GRK 1708:  Molecular Principles of Bacterial Survival Strategies

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: from 2012 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 174858087

• Final Report Year: 2021

Final Report Abstract

The topic of this research-training group (RTG), the molecular principles of bacterial survival strategies, addressed questions of central relevance in Microbiology. In order to use beneficial bacteria or to control pathogens, we need to understand how bacteria can survive in their natural environments. Whereas classic laboratory studies cultivate bacteria under optimal conditions where they grow exponentially, in most natural settings conditions prevail that - at least transiently - supress growth, damage cells, or prevent the colonization of habitats through competing organisms or host defense-systems. This selective pressure throughout bacterial evolution resulted in highly efficient strategies that enabled bacteria to endure or overcome unfavourable conditions and remain essential to successfully occupy ecological niches and to colonize new habitats and hosts. This makes the topic of great relevance to many fields in Microbiology, in basic and applied aspects, including bacterial ecology and physiology, biotechnology or medical microbiology. Therefore, it seemed to us a perfect umbrella to combine research from these diverse fields and to create synergies and added value. During the 9 years of funding, 13 PhD students were constantly funded by the DFG and additionally one Postdoc in the second funding period. Research within the RTG focussed on two principal project areas: Projects in area A addressed survival strategies that are based on intrinsic cellular processes, in particular specific adaptations of bacterial metabolism to overcome limitations. Project area B focused on survival strategies that are based on the synthesis of bioactive compounds, enabling survival against competitors in the environment. The RTG served as a highly collaborative consortium, combining members with microbiological expertise from very diverse fields, including molecular genetics, bacterial physiology, biophysics, bioinformatics, organic chemistry, and including cutting edge technologies and rapidly evolving methods of the post-genome era. This concept led to outstanding results, which would not have been obtained without this coordinated program. To name a few examples, the RTG identified novel bioactive molecules, such as the novel antibiotic lugdunin and the intriguing herbicidal antimetabolite 7-desoxisedoheptullose. Furthermore, novel metabolic pathways for the use of toxic compounds such as polyamines were discovered, and a powerful model system was established to study bacterial persistence and the awakening of dormant cells, which identified a genetically encoded cellular program of resuscitation from dormancy. This success can be ascribed to highly motivated students, who received in depth training in the frame of the RTG study program. Overall, this RTG strongly contributed to push forward the important research field of bacterial survival strategies and had a major impact on the development of microbiological research and PhD training at the University Tübingen.

Publications

• Intracellular monitoring of target protein production in Staphylococcus aureus by peptide tag-induced reporter fluorescence. Microb. Biotechnol. 5(1):129-134
  Gauger, T., F. Weihs, Mayer, S., Krismer, B., Liese, J., Kull, M., and. Bertram, R.
  
• System wide analysis of the evolution of innate immunity in the nematode model species Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus. Plos ONE. 7(9):e44255
  Sinha, A., Rae, R., Iatsenko, I., and Sommer, R. J.
  
• Impaired β-defensin expression in human skin links DEFB1 promoter polymorphisms with persistent Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage. J Infect Dis. 207(4):666-674
  Nurjadi, D., Herrmann, E., Hinderberger, I., Zanger, P.
  
• Metabolic Changes in Synechocystis PCC6803 upon Nitrogen-Starvation: Excess NADPH Sustains Polyhydroxybutyrate Accumulation. Metabolites 3(1):101-118
  Hauf, W., Schlebusch, M., Hüge, J., Kopka, J., Hagemann, M., Forchhammer, K.
  
• New Role for DCR-1/Dicer in Caenorhabditis elegans Innate Immunity against the Highly Virulent Bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis DB27. Infect. Immunity. 81(10):3942–3957
  Iatsenko, I., Sinha, A., Rödelsperger, C., Sommer, R. J.
  
• Opposing effects of aminocoumarins and fluoroquinolones on the SOS response and adaptability in Staphylococcus aureus. J. Antimic. Chemother. 63(3): 529-538
  Schröder, W., Goerke, C. and Wolz, C.
  
