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Paul S. Cohen
Professor
387 CBLS Bldg.
Phone: 401-874-5920
Email:  pco1697u@postoffice.uri.edu
Education:
  • A.B. Brandeis University
  • A.M. Boston University
  • Ph.D. Boston University
Courses:
  • MIC211, Introductory Microbiology
  • MIC413, Advanced Microbiology
  • MIC552, Microbial Genetics
Research:

Microbial genetics, the molecular basis of the abilities of enteric bacteria to colonize the mammalian large intestine, the molecular basis of bacterial pathogenesis.

The research in this laboratory focuses on bacterial genes involved in the abilities of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium to colonize and/or cause intestinal disease. Our goals are to make effective bacterial vaccines (e.g. E. coli and S. typhimurium) and to construct commensal E. coli strains that can prevent E. coli pathogens (e.g. O157:H7 strains) from colonizing.

Lab Information:
Office: CBLS, Room 387
Phone: 401-874-5920
    Selected Publications:

  1. Conway, T., and Cohen P.S. Escherichia coli at the Intestinal Mucosal Surface. In 4th Edition Virulence Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogens. K.A. Brogden, F.C. Minion,, N. Cornick, T.B. Stanton, Q. Zhang, L.K. Nolan, and M.J. Wannemuehler (eds.), American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, D. C., pp. 175-196, 2007.

  2. Miranda, R.L., Conway, T., Leatham, M.P., Chang, D.E., Norris,W.E., Allen, J.H., Stevenson, S.J., Laux, D.C., and Cohen, P.S. Glycolytic and Gluconeogenic Growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EDL933) and E.coli K-12 (MG1655) in the Mouse Intestine. Infect. Immun.72:1666-1676, 2004.

  3. Chang, D.E., Smalley D. J., Tucker, D. L., Mary P. Leatham, M.P., Norris, W.E., Stevenson, S.J., Anderson, A.B., Grissom, J.E., Laux, D.C.,Cohen, P.S., and Conway, T. 2004. Carbon nutrition of Escherichia coli in the mouse intestine. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:7427-7432, 2004.

  4. Moller, A.K., Leatham, M.P., Conway, T., Nuijten, P.J.M., de Haan L.A.M., Krogfelt, K.A., and Cohen, P.S. An Escherichia coli MG1655 lipopolysaccharide deep-rough core mutant grows and survives in mouse cecal mucus but fails to colonize the mouse large intestine. Infect Immun. 71:2142-2152, 2003.

  5. Tucker, D. L., Tucker, N., Ma, Z., Foster, J. W., Miranda, R. L., Cohen, P. S., and Conway, T. Genes of the GadX-GadW Regulon in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 185: 3190-3201, 2003.

  6. Laux, D.C. Corson, J.M., Givskov, M., Hentzer, M., Møller, A., Wosencroft, K.A., Olson, J.C., Krogfelt, K.A., Goldberg, J.B. and Cohen, P.S. Lysophosphatidic Acid Inhibition of the accumulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 alginate, pyoverdin, elastase, and LasA. Microbiology 148:1709-1723, 2002.

  7. Krogfelt, K.A., M. Utley, H.C. Krivan, D.C. Laux and P.S. Cohen. 2000. Specific phospholipids enhance the activity of b -lactam antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2000. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 46:377-384.

  8. Conway, T., Krogfelt, K.A., and Cohen, P.S. 29 December 2004, The life of commensal Escherichia coli in the mammalian intestine. In R. Curtiss (Editor in Chief), EcoSal-Escherichia coli and Salmonella: Cellular and Molecular Biology. [Online.] http://www.ecosal.org. ASM Press, Washington, D.C.

  9. Laux, D. Cohen, P.S., and Conway, T. Role of the mucus layer in bacterial colonization of the intestine. In Colonization of Mucosal Surfaces. p.199-212. J. P. Nataro, P. S. Cohen, H. L. T. Mobley, and J. N. Weiser (eds.), American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, D. C., 2005.

  10. Leatham, M.P., Stevenson, S.J., Gauger,E.J., Krogfelt, K.A., Lins, J.J., Haddock, T.L., Autieri, S.M., Conway, T., and Cohen, P.S. The mouse intestine selects non-motile flhDC Mutants of Escherichia coli MG1655 with increased colonizing ability and better utilization of carbon sources. Infect. Immun. 73:8039-8049, 2005.

