Contact Information
Department of Oral Biology
1395 Center Dr.
P.O. Box 100424
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone 352-273-8850
Faculty & Staff
Sang-Joon Ahn
Research Associate Professor
Email Dr. Ahn
Lin Zeng
Research Associate Professor
Email Dr. Zeng
Robert Shields
Research Assistant Professor
Email Dr. Shields
Brinta Chakraborty
Research Assistant Scientist
Email Dr. Chakraborty
Justin Kaspar
Courtesy Scholar
Email Dr. Kaspar
Sabarathnam Balu, PhD Research Assistant Scientist
Email Dr. Balu
Christopher Browngardt
Research Coordinator
Email Christopher
Kyu Lee, DMD/PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Email Kyu
Recent Publications
- Kaspar J, Kim JN, Ahn SJ, Burne RA. An Essential Role for (p)ppGpp in the Integration of Stress Tolerance, Peptide Signaling, and Competence Development in Streptococcus mutans.Front Microbiol. 2016 Jul 28;7:1162. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01162.
- Shields RC, Burne RA.Growth of Streptococcus mutans in Biofilms Alters Peptide Signaling at the Sub-population Level.Front Microbiol. 2016 Jul 15;7:1075. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01075.
- Moye ZD, Son M, Rosa-Alberty AE, Zeng L, Ahn SJ, Hagen SJ, Burne RA.Effects of Carbohydrate Source on Genetic Competence in Streptococcus mutans.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2016 Jul 15;82(15):4821-34. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01205-16.
- Zeng L, Farivar T, Burne RA.Amino Sugars Enhance the Competitiveness of Beneficial Commensals with Streptococcus mutans through Multiple Mechanisms.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2016 May 31;82(12):3671-82. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00637-16.
- Huang X, Palmer SR, Ahn SJ, Richards VP, Williams ML, Nascimento MM, Burne RA.A Highly Arginolytic Streptococcus Species That Potently Antagonizes Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2016 Jan 29;82(7):2187-201. doi: 10.1128/AEM.03887-15.
- Zeng L, Burne RA.Sucrose- and Fructose-Specific Effects on the Transcriptome of Streptococcus mutans, as Determined by RNA Sequencing.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015 Oct 16;82(1):146-56. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02681-15.
- Son M, Shields R, Ahn SJ, Burne RA, Hagen SJ. Bidirectional signaling in the competence regulatory pathway of Streptococcus mutans. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2015 Sep 10.
- Zeng L, Burne RA. NagR differentially regulates the expression of the glmS and nagAB genes required for amino sugar metabolism by Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2015 Aug 31.
- Shields RC, Burne RA. Conserved and divergent functions of RcrRPQ in Streptococcus gordonii and S. mutans. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2015 Aug;362(16)
- Mogen AB, Chen F, Ahn SJ, Burne RA, Wang D, Rice KC. Pluronics-Formulated Farnesol Promotes Efficient Killing and Demonstrates Novel Interactions with Streptococcus mutans Biofilms. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 29;10(7)
- Palmer SR, Burne RA. Post-transcriptional regulation by distal Shine-Dalgarno sequences in the grpE-dnaK intergenic region of Streptococcus mutans. Mol Microbiol. 2015 Jul 14.
- Son M, Ghoreishi D, Ahn SJ, Burne RA, Hagen SJ. Sharply Tuned pH Response of Genetic Competence Regulation in Streptococcus mutans: a Microfluidic Study of the Environmental Sensitivity of comX. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015 Aug 15;81(16):5622-31.
- Kim JN, Ahn SJ, Burne RA. Genetics and Physiology of Acetate Metabolism by the Pta-Ack Pathway of Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015 Aug;81(15):5015-25.
- Huang X, Schulte RM, Burne RA, Nascimento MM. Characterization of the arginolytic microflora provides insights into pH homeostasis in human oral biofilms. Caries Res. 2015;49(2):165-76.
- Kaspar J, Ahn SJ, Palmer SR, Choi SC, Stanhope MJ, Burne RA. A unique open reading frame within the comX gene of Streptococcus mutans regulates genetic competence and oxidative stress tolerance. Mol Microbiol. 2015 May;96(3):463-82.
- Moye ZD, Zeng L, Burne RA. Fueling the caries process: carbohydrate metabolism and gene regulation by Streptococcus mutans. J Oral Microbiol. 2014 Sep 5;6.
- Seaton K, Ahn SJ, Burne RA. Regulation of competence and gene expression in Streptococcus mutans by the RcrR transcriptional regulator. Mol Oral Microbiol. 2015 Apr;30(2):147-59.
- Ahn SJ, Kaspar J, Kim JN, Seaton K, Burne RA. Discovery of novel peptides regulating competence development in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2014 Nov;196(21):3735-45.
- Huang SC, Burne RA, Chen YY. The pH-dependent expression of the urease operon in Streptococcus salivarius is mediated by CodY. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 Sep;80(17):5386-93.
- Moye ZD, Burne RA, Zeng L. Uptake and metabolism of N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine by Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 Aug;80(16):5053-67.
- Liao S, Klein MI, Heim KP, Fan Y, Bitoun JP, Ahn SJ, Burne RA, Koo H, Brady LJ, Wen ZT. Streptococcus mutans extracellular DNA is upregulated during growth in biofilms, actively released via membrane vesicles, and influenced by components of the protein secretion machinery. J Bacteriol. 2014 Jul;196(13):2355-66
- Richards VP, Palmer SR, Pavinski Bitar PD, Qin X, Weinstock GM, Highlander SK, Town CD, Burne RA, Stanhope MJ. Phylogenomics and the dynamic genome evolution of the genus Streptococcus. Genome Biol Evol. 2014 Apr;6(4):741-53.
