Cell-to-cell Communication in Streptococci

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and societal development. Not only a growing number of infections are becoming harder to treat as pathogenic microbes develop or acquire resistance to antibiotics, but also several modern medical treatments such as Caesarian sections, organ transplantation, immunosuppressive chemotherapy, and implant insertions are at risk since they depend on the availability of effective antibiotic therapy.

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Streptococcus pneumonia

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By Roger Junges
Published July 16, 2020

Estimations suggest that AMR will be responsible for 10 million deaths every year and a total of $100 trillion in economic losses by 2050. Thus, there is an urgent need to reveal novel non-antibiotic based alternative strategies for bacterial infection control.

Bacterial Communication

Despite being often seen as simple unicellular organisms, bacteria are part of a complex environment in their microbial communities. Together in these communities, bacteria are interactive microorganisms that possess an extraordinary repertoire of molecules used in intercellular communication, in order to benefit from their social interactions. This form of communication results in the ability of bacteria to perceive their neighbors through production, secretion and subsequent detection of signaling molecules, ultimately leading the population to coordinate their gene expression providing better resistance, survival and adaptation to the environment. In fact, group behaviors in bacteria such as biofilm formation, virulence, and genetic transfer are often triggered by bacterial communication.

Fighting infections

Recently, the interference of group behavior in bacteria has been gaining attention as a resource to prevent and fight infections. In line with this, the genus Streptococcus is highly relevant as it includes both commensal and pathogenic species that are abundantly present in important niches of our body, such as the oral cavity and the nasopharynx.

Novel pathways and systems

Over the past decades, we have contributed in unveiling novel cell-to-cell communication pathways in streptococci as well as unique features of previously characterized communication systems. We are interested in understanding the biological basis for the occurrence of such systems and their underlying functions, as well as to investigate into their potential to be employed as innovative treatment strategies to prevent and fight infections.

Collaboration

  • Prof. Don Morrison, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
  • Dr. George (Tsute) Chen, Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA, Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
  • Prof. Antônio Pedro Ricomini Filho, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
  • Prof. Jeremy S. Brown, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
  • Prof. Michael Federle, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.

Project Leader

Fernanda Cristina Petersen

Participants from UiO

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Group picture of participants from UiO. Photo: Fredrik Haugen Pedersen, IOB/UiO

Contact Information

Professor Fernanda Petersen: f.c.petersen@odont.uio.no

Postdoctoral fellow Roger Junges: roger.junges@odont.uio.no

PhD Graduates

Gabriela Salvadori da Silva, 2018 (current postdoc)

Roger Junges, 2017 (current postdoc)

Rabia Khan (and previous postdoc), 2015

Håkon Valen, 2014 

Hedda Høvik, 2011

Nibras Ayad Ahmed, 2009

Daniele Pecharki, 2008

Master Students

Mari Hoff Lund, 2016

Shermin Rusthen, 2011

Sayed E. Dabestani, 2011

Tess Karlsalr, 2010

Zunera Butt, 2010

Melody Moezzi, 2006

Jessica Lönn, 2005

Christina Jenseson, 2004

Erasmus students

Elodie Charvet, Polytech Clermont-Ferrand

Coraline Brahemscha, Polytech Clermont-Ferrand

Tags: Streptococci, communication, infections, AMR
Published July 16, 2020 11:16 AM - Last modified May 15, 2025 10:57 AM
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