  11. Allen, J.H., M. Utley, H. van den Bosch, P. Nuijten, M. Witvliet, B.A. McCormick, K.A. Krogfelt, T. Rask Licht, D. Brown, M. Mauel, M.P. Leatham, D.C. Laux and P.S. Cohen. 2000. A functional cra gene is required for Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium virulence in BALB/c mice. Infect. Immun. 68:3772-3775.

  12. Snider, T.A., Fabich, A.J., Washburn, K.E., Sims, W.P., Blair, J.L., Cohen, P.S., Conway, T., and Clinkenbeard, K.D. Streptomycin-treated adult cattle model for Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization. Am J Vet Res.67:1914-1920, 2006.

  13. Conway, T., and Cohen P.S. E. coli metabolism in the intestine. Nova Acta Leopoldina 111:103-110, 2010.

  14. Gauger, E.J., Leatham, M.P., Mercado-Lubo, R., Laux, D.C., Conway, T., and P.S. Cohen. Role of motility and the flhDC operon in Escherichia. coli MG1655 colonization of the mouse intestine. Infect Immun. 75:3315-3324, 2007.

  15. Jones,S.A., Chowdhury, F.Z., Fabich, A.J., Anderson, A., Schreiner, D.M., House, A.L., Autieri,S.M., Leatham, M.P., Lins, J.J., Jorgensen, M., Cohen, P.S., and T. Conway. Respiration of Escherichia coli in the mouse intestine. Infect. Immun. 75:4891-4899, 2007.

  16. Autieri, S.M., Lins, J.J., Leatham, M.P., Laux, D.C., Conway, T., and Cohen, P.S. L-Fucose stimulates utilization of D-ribose by Escherichia coli MG1655 ΔfucAO and E. coli Nissle 1917 ΔfucAO mutants in the mouse intestine and in M9 minimal medium. Infect. Immun. 75:5465-5475, 2007.

  17. Mercado-Lubo, R., Gauger, E.J., Leatham, M.P., Conway, T., and Cohen, P.S. A Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium succinate dehydrogenase/fumarate reductase double mutant is avirulent and immunogenic in BALB/c mice. Infect. Immun. 76:1128-1134, 2008.

  18. Fabich, A.J., Jones, S.A., Chowdhury, F.Z., Cernosek, A., April Anderson, A., Smalley, D., McHargue, J.W., Hightower, G.A., Smith, J.T., Autieri, J.M., Mary P. Leatham, M.P., Lins, J.J., Allen, R.L., Laux, D.C., Cohen, P.S., and Conway, T. Comparative carbon nutrition of pathogenic and commensal Escherichia coli in the mouse intestine. Infect. Immun. 76:1143-1152, 2008.

  19. Jones, S.A., Jorgensen, M.J., Chowdhury, F.Z., Rodgers, R., Hartline, J., Fabich, A.J., Anderson, A., Leatham, M.P., Struve, C., Krogfelt, K.A., Cohen, P.S., and Conway, T. Glycogen and maltose utilization by Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the mouse intestine. Infect. Immun. 76:2531-2540, 2008.

  20. Mercado-Lubo R., Leatham M.P., Conway T., and Cohen P.S. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mutants unable to convert malate to pyruvate and oxaloacetate are avirulent and immunogenic in BALB/c mice. Infect. Immun. 77:1397-4405, 2009.

  21. Harrington S.M., Sheikh J., Henderson I.R., Ruiz-Perez F., Cohen P.S., and Nataro J.P. The Pic protease of enteroaggregative E. coli promotes intestinal colonization and growth in the presence of mucin. Infect. Immun. 77:2465-2473, 2009.

  22. Leatham M.P., Banerjee S., Autieri S.M., Mercado-Lubo R., Conway T., and Cohen P.S. Pre-colonized human commensal E. coli strains serve as a barrier to E. coli O157:H7 growth in the streptomycin-treated mouse intestine. Infect. Immun. 77:2876-2886, 2009.

  23. Tchawa Yimga, M., Leatham, M.P., Allen, J.H., Laux, D.C., Conway, T., and Cohen, P.S. The Role of Gluconeogenesis and the TCA Cycle in the Virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in BALB/c Mice. Infect. Immun. 74:1130-1140, 2006.
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