- Nascimento MM, Browngardt C, Xiaohui X, Klepac-Ceraj V, Paster BJ, Burne RA. The effect of arginine on oral biofilm communities. Mol Oral Microbiol. 2014 Feb;29(1):45-54
- Moye ZD, Zeng L, Burne RA. Modification of gene expression and virulence traits in Streptococcus mutans in response to carbohydrate availability. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 Feb;80(3):972-85.
- Guo Q, Ahn SJ, Kaspar J, Zhou X, Burne RA. Growth phase and pH influence peptide signaling for competence development in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2014 Jan;196(2):227-36.
- Nascimento MM, Liu Y, Kalra R, Perry S, Adewumi A, Xu X, Primosch RE, Burne RA. Oral arginine metabolism may decrease the risk for dental caries in children. J Dent Res. 2013 Jul;92(7):604-8.
- Palmer SR, Miller JH, Abranches J, Zeng L, Lefebure T, Richards VP, Lemos JA, Stanhope MJ, Burne RA. Phenotypic heterogeneity of genomically-diverse isolates of Streptococcus mutans. PLoS One. 2013 Apr 16;8(4):e61358.
- Kim JN, Stanhope MJ, Burne RA. Core-gene-encoded peptide regulating virulence-associated traits in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2013 Jun;195(12):2912-20
- Zeng L, Choi SC, Danko CG, Siepel A, Stanhope MJ, Burne RA. Gene regulation by CcpA and catabolite repression explored by RNA-Seq in Streptococcus mutans. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e60465
- Zeng L, Xue P, Stanhope MJ, Burne RA. A galactose-specific sugar: phosphotransferase permease is prevalent in the non-core genome of Streptococcus mutans. Mol Oral Microbiol. 2013 Aug;28(4):292-301.
- Cornejo OE, Lefébure T, Bitar PD, Lang P, Richards VP, Eilertson K, Do T, Beighton D, Zeng L, Ahn SJ, Burne RA, Siepel A, Bustamante CD, Stanhope MJ. Evolutionary and population genomics of the cavity causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans. Mol Biol Evol. 2013 Apr;30(4):881-93.
- Zeng L, Burne RA. Comprehensive mutational analysis of sucrose-metabolizing pathways in Streptococcus mutans reveals novel roles for the sucrose phosphotransferase system permease. J Bacteriol. 2013 Feb;195(4):833-43
- Liu YL, Nascimento M, Burne RA. Progress toward understanding the contribution of alkali generation in dental biofilms to inhibition of dental caries. Int J Oral Sci. 2012 Sep;4(3):135-40.
- Ahn SJ, Qu MD, Roberts E, Burne RA, Rice KC. Identification of the Streptococcus mutans LytST two-component regulon reveals its contribution to oxidative stress tolerance. BMC Microbiol. 2012 Sep 1;12:187.
- Burne RA, Zeng L, Ahn SJ, Palmer SR, Liu Y, Lefebure T, Stanhope MJ, Nascimento MM. Progress dissecting the oral microbiome in caries and health. Adv Dent Res. 2012 Sep;24(2):77-80.
- Son M, Ahn SJ, Guo Q, Burne RA, Hagen SJ. Microfluidic study of competence regulation in Streptococcus mutans: environmental inputs modulate bimodal and unimodal expression of comX. Mol Microbiol. 2012 Oct;86(2):258-72.
- Zeng L, Martino NC, Burne RA. Two gene clusters coordinate galactose and lactose metabolism in Streptococcus gordonii. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Aug;78(16):5597-605.
- Kim JN, Ahn SJ, Seaton K, Garrett S, Burne RA. Transcriptional organization and physiological contributions of the relQ operon of Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 2012 Apr;194(8):1968-78.
- Bitoun JP, Liao S, Yao X, Ahn SJ, Isoda R, Nguyen AH, Brady LJ, Burne RA, Abranches J, Wen ZT. BrpA is involved in regulation of cell envelope stress responses in Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Apr;78(8):2914-22.
- Morou-Bermúdez E, Billings RJ, Burne RA, Elías-Boneta A. Caries risk pyramid: a practical biological approach to caries management by risk assessment. P R Health Sci J. 2011 Dec;30(4):165-6.
- Morou-Bermudez E, Elias-Boneta A, Billings RJ, Burne RA, Garcia-Rivas V, Brignoni-Nazario V, Suárez-Pérez E. Urease activity as a risk factor for caries development in children during a three-year study period: a survival analysis approach. Arch Oral Biol. 2011 Dec;56(12):1560-8.
- Morou-Bermudez E, Elias-Boneta A, Billings RJ, Burne RA, Garcia-Rivas V, Brignoni-Nazario V, Suarez-Perez E. Urease activity in dental plaque and saliva of children during a three-year study period and its relationship with other caries risk factors. Arch Oral Biol. 2011 Nov;56(11):1282-9.
- Bitoun JP, Nguyen AH, Fan Y, Burne RA, Wen ZT. Transcriptional repressor Rex is involved in regulation of oxidative stress response and biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2011 Jul;320(2):110-7.
- Liu Y, Burne RA. The major autolysin of Streptococcus gordonii is subject to complex regulation and modulates stress tolerance, biofilm formation, and extracellular-DNA release.J Bacteriol. 2011 Jun;193(11):2826-37.
- 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
- Zeng L, Das S, Burne RA. Genetic analysis of the functions and interactions of components of the LevQRST signal transduction complex of Streptococcus mutans. PLoS One. 2011 Feb 22;6(2):e17335.
- Tong H, Zeng L, Burne RA. The EIIABMan phosphotransferase system permease regulates carbohydrate catabolite repression in Streptococcus gordonii. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Mar;77(6):1957-65