Muthiah Kumaraswami

Muthiah Kumaraswami, PhD

Associate Professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Academic Institute
Associate Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist


Biography

Dr. Kumaraswami received his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. In 2008, Dr. Kumaraswami received the Amgen Award for Basic Science Research from the M.D. Anderson Alumni and Faculty Association. He joined the Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in 2010.

Description of Research

Dr. Kumaraswami conducts translational research on the gene regulatory and drug-binding mechanisms of transcription regulators in bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. His research focuses on three major proteins (RopB, RofA, and RocA) that are involved in the coordinated regulation of virulence gene expression and group A streptococci pathogenesis.

Areas Of Expertise

GAS pathogenesis Staphylococcus Aureus
Education & Training

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
BVSc, Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Chennai
PhD, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Publications

Engineered probiotic overcomes pathogen defences using signal interference and antibiotic production to treat infection in mice
Do, H, Li, ZR, Tripathi, PK, Mitra, S, Guerra, S, Dash, A, Weerasekera, D, Makthal, N, Shams, S, Aggarwal, S, Singh, BB, Gu, D, Du, Y, Olsen, RJ, LaRock, C, Zhang, W & Kumaraswami, M 2024, , Nature Microbiology, vol. 9, no. 2, 9, pp. 502-513. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01583-9

The leaderless communication peptide (LCP) class of quorum-sensing peptides is broadly distributed among Firmicutes
Aggarwal, S, Huang, E, Do, H, Makthal, N, Li, Y, Bapteste, E, Lopez, P, Bernard, C & Kumaraswami, M 2023, , Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 5947, pp. 5947. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41719-3

Managing Manganese: The Role of Manganese Homeostasis in Streptococcal Pathogenesis
Aggarwal, S & Kumaraswami, M 2022, , Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, vol. 10, 921920, pp. 921920. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.921920

Pvr and distinct downstream signaling factors are required for hemocyte spreading and epidermal wound closure at Drosophila larval wound sites
Tsai, CR, Wang, Y, Jacobson, A, Sankoorikkal, N, Chirinos, JD, Burra, S, Makthal, N, Kumaraswami, M & Galko, MJ 2022, , G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, vol. 12, no. 1, jkab388. https://doi.org/10.1093/G3JOURNAL/JKAB388

Molecular architecture of early dissemination and massive second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a major metropolitan area
Long, SW, Olsen, RJ, Christensen, PA, Bernard, DW, Davis, JJ, Shukla, M, Nguyen, M, Saavedra, MO, Yerramilli, P, Pruitt, L, Subedi, S, Kuo, HC, Hendrickson, H, Eskandari, G, Nguyen, HAT, Long, JH, Kumaraswami, M, Goike, J, Boutz, D, Gollihar, J, McLellan, JS, Chou, CW, Javanmardi, K, Finkelstein, IJ & Musser, JM 2020, , mBio, vol. 11, no. 6, e02707-20, pp. 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02707-20

Molecular Architecture of Early Dissemination and Massive Second Wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in a Major Metropolitan Area
Long, SW, Olsen, RJ, Christensen, PA, Bernard, DW, Davis, JJ, Shukla, M, Nguyen, M, Saavedra, MO, Yerramilli, P, Pruitt, L, Subedi, S, Kuo, HC, Hendrickson, H, Eskandari, G, Nguyen, HAT, Long, JH, Kumaraswami, M, Goike, J, Boutz, D, Gollihar, JD, McLellan, JS, Chou, CW, Javanmardi, K, Finkelstein, IJ & Musser, JM 2020, , Unknown Journal. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.22.20199125

Group a streptococcus AdcR regulon participates in bacterial defense against host-mediated zinc sequestration and contributes to virulence
Makthal, N, Do, H, Wendel, BM, Olsen, RJ, Helmann, JD, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2020, , Infection and Immunity, vol. 88, no. 8, e00097-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00097-20

Metal sensing and regulation of adaptive responses to manganese limitation by MtsR is critical for group A streptococcus virulence
Do, H, Makthal, N, Chandrangsu, P, Olsen, RJ, Helmann, JD, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2019, , Nucleic Acids Research, vol. 47, no. 15, pp. 8333-8334. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkz641

