Daniel A. Todd

TL;DR: Findings show how members of the normal human skin microbiome can contribute to epithelial barrier homeostasis by using quorum sensing to inhibit S. aureus toxin production.

TL;DR: It is found that spent media from the CoNS species Staphylococcus caprae can inhibit agr-mediated quorum sensing by all classes of S. aureus, indicating that important interactions occur between commensals that can impact disease outcomes and potentially shape the composition of the natural flora.

TL;DR: The potential of biochemometrics coupled with bioassay-guided fractionation to identify bioactive mixture components is demonstrated, demonstrating the ability to integrate multiple stages of fractionation and bioassays data into a single analysis.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the agr system enhances skin colonization by S. epidermidis using a porcine model and will aid future studies on cell-cell communication in this important opportunistic pathogen.

TL;DR: It is reported that phosphorylation of AgrA by the AgrC protein kinase is required for the overexpression of the agrBDCA operon and the RNAIII gene in a codY mutant during the exponential-growth phase, suggesting that the quorum-sensing system, which normally controls Agr C activation, is active even in exponential-phase cells in the absence of CodY.