Jessica Kajfasz, BSc, PhD
Research Associate Professor
About Jessica Kajfasz
Jessica attended Niagara University for her B.S. in Biology, then went on to the University of Rochester for her Ph.D. in Microbiology. She began as a postdoc with Dr. Jose Lemos in 2007 in Rochester. In the early days of the lab, her focus was on SpxA1, a major regulator of the oxidative stress response in S. mutans. A great aspect of working in the lab for so long is the ability to participate, in one way or another, in most of the projects ongoing in the lab. These days as a Research Assistant Professor, she continues to keep her main focus on SpxA1 in the stress response of S. mutans as well as other aspects of bacterial pathogenesis, such as mechanisms of metal homeostasis. She is often involved in training new members of the Lemos-Abranches laboratory.
Research Profile
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0001-8977-8449
Publications
Academic Articles
2024
MecA in Streptococcus mutans is a multi-functional protein
mSphere.
9(12)
[DOI] 10.1128/msphere.00308-24.
[PMID] 39530674.
2024
Multiple factors regulate the expression of sufCDSUB in Streptococcus mutans.
Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology.
14
[DOI] 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1499476.
[PMID] 39664495.
2024
Post-translational modification by the Pgf glycosylation machinery modulates Streptococcus mutans OMZ175 physiology and virulence.
Molecular microbiology.
122(2):133-151
[DOI] 10.1111/mmi.15190.
[PMID] 37972006.
2024
Trivalent immunization with metal-binding proteins confers protection against enterococci in a mouse infection model.
FEMS microbes.
5
[DOI] 10.1093/femsmc/xtae031.
[PMID] 39524556.
2022
Disruption of the adh (Acetoin Dehydrogenase) Operon Has Wide-Ranging Effects on Streptococcus mutans Growth and Stress Response.
Journal of bacteriology.
204(3)
[DOI] 10.1128/jb.00578-21.
[PMID] 35007154.
2022
Methods for Using the Galleria mellonella Invertebrate Model to Probe Enterococcus faecalis Pathogenicity.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.).
2427:177-183
[DOI] 10.1007/978-1-0716-1971-1_15.
[PMID] 35619034.
2022
Quantitative Analysis of Biofilm Removal Following Instrumentation with TRUShape and Vortex Blue File Systems: Microbiological Study.
Frontiers in bioscience (Scholar edition).
14(3)
[DOI] 10.31083/j.fbs1403018.
[PMID] 36137981.
2022
ZccE is a Novel P-type ATPase That Protects Streptococcus mutans Against Zinc Intoxication.
PLoS pathogens.
18(8)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010477.
[PMID] 35939512.
2021
c-di-AMP Is Essential for the Virulence of Enterococcus faecalis.
Infection and immunity.
89(11)
[DOI] 10.1128/IAI.00365-21.
[PMID] 34424750.
2021
Increased Oxidative Stress Tolerance of a Spontaneously Occurring perR Gene Mutation in Streptococcus mutans UA159.
Journal of bacteriology.
203(8)
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.00535-20.
[PMID] 33526613.
2021
Increased oxidative stress tolerance of a spontaneously-occurring perR gene mutation in Streptococcus mutans UA159
Journal of Bacteriology.
[DOI] 10.1128/jb.00535-20.
2021
Zinc import mediated by AdcABC is critical for colonization of the dental biofilm by Streptococcus mutans in an animal model.
Molecular oral microbiology.
36(3):214-224
[DOI] 10.1111/omi.12337.
[PMID] 33819383.
2020
Manganese Uptake, Mediated by SloABC and MntH, Is Essential for the Fitness of Streptococcus mutans.
mSphere.
5(1)
[DOI] 10.1128/mSphere.00764-19.
[PMID] 31915219.
2020
PepO is a target of the two-component systems VicRK and CovR required for systemic virulence of Streptococcus mutans.
Virulence.
11(1):521-536
[DOI] 10.1080/21505594.2020.1767377.
[PMID] 32427040.
2020
Regulatory circuits controlling Spx levels in Streptococcus mutans.
Molecular microbiology.
114(1):109-126
[DOI] 10.1111/mmi.14499.
[PMID] 32189382.
2019
The Biology of Streptococcus mutans.
Microbiology spectrum.
7(1)
[DOI] 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0051-2018.
[PMID] 30657107.
2018
Biology of Oral Streptococci.
Microbiology spectrum.
6(5)
[DOI] 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0042-2018.
[PMID] 30338752.