Metal sensing and regulation of adaptive responses to manganese limitation by MtsR is critical for group A streptococcus virulence
Do, H, Makthal, N, Chandrangsu, P, Olsen, RJ, Helmann, JD, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2019, , Nucleic Acids Research, vol. 47, no. 14, pp. 7476-7493. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkz524

Environmental pH and peptide signaling control virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes via a quorum-sensing pathway
Do, H, Makthal, N, VanderWal, AR, Saavedra, MO, Olsen, RJ, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2019, , Nature Communications, vol. 10, no. 1, 2586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10556-8

Integrated analysis of population genomics, transcriptomics and virulence provides novel insights into Streptococcus pyogenes pathogenesis
Kachroo, P, Eraso, JM, Beres, SB, Olsen, RJ, Zhu, L, Nasser, W, Bernard, PE, Cantu, CC, Saavedra, MO, Arredondo, MJ, Strope, B, Do, H, Kumaraswami, M, Vuopio, J, Gröndahl-Yli-Hannuksela, K, Kristinsson, KG, Gottfredsson, M, Pesonen, M, Pensar, J, Davenport, ER, Clark, AG, Corander, J, Caugant, DA, Gaini, S, Magnussen, MD, Kubiak, SL, Nguyen, HAT, Long, SW, Porter, AR, DeLeo, FR & Musser, JM 2019, , Nature Genetics, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 548-559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0343-1

Structural, biochemical, and in vivo characterization of MtrR-Mediated resistance to innate antimicrobials by the human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae
Beggs, GA, Zalucki, YM, Brown, NG, Rastegari, S, Phillips, RK, Palzkill, T, Shafer, WM, Kumaraswami, M & Brennan, RG 2019, , Journal of bacteriology, vol. 201, no. 20, e00401-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00401-19

Phosphatase activity of the control of virulence sensor kinase CovS is critical for the pathogenesis of group A streptococcus
Horstmann, N, Tran, CN, Brumlow, C, DebRoy, S, Yao, H, Nogueras Gonzalez, G, Makthal, N, Kumaraswami, M & Shelburne, SA 2018, , PLoS pathogens, vol. 14, no. 10, e1007354. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007354

Signaling by a conserved quorum sensing pathway contributes to growth ex vivo and oropharyngeal colonization of human pathogen group A streptococcus
Makthal, N, Do, H, VanderWal, AR, Olsen, RJ, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2018, , Infection and Immunity, vol. 86, no. 5, e00169-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00169-18

Zinc'ing it out: Zinc homeostasis mechanisms and their impact on the pathogenesis of human pathogen group A streptococcus
Makthal, N & Kumaraswami, M 2017, , Metallomics, vol. 9, no. 12, pp. 1693-1702. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7mt00240h

Leaderless secreted peptide signaling molecule alters global gene expression and increases virulence of a human bacterial pathogen
Do, H, Makthal, N, VanderWal, AR, Rettel, M, Savitski, MM, Peschek, N, Papenfort, K, Olsen, RJ, Musser, JM & Kumaraswami, M 2017, , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1705972114

Iron efflux by PmtA is critical for oxidative stress resistance and contributes significantly to group A Streptococcus virulence
VanderWal, AR, Makthal, N, Pinochet-Barros, A, Helmann, JD, Olsen, RJ & Kumaraswami, M 2017, , Infection and Immunity, vol. 85, no. 6, e00091-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00091-17

A Critical Role of Zinc Importer AdcABC in Group A Streptococcus-Host Interactions During Infection and Its Implications for Vaccine Development
Makthal, N, Nguyen, K, Do, H, Gavagan, M, Chandrangsu, P, Helmann, JD, Olsen, RJ & Kumaraswami, M 2017, , EBioMedicine, vol. 21, pp. 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.05.030

Multimerization of the Virulence-Enhancing Group A Streptococcus Transcription Factor RivR Is Required for Regulatory Activity
Ramalinga, A, Danger, JL, Makthal, N, Kumaraswami, M & Sumby, P 2017, , Journal of bacteriology, vol. 199, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00452-16

Structural Mechanisms of Peptide Recognition and Allosteric Modulation of Gene Regulation by the RRNPP Family of Quorum-Sensing Regulators
Do, H & Kumaraswami, M 2016, , Journal of Molecular Biology, vol. 428, no. 14, pp. 2793-2804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2016.05.026

VIEW FULL PUBLICATIONS