• Prokaryotic multicellularity: a nanopore array for bacterial cell communication. FASEB J. 227(6):2293-2300
  Lehner J, Berendt S, Dörsam B, Pérez R, Forchhammer K, and Maldener I
  
• Altering gene expression by aminocoumarins: the role of DNA supercoiling in Staphylococcus aureus. BMC Genomics. 15:291
  Schröder, W., Bernhardt, J., Marincola, G., Klein-Hitpass, L., Herbig, A., Krupp, G., Nieselt, K. and Wolz, C.
  
• Bacillus subtilis GS67 protects C. elegans from Gram-positive pathogens via fengycin-mediated microbial antagonism. Current Biol. 24(22):2720-2727
  Iatsenko, I., Yim, J.J., Schroeder, F.C. and Sommer, R.J.
  
• Bacillus thuringiensis DB27 produces two novel protoxins, Cry21Fa1 and Cry21Ha1, which act synergistically against nematodes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 80(10):3266-3275
  Iatsenko, I., Boichenko, I. and Sommer, R. J.
  
• BIIL 284 reduces neutrophil numbers but increases P. aeruginosa bacteremia and inflammation in mouse lungs. J Cyst Fibros.13(2):156-163
  Döring, G., Bragonzi, A., Paroni, M., Akturk, F.F., Cigana, C., Schmidt, A., et al.
  
• Draft genome sequence of highly nematicidal Bacillus thuringiensis DB27. Genome Announcements. 2(1):e00101-14
  Iatsenko, I., Conton, C., Pickard, D., Dougan, G. and Sommer, R. J.
  
• Endotoxicity of lipopolysaccharide as a determinant of T-cell-mediated colitis induction in mice. Gastroenterology 146(3):765-775
  Gronbach, K., Flade, I., Holst, O., ... Autenrieth, I.B. and Frick, J.S.
  
• Identification of distinct Bacillus thuringiensis 4A4 nematicidal factors using the model nematodes Pristionchus pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxins 6(7):2050-2063
  Iatsenko, I., Nikolov, A. and Sommer, R.J.
  
• Neutrophil elastase-mediated increase in airway temperature during inflammation. J Cyst Fibros. 13(6):623-631
  Schmidt, A., Belaaouaj, A., Bissinger, R., ... and Döring, G.
  
• Identification and activation of novel biosynthetic gene clusters by genome mining in the kirromycin producer Streptomyces collinus Tü 365. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 2015 Oct
  Iftime, D., Kulik, A., Härtner, T., Rohrer, S., Niedermeyer, T. H. J., Stegmann, E., ... and Wohlleben, W.
  
• Metabolic pathway engineering using the central signal processor PII. Microbial Cell Factories 14:192
  Watzer, B., Engelbrecht, A., Hauf, W., Stahl, M., Maldener, I. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• Nitrogen Starvation Acclimation in Synechococcus elongatus: Redox-Control and the Role of Nitrate Reduction as an Electron Sink. Life. 5(1):888-904
  Klotz, A., Reinhold, E., Doello, S. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Temporal Expression of the Capsular Polysaccharide in Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Microbiol
  George, S.E., Nguyen T., Geiger, T., Weidenmaier C., Lee JC., Liese J. and Wolz C.
  
• Photoautotrophic PHB granule formation: Identification and characterization of the cyanobacterial Phasin in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Appl Environ Microbiol 81(13):4411-4422
  Hauf, W., Watzer, B., Roos, N., Klotz, A. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• Protection of phototrophic iron (II)-oxidizing bacteria from UV irradiation by biogenic iron (III) minerals: Implications for early Archean banded iron formation. Geology, G37095-7091
  Gauger, T., Konhauser, K., and Kappler, A.
  
• A. High frequency and diversity of antimicrobial activities produced by nasal Staphylococcus strains against bacterial competitors. PLoS Pathog12(8):e1005812
  Janek, D., Zipperer, A., Kulik, A., Krismer, B. and Peschel
  
• Awakening of a Dormant Cyanobacterium from Nitrogen Chlorosis Reveals a Genetically Determined Program. Curr Biol
  Klotz, A. Georg, J., Bučinská, L., Watanabe, S., Reimann, V., Januszewski, W., Sobotka, R., Jendrossek, D., Hess, W.R. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• Clear differences in metabolic and morphological adaptations of akinetes of two Nostocales living in different habitats. Microbiology162(2):214-23
  Perez, R., Forchhammer, K. Salerno, G. and Maldener, I.
  
