Faculty Pages - UF College of Dentistry

Jacqueline Abranches

Oral Biology

Research Assistant Professor
(352) 846-2520
jabranches@dental.ufl.edu

Ph.D., Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
    Microbiology, 2000

M.Sc., Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
    Microbiology, 1995

B.Sc, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
    Microbiology, 1992

Main Interests:

Streptococcus mutans is considered the primary etiological agent of dental caries. Its ability to metabolize a variety of sugars to generate acids is directly related to its cariogenicity. However, oral streptococci depend on dietary carbohydrates and carbohydrates presented in oral secretions for growth and persistence. The phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) is the primary sugar transport system in oral streptococci, especially under carbohydrate limiting conditions, and plays important roles in global control of gene expression. We are interested in the global regulatory role of the PTS enzyme EIIAB Man of S. mutans. We routinely use reporter gene fusions, functional genomics, continuous culture (chemostat), proteomics and microarrays to study the role of EIIAB Man in carbon catabolite repression, expression of virulence genes, stress tolerance, biofilm formation and physiology of S. mutans.

Publications:

Lemos, J.A., Brown, T.A. Jr, Abranches, J., & Burne, R.A. (2005). Characteristics of Streptococcus mutans strains lacking the MazEF and RelBE toxin-antitoxin modules. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 253(2), 251-257.

Lemos, J.A., Abranches, J., & Burne, R.A. (2005). Responses of cariogenic streptococci to environmental stresses. Curr Issues Mol Biol, 7(1), 95-107.

Abranches, J., Chen, Y.Y., & Burne, R.A. (2004). Galactose metabolism by Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol, 70(10), 6047-52.

Nascimento, M.M., Lemos, J.A., Abranches, J., Goncalves, R.B., & Burne, R.A. (2004). Adaptive acid tolerance response of Streptococcus sobrinus. J Bacteriol, 186(19), 6383-90.

Abranches, J., Chen, Y.Y., & Burne, R.A. (2003). Characterization of Streptococcus mutans strains deficient in EIIAB Man of the sugar phosphotransferase system. Appl Environ Microbiol, 69(8), 4760-9.

Koo, H., Pearson, S.K., Scott-Anne, K., Abranches, J., Cury, J.A., Rosalen, P.L., Park, Y.K., Marquis, R.E., & Bowen, W.H. (2002). Effects of apigenin and tt-farnesol on glucosyltransferase activity, biofilm viability and caries development in rats. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 17(6), 337-43.

Phan, T.N., Nguyen, P.T., Abranches, J., & Marquis, R.E. (2002). Fluoride and organic weak acids as respiration inhibitors for oral streptococci in acidified environments. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 17(2), 119-24.

Nguyen, P.T., Abranches, J., Phan TN, & Marquis, R.E. (2002). Repressed respiration of oral streptococci grown in biofilms. Curr Microbiol, 44(4), 262-6.

Abranches, J., Starmer WT, & Hagler AN. (2001). Yeast-Yeast Interactions in Guava and Tomato Fruits. Microb Ecol, 42(2), 186-192.

Abranches, J., Morais, P.B., Rosa , C.A. , Mendonca-Hagler, L.C., & Hagler, A.N. (1997). The incidence of killer activity and extracellular proteases in tropical yeast communities. Can J Microbiol, 43(4), 328-36.