2018
CovR and VicRKX Regulate Transcription of the Collagen Binding Protein Cnm of Streptococcus mutans.
Journal of bacteriology.
200(23)
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.00141-18.
[PMID] 30201780.
2018
Disruption of a Novel Iron Transport System Reverses Oxidative Stress Phenotypes of a dpr Mutant Strain of Streptococcus mutans.
Journal of bacteriology.
200(14)
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.00062-18.
[PMID] 29735760.
2018
Whole genome sequence and phenotypic characterization of a Cbm+ serotype e strain of Streptococcus mutans.
Molecular oral microbiology.
33(3):257-269
[DOI] 10.1111/omi.12222.
[PMID] 29524318.
2017
Inactivation of the spxA1 or spxA2 gene of Streptococcus mutans decreases virulence in the rat caries model.
Molecular oral microbiology.
32(2):142-153
[DOI] 10.1111/omi.12160.
[PMID] 27037617.
2017
Transcriptome responses of Streptococcus mutans to peroxide stress: identification of novel antioxidant pathways regulated by Spx.
Scientific reports.
7(1)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41598-017-16367-5.
[PMID] 29167560.
2016
Simultaneous spatiotemporal mapping of in situ pH and bacterial activity within an intact 3D microcolony structure.
Scientific reports.
6
[DOI] 10.1038/srep32841.
[PMID] 27604325.
2015
Transcription of Oxidative Stress Genes Is Directly Activated by SpxA1 and, to a Lesser Extent, by SpxA2 in Streptococcus mutans.
Journal of bacteriology.
197(13):2160-2170
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.00118-15.
[PMID] 25897032.
2015
Transcriptional and Phenotypic Characterization of Novel Spx-Regulated Genes in Streptococcus mutans.
PloS one.
10(4)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0124969.
[PMID] 25905865.
2014
Streptococcus mutans NADH oxidase lies at the intersection of overlapping regulons controlled by oxygen and NAD+ levels.
Journal of bacteriology.
196(12):2166-77
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.01542-14.
[PMID] 24682329.
2014
The cell wall-targeting antibiotic stimulon of Enterococcus faecalis.
PloS one.
8(6)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0064875.
[PMID] 23755154.
2013
Basal levels of (p)ppGpp in Enterococcus faecalis: the magic beyond the stringent response.
mBio.
4(5):e00646-13
[DOI] 10.1128/mBio.00646-13.
[PMID] 24065631.
2012
Global transcriptional analysis of the stringent response in Enterococcus faecalis.
Microbiology (Reading, England).
158(Pt 8):1994-2004
[DOI] 10.1099/mic.0.060236-0.
[PMID] 22653948.
2012
The Spx regulator modulates stress responses and virulence in Enterococcus faecalis.
Infection and immunity.
80(7):2265-75
[DOI] 10.1128/IAI.00026-12.
[PMID] 22508863.
2011
Transcriptome analysis reveals that ClpXP proteolysis controls key virulence properties of Streptococcus mutans.
Microbiology (Reading, England).
157(Pt 10):2880-2890
[DOI] 10.1099/mic.0.052407-0.
[PMID] 21816882.
2010
Characterization of the Streptococcus sobrinus acid-stress response by interspecies microarrays and proteomics.
Molecular oral microbiology.
25(5):331-42
[DOI] 10.1111/j.2041-1014.2010.00580.x.
[PMID] 20883222.
2010
Two Spx proteins modulate stress tolerance, survival, and virulence in Streptococcus mutans.
Journal of bacteriology.
192(10):2546-56
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.00028-10.
[PMID] 20233935.
2009
Role of Clp proteins in expression of virulence properties of Streptococcus mutans.
Journal of bacteriology.
191(7):2060-8
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.01609-08.
[PMID] 19181818.
2009
The molecular alarmone (p)ppGpp mediates stress responses, vancomycin tolerance, and virulence in Enterococcus faecalis.
Journal of bacteriology.
191(7):2248-56
[DOI] 10.1128/JB.01726-08.
[PMID] 19168608.
2004
Low pH-induced membrane fatty acid alterations in oral bacteria.
FEMS microbiology letters.
238(2):291-5
[PMID] 15358413.
Increased oxidative stress tolerance of a spontaneously-occurring perR gene mutation in Streptococcus mutans UA159
.
[DOI] 10.1101/2020.09.24.312702.
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 273-6675
Emails:
- Business:
- jkajfasz@dental.ufl.edu
Addresses:
- Business Mailing:
-
PO Box 100424
GAINESVILLE FL 32610