• CXCR1 Regulates Pulmonary Anti-Pseudomonas Host Defense. J Innate Immun
  Carevic, M., Oz, H., Fuchs, K., Laval, J., Schroth, C., Frey, N., Hector, A., Bilich, T., Haug, M., Schmidt, A., Autenrieth, S.E., Bucher, K., Beer-Hammer, S., Gaggar, A,. Kneilling, M., Benarafa, C., Gao, J.L., Murphy, P.M., Schwarz, S., Moepp,s B. and Hartl, D.
  
• Extensive mobilome-driven genome diversification in gut-associated Bacteroides vulgatus mpk. Genome Biology and Evolution
  Lange, A., Beier, S., Autenrieth, I.B., Huson, D. and Frick, J.S.
  
• Human commensals producing a novel antibiotic impair pathogen colonization. Nature
  Zipperer, A., Konnerth, M.C., Laux, C., Berscheid, A., Janek, D., Weidenmaier, C., Burian, M., Schilling, N.A., Slavetinsky, C., Marschal, M., Willman, M., Kalbacher, H., Schitteck, B., Brötz-Oesterhelt, H., Grond, S., Peschel, A. and Krismer, B.
  
• Identification and activation of novel biosynthetic gene clusters by genome mining in the kirromycin producer Streptomyces collinus Tü 365. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 43(2-3):277-91
  Iftime, D., Kulik, A., Härtner, T., Rohrer, S., Niedermeyer, T.H.J., Stegmann, E., ... and Wohlleben, W.
  
• Influence of organics and silica on Fe(II) oxidation rates and cell-mineral aggregate formation by the green-sulfur Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium Chlorobium ferrooxidans KoFox - implications for Fe(II) oxidation in ancient oceans. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 443, 81-89
  Gauger, T., Byrne, J.M., Konhauser, K.O., Obst, M., Crowe, S., Kappler, A.
  
• Interaction of the Nitrogen Regulatory Protein GlnB (PII) with Biotin Carboxyl Carrier Protein (BCCP) Controls Acetyl-CoA Levels in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Front Microbiol
  Hauf, W., Schmidt, K., Gerhardt, E.C.M., Huergo, L.F. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• Metagenomic analyses of the autotrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing enrichment Culture KS. Appl Environ Microbiol 8;82(9):2656-68
  He, S., Tominski, C., Kappler, A., Behrens, S. and Roden, E.E.
  
• Oxygen-dependent regulation of c-di-GMP synthesis by SadC controls alginate production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Environ Microbiol
  Schmidt, A., Hammerbacher, A.S., Bastian, M., Nieken, K.J., Klockgether, J., Merighi, M., Lapouge, K., Poschgan, C., Kölle, J., Acharya, K.R., Ulrich, M., Tümmler, B., Unden, G., Kaever, V., Lory, S., Haas, D., Schwarz, S. and Döring, G.
  
• Peptidoglycan Recycling in Gram-Positive Bacteria Is Crucial for Survival in Stationary Phase. MBio, 11;7(5). pii: e00923-16
  Borisova, M., Gaupp, R., Duckworth, A., Schneider, A., Dalügge, D., Mühleck, M., Deubel D., Unsleber, S., Yu, W., Muth, G., Bischoff, M., Götz, F. and Mayer, C.
  
• Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Granules have no Phospholipids. Scientific Reports on May, 5 (SREP-16-09104A)
  Bresan, S., Sznajder, A., Hauf, W., Forchhammer, K., Pfeiffer, D. and Jendrossek, D.
  
