition, American Division of the International Association for Dental Research |
2004 |
| 2nd Place, Pediatric Dentistry Research Group Award, Brazilian Division of the International Association for Dental Research |
2002 |
2012 Oct
Klein MI, Scott-Anne KM, Gregoire S, Rosalen PL, Koo H. "Molecular approaches for viable bacterial population and transcriptional analyses in a rodent model of dental caries." Molecular oral microbiology. 2012 Oct 0; 27(5):350-61. Epub 2012 May 02. |
2012
Xiao J, Klein MI, Falsetta ML, Lu B, Delahunty CM, Yates JR, Heydorn A, Koo H. "The exopolysaccharide matrix modulates the interaction between 3D architecture and virulence of a mixed-species oral biofilm." PLoS pathogens. 2012 8(4):e1002623. Epub 2012 Apr 05. |
2012
Falsetta ML, Klein MI, Lemos JA, Silva BB, Agidi S, Scott-Anne KK, Koo H. "Novel antibiofilm chemotherapy targets exopolysaccharide synthesis and stress tolerance in Streptococcus mutans to modulate virulence expression in vivo." Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. 2012 56(12):6201-11. Epub 2012 Sep 17. |
2012
Klein MI, Xiao J, Lu B, Delahunty CM, Yates JR, Koo H. "Streptococcus mutans protein synthesis during mixed-species biofilm development by high-throughput quantitative proteomics." PloS one. 2012 7(9):e45795. Epub 2012 Sep 25. |
2011 Sep
Gregoire S, Xiao J, Silva BB, Gonzalez I, Agidi PS, Klein MI, Ambatipudi KS, Rosalen PL, Bauserman R, Waugh RE, Koo H. "Role of glucosyltransferase B in interactions of Candida albicans with Streptococcus mutans and with an experimental pellicle on hydroxyapatite surfaces." Applied and environmental microbiology. 2011 Sep 0; 77(18):6357-67. Epub 2011 Jul 29. |
