IFR 128 BioSciences Gerland - Lyon Sud
U851 INSERM-UCBL-HCL

Team leaders : François VANDENESCH et Jerome ETIENNE
Staphylococcal pathogenesis
Address :
 
INSERM U851
Tel :
 33 4 78 77 86 57

Faculté Laennec
Fax :
 33 4 78 77 85 58
Rue G. Paradin
E-mails :
 denesch [at] univ-lyon1.fr
69372 Lyon Cedex 08 jetienne [at] univ-lyon1.fr
 
Scientific projet :
Staphylococcal pathogenesis results from the expression of numerous virulence factors such as adhesins with affinity for extracellular matrix proteins and exoproteins, notably staphylococcal superantigens and Panton Valentine leukocidin (PVL). Expression of these virulence factors is controlled by the 517nt-pleitoropic regulatory RNA, RNAIII. Our general research objective is a global approach of staphylococcal diseases and our research concerns :
clinical microbiology and molecular epidemiology of staphylococci, clinical characteristics of new and/or emerging staphylococcal diseases. This research benefits from the National Reference Center for Staphylococci network of clinicians and microbiologists, and also from the collection of strains and biological materials collected through the activity of the NRCS.
physiopathology of staphylococcal diseases and new therapeutic approaches:
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physiopathology of PVL associated diseases, especially the necrotizing pneumonia for which we have demonstrated the pro-apoptotic function of PVL, a global dysregulation of S. aureus virulence factors mediated by pre-secreted PVL, and the post secretory function of the PVL signal peptide which behaves as an adhesin for epithelial cell-associated heparan sulfates
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physiopathology of superantigen-associated diseases, including immunomodulatory function of superantigens on mononuclear cells, potential induction of immune tolerance by newly described superantigens (enterotoxin gene cluster), promising role of these new superantigens in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion in human.
fundamental research aiming to understand the structure-function of the regulatory agr-RNAIII as well as the characterization and biological significance of a series of novel non-coding RNAs.
 
PubMed list of publications
Recent significant publications (the names of team members are underlined):
  • Gillet Y, Issartel B, Vanhems P, Fournet JC, Lina G, Bes M, Vandenesch F, Piemont Y, Brousse N, Floret D, Etienne J. Association between Staphylococcus aureus strains carrying gene for Panton Valentine leukocidin and highly lethal necrotising pneumonia in young immunocompetent patients.
    Lancet 2002; 359:753-9.
  • Vandenesch F, Naimi T, Enright MC, Lina G, Nimmo GR, Heffernan H, Liassine N, Bes M, Greenland T, Reverdy ME, Etienne J.
    Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrying Panton Valentine leukocidin genes: worldwide emergence.
    Emerg Infect Dis 2003; 9:978-84.
  • Huntzinger E, Boisset S (equal contribution EH & SB), Saveanu C, Benito Y, Geissmann T, Namane A, Lina G, Etienne J, Ehresmann B, Ehresmann C, Jacquier A, Vandenesch F (equal senior autorship with P.Romby), Romby P.
    Staphylococcus aureus RNAIII and the endoribonuclease III coordinately regulate spa gene expression.
    Embo J 2005; 24:824-35.
  • Genestier AL, Michallet MC, Prévost G, Bellot G, Chalabreysse L, Peyrol S, Thivolet F, Etienne J, Lina G, Vallette FM, Vandenesch F (equal senior autorship with L. Genestier), Genestier L. Staphylococcus aureus Panton Valentine leukocidin directly targets mitochondria and induces Bax-independent apoptosis of human neutrophils.
    J Clin Invest. 2005 Nov;115(11):3117-27.
  • Massey RC, Horsburgh MJ, Lina G, Hook M, Recker M.
    The evolution and maintenance of virulence in Staphylococcus aureus: a role forhost-to-host transmission?
    Nat Rev Microbiol. 2006 Dec;4(12):953-8. Review.
  • Labandeira-Rey M, Couzon F, Boisset S, Brown EL, Bes M, Benito Y, Barbu EM,Vazquez V, Hook M, Etienne J, Vandenesch F (equal senior autorship with MG Bowden), Bowden MG.
    Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin causes necrotizing pneumonia.
    Science. 2007 Feb 23;315(5815):1130-3
  • Boisset S, Geissmann T, Huntzinger E, Fechter P, Bendridi N, Possedko M, Chevalier C, Helfer AC, Benito Y, Jacquier A, Gaspin C, Vandenesch F, Romby P (senior authors FV and PR).
    Staphylococcus aureus RNAIII coordinately represses the synthesis of virulence factors and the transcription regulator Rot by an antisense mechanism.
    Genes Dev. 2007 Jun 1;21(11):1353-66.
  • Thomas D, Dauwalder O, Brun V, Badiou C, Ferry T, Etienne J, Vandenesch F, Lina G. Staphylococcus aureus superantigens elicit redundant and extensive human Vbeta patterns.
    Infect Immun 2009;77:2043
  • Tristan A, Benito Y, Montserret R, Boisset S, Dusserre E, Penin F, Ruggiero F, Etienne J, Lortat-Jacob H, Lina G, Bowden MG, Vandenesch F.
    The signal peptide of Staphylococcus aureus panton valentine leukocidin LukS component mediates increased adhesion to heparan sulfates.
    PLoS One 2009;4:e5042.

3/08/2009