Jose Lemos
| Title | Assistant Professor |
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| Institution | School of Medicine and Dentistry |
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| Department | Microbiology and Immunology in the Center for Oral Biology |
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| Address | University of Rochester Medical Center
School of Medicine and Dentistry
601 Elmwood Ave, Box 611
Rochester NY 14642
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Research: Molecular Genetics and Physiology of the Response to Stresses by Streptococci and Enterococci.
The research in my laboratory is focused on characterization of the stress responses by streptococci and enterococci. To accomplish our goals, we use a variety of state-of-the-art molecular and biochemical techniques, that include physiologic, enzymatic, genomic and proteomic approaches. The specific projects in the laboratory are divided in two major areas; (i) the role of the Streptococcus mutans stress regulon in biofilm formation, persistence and virulence, and (ii) characterization of the stringent response of Enterococcus faecalis.
1. Streptococcus mutans
Streptococcus mutans, a common inhabitant of dental biofilms, is recognized as a major etiologic agent of human dental caries. Despite significant progress in treatment and prevention, dental caries remains among the most common infectious diseases afflicting humans and results in an enormous health and economic burden worldwide. The virulence of S. mutans resides in three core attributes; its abilities to adhere and form biofilms on tooth surfaces, to produce large quantities of organic acids from a wide range of carbohydrates, and to tolerate environmental stresses, particularly low pH. Because stress tolerance is intertwined with S. mutans virulence, the dissection of the mechanisms that allow these bacteria to thrive in oral biofilms during stressful conditions is central for a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of dental caries. Our current efforts focus on the characterization of the Spx global regulator, and its role in controlling stress response and biofilm formation in S. mutans.
2. Enterococcus faecalis
The opportunistic pathogen Enterococus faecalis, a natural inhabitant of the human intestinal flora, is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, including endocarditis, bacteremia, and urinary tract and soft tissue infections. This organism has a remarkable ability to thrive in a variety of adverse environments, including an innate and acquired resistance to multiple antibiotics. Recently, we found that the stringent response, a key bacterial system for adaptation to changing environments, plays a key role in the ability of E. faecalis to tolerate the human host defenses and antimicrobial therapies. The objective of this study is to fully understand how, and to what extent, the stringent response controls the expression of virulence factors, and of antibiotic tolerance in E. faecalis.
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Gaca AO, Abranches J, Kajfasz JK, Lemos JA. Global transcriptional analysis of the stringent response in Enterococcus faecalis. Microbiology. 2012 Aug; 158(Pt 8):1994-2004.
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Kajfasz JK, Mendoza JE, Gaca AO, Miller JH, Koselny KA, Giambiagi-Demarval M, Wellington M, Abranches J, Lemos JA. The Spx Regulator Modulates Stress Responses and Virulence in Enterococcus faecalis. Infect Immun. 2012 Jul; 80(7):2265-75.
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Chávez de Paz LE, Lemos JA, Wickström C, Sedgley CM. Role of (p)ppGpp in Biofilm Formation by Enterococcus faecalis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Mar; 78(5):1627-30.
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Kajfasz JK, Abranches J, Lemos JA. Transcriptome analysis reveals that ClpXP proteolysis controls key virulence properties of Streptococcus mutans. Microbiology. 2011 Oct; 157(Pt 10):2880-90.
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Abranches J, Miller JH, Martinez AR, Simpson-Haidaris PJ, Burne RA, Lemos JA. The collagen-binding protein Cnm is required for Streptococcus mutans adherence to and intracellular invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells. Infect Immun. 2011 Jun; 79(6):2277-84.
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de Oliveira NE, Abranches J, Gaca AO, Laport MS, Damaso CR, Bastos Mdo C, Lemos JA, Giambiagi-deMarval M. clpB, a class III heat-shock gene regulated by CtsR, is involved in thermotolerance and virulence of Enterococcus faecalis. Microbiology. 2011 Mar; 157(Pt 3):656-65.
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Kajfasz JK, Rivera-Ramos I, Abranches J, Martinez AR, Rosalen PL, Derr AM, Quivey RG, Lemos JA. Two Spx proteins modulate stress tolerance, survival, and virulence in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2010 May; 192(10):2546-56.
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Kajfasz JK, Martinez AR, Rivera-Ramos I, Abranches J, Koo H, Quivey RG, Lemos JA. Role of Clp proteins in expression of virulence properties of Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2009 Apr; 191(7):2060-8.
