# Mechanisms of staphylococcal skin colonization

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $529,663

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The goal of this multi-PI project is to understand how Staphylococcus spp. bind to the skin surface. Although S.
aureus has the capability to cause significant disease in humans, most Staphylococcus spp. do not cause
disease but instead act as commensals or mutualists and adhere to the skin surface providing beneficial aspects
to the host. These benefits include inhibition of pathogen colonization by synthesis of unique antimicrobial
compounds in addition to appropriate immune system development. However, we do not know how
Staphylococcus spp adhere to skin. This application hypothesizes that species of staphylococci that colonize
humans do so in a conserved manner via an Aap (or SasG in S. aureus) orthologue that binds corneocytes. Aap
is a rod-like fibrillar protein that functions in initial adherence to corneocytes but also functions to mediate
intercellular accumulation. To address this hypothesis, we have proposed the following specific aims: (1)
understand the dynamics of Aap-mediated corneocyte adherence; (2) define the ligand specificity of Aap and
SasG lectin domains and (3) investigate S. aureus SasG-dependent mechanisms of skin colonization. Overall,
the proposed studies will address how staphylococci bind to skin, what ligand is bound, and thus could uncover
new layers of crosstalk between pathogen and the host, potentially leading to novel therapeutic modalities for
treating staphylococcal infections.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10769794
- **Project number:** 5R01AI162964-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** PAUL D FEY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $529,663
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-03-22 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10769794

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10769794, Mechanisms of staphylococcal skin colonization (5R01AI162964-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10769794. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*