Faculty Pages - UF College of Dentistry

Arnold S. Bleiweis

Oral Biology

Graduate Research Professor Emeritus
(352) 846-0784
bleiweis@dental.ufl.edu

Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University,
    Microbiology/Biochemistry, 1964

M.S., Pennsylvania State University,
    Bacteriology/Biochemistry, 1960

B.S., Brooklyn College (New York),
    Biology/Chemistry, 1958

Main Interests:

Current research involves studies of acid tolerance in the cariogenic species Streptococcus mutans. By using transposon - based mutagenic techniques, we have isolated a number of acid-sensitive mutants and, from these strains, recovered, several genes apparently vital to the acid tolerance phenotype. We have cloned and characterized the icd gene encoding isocitric dehydrogenase, an enzyme necessary for glutamic acid biosynthesis, and apparently necessary for acid resistance. Also, we have discovered an entire operon (sat, for secretion and acid tolerance) consisting of 5 genes, including ffh which encodes a major protein component of the procaryotic signal recognition particle (SRP). We have found that mRNA levels for sat genes are markedly increased at low pH levels although knock-outs of the ffh locus are not lethal in this species as they are in E. coli. or B. subtilis. Present studies are directed at learning which proteins are translocated by the SRP and the relationship, if any, of the inducible promoter region to other promoters controlled by environmental conditions.

Publications:

Hasona, A., Crowley, P.J., Levesque, C.M., Mair, R.W., Cvitkovitch, D.G., Bleiweis, A.S., & Brady, L.J. Streptococcal viability and diminished stress tolerance in mutants lacking the signal recognition particle pathway or YidC2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. [in press]

Zuobi-Hasona, K., Crowley , P.J., Hasona, A., Bleiweis, A.S., & Brady, L.J. (2005). Solubilization of cellular membrane proteins from Streptococcus mutans for two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis, 26(6), 1200-5.

Seifert, T.B., Bleiweis, A.S., & Brady, L.J. (2004). Contribution of the alanine-rich region of Streptococcus mutans P1 to antigenicity, surface expression, and interaction with the proline-rich repeat domain. Infect Immun, 72(8), 4699-706.

Crowley , P.J., Svensater, G., Snoep, J.L., Bleiweis, A.S., & Brady, L.J. (2004). An ffh mutant of Streptococcus mutans is viable and able to physiologically adapt to low pH in continuous culture. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 234(2), 315-24. Erratum in: FEMS Microbiol Lett, 236(1), 161.

Seifert, K.N, McArthur, W.P., Bleiweis, A.S., & Brady, L.J. (2003). Characterization of group B streptococcal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: surface localization, enzymatic activity, and protein-protein interactions. Can J Microbiol, 49(5), 350-6.

Kremer, B.H., van der Kraan, M., Crowley , P.J., Hamilton , I.R., Brady, L.J., & Bleiweis, A.S. (2001). Characterization of the sat operon in Streptococcus mutans: evidence for a role of Ffh in acid tolerance. J Bacteriol, 183(8), 2543-52.

Boyd, D.A., Cvitkovitch, D.G., Bleiweis, A.S., Kiriukhin, M.Y., Debabov, D.V., Neuhaus, F.C., & Hamilton , I.R. (2000). Defects in D-alanyl-lipoteichoic acid synthesis in Streptococcus mutans results in acid sensitivity. J Bacteriol, 182(21), 6055-65.

Cote , C.K., Cvitkovitch, D., Bleiweis, A.S., & Honeyman, A.L. (2000). A novel beta-glucoside-specific PTS locus from Streptococcus mutans that is not inhibited by glucose. Microbiology, 146 (Pt 7), 1555-63.

Cvitkovitch, D.G., Gutierrez, J.A., Behari, J., Youngman, P.J., Wetz, J.E., Crowley , P.J., Hillman, J.D., Brady, L.J., & Bleiweis, A.S. (2000). Tn917-lac mutagenesis of Streptococcus mutans to identify environmentally regulated genes. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 182(1), 149-54.