Binding of Staphyloccus aureus (gr.) to fibronectin (red) which covers osteoblasts (cell nucleus in blue)
© S. Niemann
Staphylococcus aureus in cytoplasm of epithelial cells (Tuchscherr et al.,PLOS Pathogens, 2015)
© S. Niemann
Staphylococcus aureus colonies on blood agar plate
© S. Niemann

    Mechanisms of Staphylococcus aureus to breach cellular barriers and to invade host tissue

    We will analyse the acute phase of S. aureus infections. We aim to investigate released staphylococcal factors, which breach the barrier of cells and the connecting cell layers. Further, we will examine bacterial and host cell factors affecting S. aureus uptake into host cells and the ability of S. aureus to conquer tissue barriers, thus, invading and destroying tissue.

    Research area: Cellular microbiology, pathogenesis

    Prof. Dr Georg Peters
    Dr. rer. nat. Silke Niemann

    Funding period: July 2012 - June 2020

    • Publications

      Original articles

      • Bruchhagen C, Jarick M, Mewis C, Hertlein T, Niemann S, Ohlsen K, Peters G, Planz O, Ludwig S and Ehrhardt C (2018) Metabolic conversion of CI-1040 turns a cellular MEK-inhibitor into an antibacterial compound. Sci Rep 8: 9114.
      • van Krüchten A, Wilden JJ, Niemann S, Peters G, Löffler B, Ludwig S, Ehrhardt C (2018). Staphylococcus aureus triggers a shift from influenza virus-induced apoptosis to necrotic cell death. The FASEB Journal, fj-201701006R.
      • Niemann S, Bertling A, Brodde MF, Fender AC, Van de Vyver H, Hussain M, ... & Löffler B (2018). Panton-Valentine Leukocidin associated with S. aureus osteomyelitis activates platelets via neutrophil secretion products. Scientific reports, 8(1), 2185. (doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20582-z)
      • Klemm C, Bruchhagen C, van Kruchten A, Niemann S, Loffler B, Peters G, Ludwig S and Ehrhardt C. (2017) Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate IL-6 over-production during concomitant influenza virus and Staphylococcus aureus infection. Sci Rep. 7:42473. (doi:  10.1038/srep42473)
      • Lebughe M, Phaku P, Niemann S, Mumba D, Peters G, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Mellmann A, Strauss L and Schaumburg F. (2017) The Impact of the Staphylococcus aureus Virulome on Infection in a Developing Country: A Cohort Study. Front Microbiol. 8:1662. (doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01662)
      • Strobel M, Pförtner H, Tuchscherr L, Völker U, Schmidt F, Kramko N, Schnitter HJ, Fraunholz MJ, Löffler B, Peters G, Niemann S (2016) Post-invasion events after infection with Staphylococcus aureus are strongly dependent on both the host cell type and the infecting. Clinical Microbiol Infect 22: 799-809. (doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.06.020.) 
      • Warnking K, Klemm C, Löffler B, Niemann S, van Krüchten A, Peters G, Ludwig S, Ehrhardt C. Super-infection with Staphylococcus aureus inhibits influenza virus-induced type I IFN signaling through impaired STAT1-STAT2 dimerization. Cell Microbiol. 2014 Oct 8. doi: 10.1111/cmi.12375. [Epub ahead of print]
      • Löffler B, Niemann S, Ehrhardt C, Horn D, Lanckohr C, Lina G, Ludwig S, Peters G (2013) Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus necrotizing pneumonia: the role of PVL and an influenza coinfection. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 11: 1041-1051.
      • Holzinger D, Gieldon L, Mysore V, Nippe N, Taxman DJ, Duncan JA, Broglie PM, Marketon K, Austermann J, Vogl T, Foell D, Niemann S, Peters G, Roth J, Löffler B. Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin induces an inflammatory response in human phagocytes via the NLRP3 inflammasome. J Leukoc Biol. 2012 Nov;92(5):1069-81. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0112014. Epub 2012 Aug 14.
      • Niemann S, Ehrhardt C, Medina E, Warnking K, Tuchscherr L, Heitmann V, Ludwig S, Peters G, Löffler B. (2012) Combined action of influenza virus and Staphylococcus aureus panton-valentine leukocidin provokes severe lung epithelium damage. J Infect Dis 206(7): 1138-1148. [doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis468.]