• Post-translational Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation and Lysine Acetylation: A Novel Regulatory Aspect of the Global Nitrogen Response Regulator GlnR in S. coelicolor M145. Front Mol Biosci, 9;3:38
  Amin, R., Franz-Wachtel, M., Tiffert, Y., Heberer, M., Meky, M., Ahmed, Y., Matthews, A., Krysenko, S., Jakobi, M., Hinder, M., Moore, J., Okoniewski, N., Maček, B., Wohlleben, W. and Bera, A.
  
• Protection of nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria from UV radiation by biogenic Fe(III) minerals. Astrobiology 16(4):301-10
  Gauger, T., Konhauser, K.O. and Kappler, A.
  
• Symbiotic gut commensal bacteria act as host cathepsin S activity regulators. Journal of Autoimmunity 75:82-95
  Steimle, A., Gronbach, K., Beifuss, B., Schäfer, A., Harmening, R., Bender, A., Maerz, J.K., Lange, A., Michaelis, L., Maurer, A., Menz, S., McCoy, K., Autenrieth, I.B., Kalbacher, H., Frick, J.S.
  
• (2017) Activation of the glmS ribozyme confers bacterial growth inhibition. Chembiochem. 18(5):435-440
  Schüller A, Matzner D, Lünse CE, Wittmann V, Schumacher C, Unsleber S, Brötz- Oesterhelt H, Mayer C, Bierbaum G, Mayer G
  
• (2017) Insights into nitrate-reducing Fe(II) oxidation mechanisms by analyzing cell-mineral associations, cell encrustation and mineralogy in the chemolithoautotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing enrichment culture KS. Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  Nordhoff, M., Tominski, C., Halama, M., Byrne, J.M., Obst, M., Kleindienst, S., Behrens, S., Kappler, A.
  
• (2017) The commensal lifestyle of Staphylococcus aureus and its interactions with the nasal microbiota. Nat Rev Microbiol 15:675-687
  Krismer B, Weidenmaier C, Zipperer A, Peschel A
  
• (2017) Utilization of glycerophosphodiesters by Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Microbiol 103(2):229-241
  Jorge AM, Schneider J, Unsleber S, Göhring N, Mayer C, Peschel A
  
• Absence of ppGpp Leads to Increased Mobilization of Intermediately Accumulated Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) in Ralstonia eutropha H16. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2017 Jul 1; 83(13)
  Jüngert, JR.; M. Borisova, C. Mayer, C. Wolz, Christopher J. Brigham, Anthony J. Sinskey, and Dieter Jendrossek
  
• An important question: Which LPS do you use? Virulence. 2017 Nov 17;8(8):1890-1893
  Parusel R, Steimle A, Lange A, Schäfer A, Maerz JK, Bender A, Frick JS
  
• Cytotoxicity assays as predictors of the safety and efficacy of antimicrobial agents. Methods Mol Biol. 1520:107-118
  Zipperer, A. and Kretschmer, D.
  
• Enzymatic synthesis and semi-preparative isolation of N-acetylmuramic acid 6-phosphate. Carbohydrate Research
  Unsleber, S., Borisova, M. and Mayer, C.
  
• Gamma-Glutamylpolyamine Synthetase GlnA3 Is Involved in the First Step of Polyamine Degradation Pathway in Streptomyces coelicolor M145. Front Microbiol2017 Apr 25;8:726
  Krysenko, S., Okoniewski, N., Kulik, A., Matthews, A., Grimpo, J., Wohlleben, W., and Bera, A.
  
• Glycogen a major player for bacterial survival and awakening from dormancy. Future Microbiol12:101-104
  Klotz, A. and Forchhammer, K.
  
• PII Protein-Derived FRET Sensors for Quantification and Live-Cell Imaging of 2-Oxoglutarate. Sci Rep 7: 1437
  Lüddecke, J., Francois, L., Spät, P., Watzer, B., Chilczuk, T., Forchhammer, K.
  
• Role of Two Cell Wall Amidases in Septal Junction and Nanopore Formation in the Multicellular Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2017 Sep 5;7:386
  Bornikoel J, Carrión A, Fan Q, Flores E, Forchhammer K, Mariscal V, Mullineaux CW, Perez R, Silber N, Wolk CP, Maldener I.
  
