Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Research Interest: Global gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus
Ph.D.: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Postdoctoral: National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Phone: 501-686-6731
Fax: 501-686-5359
Email: MOElasri@uams.edu
Research Description
The Elasri laboratory focuses on global gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus uses a complex network of regulators to modulate biofilm development, virulence, and antibiotic tolerance. We are studying how global regulators interact with various virulence genes to ensure survival of S. aureus in the host. We are particularly interested in the msaABCR operon and its role in S. aureus metabolic adaptation, antibiotic persistence, stress and host interaction. We are also targeting the global regulator MsaB protein to inhibit its activity by small molecules and potentially develop new therapeutic agents to address antibiotic resistance in staph infections.
Publications
- Bibek G C, Gyan S. Sahukhal, and Mohamed O. Elasri. 2021. msaABCR operon regulates weak acid dependent cell death via cidABC pathway during Staphylococcal biofilm formation. Journal of Bacteriology (Under Revision).
- Shanti Pandey, Gyan S. Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri. 2021. The msaABCR Operon Regulates Persister Formation in Staphylococcus aureus by Repressing Proton Motive Force Activity. Frontiers in Microbiology. 12:657753. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.657753.
- Samuel Hendry, Stephan Steinke, Kathrin Wittstein, Marc Stadler, Kirsten Harmrolfs, Yetunde Adewunmi, Gyan Sahukhal, Mohamed Elasri, Linda Thomashow, David Weller, Olga Mavrodi, Wulf Blankenfeldt, Dmitri Mavrodi. Functional Analysis of Phenazine Biosynthesis Genes in Burkholderia spp. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021 Mar 19:AEM.02348-20. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02348-20.
- Erendra Manandhar, Ashley D. G. Johnson, William M. Watson, Shelby D. Dickerson, Gyan S. Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri, Frank R. Fronczek, Peter J. Cragg, and Karl J. Wallace. 2020. Detection of ferric ions in a Gram-positive bacterial cell: Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Coordination Chemistry. DOI: 10.1080/00958972.2020.1868042.
- Gyan S. Sahukhal, Michelle Tucci, Hamed Benghuzzi, Gerri Wilson, Mohamed O. Elasri. 2020. Role of msaABCR operon in the chronic osteomyelitis in Staphylococcus aureus. BMC Microbiology. doi: 10.1186/s12866-020-01964-8.
- Yoann Augagneur, Alyssa King, Noëlla Germain-Amiot, Mohamed Sassi, John Fitzgerald, Gyan Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri, Brice Felden, and Shaun Brinsmade. 2020. Analysis of the CodY RNome reveals RsaD as a stress‐responsive riboregulator of overflow metabolism in Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular Microbiology. doi: 10.1111/mmi.14418.
- Joseph Rom, Aura Ramirez, Karen Beenken, Gyan Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri, and Mark Smeltzer. 2020. Impact of msaABCR on sarA-associated phenotypes in diverse clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Infection and Immunity. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00530-19.
- Shanti Pandey, Gyan S. Sahukhal, and Mohamed O. Elasri. 2019. The msaABCR operon regulates the response to oxidative stress in Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Bacteriology. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00417-19
- Bibek G C, Gyan S. Sahukhal, and Mohamed O. Elasri. 2019. Role of the msaABCR operon in cell wall biosynthesis, autolysis, cell wall integrity and antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00680-19.
- Imane Belyamania, Kyoungtae Kim, Shahab Kashani Rahimi, Gyan S. Sahukhal, Mohamed O. Elasri, Joshua U. Otaigbe. Creep, recovery and stress relaxation behavior of nanostructured bioactive calcium phosphate glass–POSS/polymer composites for bone implants studied under simulated physiological conditions. 2019. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.34335.