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Abranches J, Martinez AR, Kajfasz JK, Chávez V, Garsin DA, Lemos JA. The molecular alarmone (p)ppGpp mediates stress responses, vancomycin tolerance, and virulence in Enterococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 2009 Apr; 191(7):2248-56.
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Lemos JA, Burne RA. A model of efficiency: stress tolerance by Streptococcus mutans. Microbiology. 2008 Nov; 154(Pt 11):3247-55.
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Lemos JA, Nascimento MM, Lin VK, Abranches J, Burne RA. Global regulation by (p)ppGpp and CodY in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2008 Aug; 190(15):5291-9.
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Nascimento MM, Lemos JA, Abranches J, Lin VK, Burne RA. Role of RelA of Streptococcus mutans in global control of gene expression. J Bacteriol. 2008 Jan; 190(1):28-36.
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Lemos JA, Lin VK, Nascimento MM, Abranches J, Burne RA. Three gene products govern (p)ppGpp production by Streptococcus mutans. Mol Microbiol. 2007 Sep; 65(6):1568-81.
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Nepomuceno RS, Tavares MB, Lemos JA, Griswold AR, Ribeiro JL, Balan A, Guimarães KS, Cai S, Burne RA, Ferreira LC, Ferreira RC. The oligopeptide (opp) gene cluster of Streptococcus mutans: identification, prevalence, and characterization. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 2007 Aug; 22(4):277-84.
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Lemos JA, Luzardo Y, Burne RA. Physiologic effects of forced down-regulation of dnaK and groEL expression in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2007 Mar; 189(5):1582-8.
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Abranches J, Lemos JA, Burne RA. Osmotic stress responses of Streptococcus mutans UA159. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2006 Feb; 255(2):240-6.
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Lemos JA, Brown TA, Abranches J, Burne RA. Characteristics of Streptococcus mutans strains lacking the MazEF and RelBE toxin-antitoxin modules. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2005 Dec 15; 253(2):251-7.
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Laport MS, Dos Santos LL, Lemos JA, do Carmo F Bastos M, Burne RA, Giambiagi-Demarval M. Organization of heat shock dnaK and groE operons of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium. Res Microbiol. 2006 Mar; 157(2):162-8.
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Brown TA, Ahn SJ, Frank RN, Chen YY, Lemos JA, Burne RA. A hypothetical protein of Streptococcus mutans is critical for biofilm formation. Infect Immun. 2005 May; 73(5):3147-51.
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Ahn SJ, Lemos JA, Burne RA. Role of HtrA in growth and competence of Streptococcus mutans UA159. J Bacteriol. 2005 May; 187(9):3028-38.
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Lemos JA, Abranches J, Burne RA. Responses of cariogenic streptococci to environmental stresses. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2005 Jan; 7(1):95-107.
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Nascimento MM, Lemos JA, Abranches J, Gonçalves RB, Burne RA. Adaptive acid tolerance response of Streptococcus sobrinus. J Bacteriol. 2004 Oct; 186(19):6383-90.
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Laport MS, Lemos JA, Bastos Md Mdo C, Burne RA, Giambiagi-De Marval M. Transcriptional analysis of the groE and dnaK heat-shock operons of Enterococcus faecalis. Res Microbiol. 2004 May; 155(4):252-8.
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Lemos JA, Brown TA, Burne RA. Effects of RelA on key virulence properties of planktonic and biofilm populations of Streptococcus mutans. Infect Immun. 2004 Mar; 72(3):1431-40.
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Lemos JA, Burne RA. Regulation and Physiological Significance of ClpC and ClpP in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2002 Nov; 184(22):6357-66.
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Lemos JA, Chen YY, Burne RA. Genetic and physiologic analysis of the groE operon and role of the HrcA repressor in stress gene regulation and acid tolerance in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2001 Oct; 183(20):6074-84.
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Laport MS, de Castro AC, Villardo A, Lemos JA, Bastos MC, Giambiagi-deMarval M. Expression of the major heat shock proteins DnaK and GroEL in Streptococcus pyogenes: a comparison to Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Curr Microbiol. 2001 Apr; 42(4):264-8.
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Lemos JA, Burne RA, Castro AC. Molecular cloning, purification and immunological responses of recombinants GroEL and DnaK from Streptococcus pyogenes. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2000 Jun; 28(2):121-8.
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Lemos JA, Giambiagi-Demarval M, Castro AC. Expression of heat-shock proteins in Streptococcus pyogenes and their immunoreactivity with sera from patients with streptococcal diseases. J Med Microbiol. 1998 Aug; 47(8):711-5.
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