• (2018) Recovery of the peptidoglycan turnover product released by the autolysin Atl in Staphylococcus aureus involves the phosphotransferase system transporter MurP and the novel 6-phospho- N-acetylmuramidase MupG. Front Microbiol. 9:2725
  Kluj RM, Ebner P, Adamek M, Ziemert N, Mayer C, Borisova M
  
• 2018 Microbial anaerobic Fe(II) oxidation – Ecology, mechanisms and environmental implications. Environmental Microbiology 20(10), 3462–3483
  ryce, Cc, Nia Blackwell, Caroline Schmidt, Julia Otte, YM. Huang, Sara Kleindienst, Elizabeth Tomaszewski, Manuel Schad, Viola Warter, Chao Peng, James M. Byrne, A. Kappler
  
• 2018. A specific glycogen mobilization strategy enables awakening of dormant cyanobacteria from chlorosis. Plant Physiology
  Doello, Sofia, Alexander Klotz, Alexander Makowka, Kirstin Gutekunst, Karl Forchhammer
  
• 2018. ATP-binding cassette transporters of the multicellular cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120: a wide variety for a complex lifestyle, FEMS Microbiology Letters, Volume 365, Issue 4
  Shvarev, D., I. Maldener
  
• 2018. Chlorosis as a developmental program in cyanobacteria: the proteomic fundament for survival and awakening. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 17 (9) 1650-1669
  Spät, P, A. Klotz, Sascha Rexroth, Boris Maček and K. Forchhammer
  
• 2018. Growth and population dynamics of the anaerobic FeII-oxidizing and nitrate-reducing enrichment culture KS. Appl Environ Microbiol 84:e02173-17
  Tominski C, Heyer H, LösekannBehrens T, Behrens S, Kappler A
  
• 2018. Insights into carbon metabolism provided by fluorescence in situ hybridization-secondary-ion mass spectrometry imaging of an autotrophic, nitrate-reducing, FeII-oxidizing enrichment culture. Appl Environ Microbiol 84:e02166-17
  Tominski C, Lösekann-Behrens T, Ruecker A, Hagemann N, Kleindienst S, Mueller CW, Höschen C, Kögel-Knabner I, Kappler A, Behrens S
  
• 2018. Ralstonia eutropha's Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)(PHB) polymerase PhaC1 and PHB depolymerase PhaZa1 are phosphorylated in vivo. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, AEM.00604–18
  Jüngert, J. R., Patterson, C., & Jendrossek, D.
  
• 2018. Recovery of the Peptidoglycan turnover product released by the autolysin Atl in Staphylococcus aureus involves the phosphotransferase system transporter MurP and the novel 6-phospho- N-acetylmuramidase MupG. Front Microbiol.9:2725
  Kluj RM, Ebner P, Adamek M, Ziemert N, Mayer C, Borisova M
  
• 2018. Staphylococcus aureus counters phosphate limitation by scavenging wall teichoic acids from other staphylococci via the teichoicase GlpQ. J Biol Chem. 293(38):14916-14924
  Jorge AM, Schneider J, Unsleber S, Xia G, Mayer C, Peschel A
  
• 2018. The ABC Transporter Components HgdB and HgdC are Important for Glycolipid Layer Composition and Function of Heterocysts in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Life 8, 26
  Shvarev, D.; Nishi, C.N.; Wörmer, L.; Maldener, I.
  
• A highly asynchronous developmental program triggered during germination of dormant akinetes of filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2018 Jan 1;94(1)
  Perez R, Wörmer L, Sass P, Maldener I
  
• Galleria mellonella: A Novel Invertebrate Model to Distinguish Intestinal Symbionts From Pathobionts. Front Immunol. 2018 Sep 19;9:2114
  Lange A, Schäfer A, Bender A, Steimle A, Beier S, Parusel R, Frick JS
  
• Genome Sequence of Galleria mellonella (Greater Wax Moth). Genome Announc. 2018 Jan 11;6(2). pii: e01220-17
  Lange A, Beier S, Huson DH, Parusel R, Iglauer F, Frick JS
  
