This study shows that exogenous antimicrobial straight-chain unsaturated fatty acids (SCUFAs) promote low-temperature growth of Staphylococcus aureus by altering membrane lipid composition and enhancing carotenoid production.

bioRxiv · Aug 7, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Growth of Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of oleic acid shifts the glycolipid fatty acid profile and increases resistance to antimicrobial peptides

Djuro Raskovic, Gloria Alvarado, Kelly Marie Hines, Libin Xu, Craig Gatto, Brian J. Wilkinson, Antje Pokorny

This study shows that oleic acid alters S. aureus membrane lipid composition, increasing resistance to antimicrobial peptides by changing biophysical properties.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes · Nov 3, 2024Peer-reviewedBiophysics

Lipidomics of homeoviscous adaptation to low temperatures in Staphylococcus aureus utilizing exogenous straight-chain unsaturated fatty acids over biosynthesized endogenous branched-chain fatty acids

Shannon C. Barbarek, Ritika Shah, Sharanya Paul, Gloria Alvarado, Keerthi Appala, Emma C. Henderson, Evan T. Strandquist, Antje Pokorny, Vineet K. Singh, Craig Gatto, Jan-Ulrik Dahl, Kelly M. Hines, Brian J. Wilkinson

This paper shows that Staphylococcus aureus uses exogenous unsaturated fatty acids to enhance growth at low temperatures through lipid remodeling and carotenoid production.

bioRxiv · Feb 2, 2024 · PreprintMicrobiology

A Genetically Encoded Far-Red Fluorescent Indicator for Imaging Synaptically-Released Zn2+

Tianchen Wu, Manoj Kumar, Jing Zhang, Shengyu Zhao, Mikhail A. Drobizhev, Mason McCollum, Charles T. Anderson, Ying Wang, Antje Pokorny, Xiaodong Tian, Yiyu Zhang, Thanos Tzounopoulos, Hui‐wang Ai

This study develops a genetically encoded far-red fluorescent indicator (FRISZ) to image synaptic Zn2+ dynamics in live animals and demonstrates its use in the auditory cortex of awake mice.

Science Advances · Mar 1, 2023Peer-reviewedNeuroscience