• Outer membrane vesicles blebbing contributes to B. vulgatus mpk-mediated immune response silencing. Gut Microbes. 2018 Jan 2;9(1):1-12
  Maerz JK, Steimle A, Lange A, Bender A, Fehrenbacher B, Frick JS
  
• (2019) Bacteria's different ways to recycle their own cell wall. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 309(7):151326
  Mayer C, Kluj RM, Mühleck M, Walter A, Unsleber S, Hottmann I, Borisova M
  
• (2019) Staphylococcus aureus Colonization of the Human Nose and Interaction with Other Microbiome Members. Microbiol Spectr 7(2)
  Laux C, Peschel A, Krismer B
  
• (2019): Cyanobacterial antimetabolite 7-deoxy-sedoheptulose blocks the shikimate pathway to inhibit the growth of prototrophic organisms. Nature Communications 10 (1), p. 545
  Brilisauer, K., J. Rapp, P. Rath; A. Schöllhorn; L. Bleul; E. Weiß; S. Grond & K. Forchhammer
  
• (2019): Function and regulation of Staphylococcus aureus wall teichoic acids and capsular polysaccharides. Int J Med Microbiol. 2019 Jul 18:151333
  Keinhörster D, George SE, Weidenmaier C, Wolz C
  
• (2019): Initial Metabolic Step of a Novel Ethanolamine Utilization Pathway and Its Regulation in Streptomyces coelicolor M145. MBio. 2019 May 21;10(3)
  Krysenko S, Matthews A, Okoniewski N, Kulik A, Girbas MG, Tsypik O, Meyners CS, Hausch F, Wohlleben W, Bera A.
  
• (2019): Oxidative stress drives the selection of quorum sensing mutants in the Staphylococcus aureus population. PNAS 2019 Sep 17;116(38):19145- 19154
  George SE, Hrubesch J, Breuing I, Vetter N, Korn N, Hennemann K, Bleul L, Willmann M, Ebner P, Götz F, Wolz C
  
• (2019): PHB is Produced from Glycogen Turn-over during Nitrogen Starvation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 20;20(8). pii: E1942
  Koch M, Doello S, Gutekunst K, Forchhammer K
  
• (2019): Revisiting the regulation of the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis gene cluster in Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular Microbiology 2019 Jul 8
  Keinhörster D, Salzer A, Duque-Jaramillo A, George SE, Marincola G, Lee JC, Weidenmaier C, Wolz C
  
• (2019): Synthetic Lugdunin Analogues Reveal Essential Structural Motifs for Antimicrobial Action and Proton Translocation Capability. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 1 – 6
  Schilling, Nadine A. , Anne Berscheid, Johannes Schumacher, Julian S. Saur, Martin C. Konnerth, Sebastian N. Wirtz, José M. Beltrán-Belena, Alexander Zipperer, Bernhard Krismer, Andreas Peschel, Hubert Kalbacher, Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt, Claudia Steinem, and Stephanie Grond
  
• (2019): α-Amino Diphenyl Phosphonates as Novel Inhibitors of Escherichia coli ClpP Protease. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2019 62 (2), 774-797
  Moreno-Cinos, C., Elisa Sassetti, Irene G. Salado, Gesa Witt, Siham Benramdane, L. Reinhardt, Cristina D. Cruz, Jurgen Joossens, Pieter Van der Veken, H. Brötz-Oesterhelt, Päivi Tammela, Mathias Winterhalter, Philip Gribbon, Björn Windshügel, and Koen Augustyns
  
• 2019. How glyphosate and its associated acidity affect early development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) PeerJ 7:e7094
  Schweizer M, Brilisauer K, Triebskorn R, Forchhammer K, Köhler H
  
• A Galleria mellonella Oral Administration Model to Study Commensal-Induced Innate Immune Responses. J Vis Exp. 2019 Mar 21;(145)
  Lange A, Schäfer A, Frick JS
  
• Flagellin hypervariable region determines symbiotic properties of commensal Escherichia coli strains. PLoS Biol. 2019 Jun 17;17(6):e3000334
  Steimle A, Menz S, Bender A, Ball B, Weber ANR, Hagemann T, Lange A, Maerz JK, Parusel R, Michaelis L, Schäfer A, Yao H, Löw HC, Beier S, Tesfazgi Mebrhatu M, Gronbach K, Wagner S, Voehringer D, Schaller M, Fehrenbacher B, Autenrieth IB, Oelschlaeger TA, Frick JS
  
• Glycolipid composition of the heterocyst envelope of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 is crucial for diazotrophic growth and relies on the UDP-galactose 4-epimerase HgdA. Microbiologyopen. 2019 Aug;8(8):e00811
  Shvarev D, Nishi CN, Maldener I
  
• Roles of DevBCA-like ABC transporters in the physiology of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Int J Med Microbiol. 2019 Jul;309(5):325-330
  Shvarev D, Maldener I
  
• Two DevBCA-like ABC transporters are involved in the multidrug resistance of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. FEBS Lett. 2019 Jul;593(14):1818-1826
  Shvarev D, Nishi CN, Maldener I
  
• Weak Agonistic LPS Restores Intestinal Immune Homeostasis. Mol Ther. 2019 Nov 6;27(11):1974-1991
  Steimle A, Michaelis L, Di Lorenzo F, Kliem T, Münzner T, Maerz JK, Schäfer A, Lange A, Parusel R, Gronbach K, Fuchs K, Silipo A, Öz HH, Pichler BJ, Autenrieth IB, Molinaro A, Frick JS
  
• (2020) Secretion of and Self-Resistance to the Novel Fibupeptide Antimicrobial Lugdunin by Distinct ABC Transporters in Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 65:e01734-20
  Krauss S, Zipperer A, Wirtz S, Saur J, Konnerth MC, Heilbronner S, Torres Salazar BO, Grond S, Krismer B, Peschel A
  
• (2020): Bacterial diet-derived vitamin B12 enhances nematode predation and surplus-killing. The ISME Journal
  Akduman, N., Roedelsperger, C., Lightfoot, J. W., Roeseler, W., Witte, H., Lo, W.-S. & Sommer, R. J.
  
• 2020. Ambigols from the Cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua increase Prodigiosin Production in Serratia spp. ACS Chem Biol, 15: 2929-2936
  Chilczuk, T. R. Monson, P. Schmieder, V. Christov, H. Enke., G. Salmond, T.H.J. Niedermeyer
  
• 2020. An ECF-type transporter scavenges heme to overcome iron-limitation in Staphylococcus lugdunensis. eLife 2020;9:e57322
  ochim A., Adolf L., Belikova D., Schilling N.A., Setyawati I., Chin D., Meyers S., Verhamme P., Heinrichs D.E., Slotboom D.J., Heilbronner S.
  
• 2020. Bacterial immunogenicity is critical for the induction of regulatory B cells in suppressing inflammatory immune responses. Frontiers in Immunology 10, 3093
  Maerz, J.K., Trostel, C., Lange, A., Parusel, R., Michaelis, L., Schäfer, A., Yao, H., Löw, H.C., Frick, J.S.
  
• 2020. The HlyD-like membrane fusion protein All5304 is essential for acid stress survival of the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 367(15):fnaa108
  Shvarev D, Maldener I
  
• (2021) Recovery of unicellular cyanobacteria from nitrogen chlorosis: A model for Resusciation of Dormant Bacteria. Microb Physiol 31:78–87
  Neumann N.; Doello S.; Forchhammer K.
  
• (2021): 5-Deoxyadenosine metabolism – more than “waste disposal”. Review. In: Microbial Physiology
  Rapp, J. & K. Forchhammer
  
• (2021): Allelopathy of 7-deoxysedoheptulose depends on promiscuous uptake by sugar transporters and competitive inhibition of the 3-dehydroquinate synthase. Frontiers Microbiol.
  Rapp, J., B. Wagner, K. Brilisauer & K. Forchhammer
  
• 2021, The essential role of sodium bioenergetics and ATP homeostasis in the developmental transitions of a cyanobacterium. Current Biology 31, 1–10
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