American Journal of Biochemistry

American Journal of Biochemistry is a peer-reviewed international journal dedicated to provide an active forum to the global scientific community for publishing and disseminating high quality research work in the field of biochemistry.


Ozlem Yilmaz

Editorial Board Member of American Journal of Biochemistry

Associate Professor, University of Florida, College of Dentistry and Emerging Pathogens Institute, USA

Research Areas

Cellular Microbiology, Epithelial Infections, Apoptosis / Cell Survival, Innate Immunity, Purinergic Signaling, Actin Cytoskeleton, Fluorescence Imaging

Education

2002Ph.DOral Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Experience

2006-2010Assistant Professor, Dept. of Periodontology, College of Dentistry, Univ. of Florida
2002-2005Post-Doctoral Fellow/Research Associate, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
2003Visiting Fellow, Biologie Moléculaire du Géne, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
1997-2002Ph.D. student, Dept. of Oral Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1990-1995General Dentist in State Hospital Clinic, Turkey

Academic Achievement

Fellow of Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine 2011
Travel Award for Excellence for Assistant Professors, University of Florida 2010
NIH KO8 Mentored Clinical Scientist Award 2001-2006
Warren G. Magnuson Institute for Excellence in Biomedical Research Training, Scholar of the Year 2001
IADR Travel Grant 2001

Publications: Conferences/Workshops/Symposiums/Journals/Books

[1]  Choi C, DeGuzman J, Lamont RJ, and Yilmaz O (2011) Genetic Transformation of an Obligate Anaerobe, Porphyromonas gingivalis for the FMN-Green Fluorescent Protein Expression in Studying Host Microbe Interaction PLoS ONE 15;6(4):e18499
[2]  McMahon L, Schwartz K, Yilmaz O, Brown E, and Gill Diamond (2011) Vitamin D-mediated induction of innate immunity in gingival epithelial cells Infect Immun 79 (6) 2250-2256
[3]  Yilmaz O, Sater AA, Yao L, Koutouzis T, Pettengill M, and Ojcius DM (2010) ATP-Dependent Activation of An Inflammasome In Primary Gingival Epithelial Cells Infected By Porphyromonas gingivalis. Cell Microbiol 12(2), 188–198
[4]  Yao L, Jermanus C, Barbetta B, Choi C, Verbeke P, Ojcius D M, and Yilmaz O (2010) Porphyromonas gingivalis infection sequesters pro-apoptotic Bad through Akt in primary gingival epithelial cells. Molecular Oral Microbiol 25(2) 89-101
[5]  Inaba H, Kubinowa M, Bainbridge B, Yilmaz O, Katz J, Shiverick K T, Amano A, Lamont R.J (2009) Porphyromonas gingivalis invades human trophoblasts and inhibits proliferation by inducing G1 arrest and apoptosis. Cell Microbiol 11 (10) 1517-1532
[6]  Yilmaz, O., Yao, L., Maeda, K., Rose, T.M., Lewis E.L., Duman, M., Lamont, R.J., and Ojcius, D.M (2008) ATP Scavenging by the Intracellular Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis Inhibits P2X7-mediated Host-Cell Apoptosis. Cell Microbiol 10 (4) 863-875
[7]  Kuboniwa, M., Hasegawa Y., Mao, S., Shizukuishi, S., Amano, A., Lamont R.J., and Yilmaz, O (2008) P. gingivalis accelerates gingival epithelial cell progression through the cell cycle. Microbes Infect 10 (2): 122-8
[8]  Mao, S., Park, Y., Hasegawa, Y., Tribble, G.D., James, C.E., Handfield, M., Stavropoulos, F., Yilmaz, O., and Lamont, R.J. (2007) Intrinsic apoptotic pathways of gingival epithelial cells modulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Cell Microbiol 9 (8) 1997-2007
[9]  Yilmaz, O., Verbeke, P., Lamont, R.J., Ojcius, D.M. (2006) Intercellular spreading of Porphyromonas gingivalis infection in primary gingival epithelial cells. Infect Immun 74 703-710
[10]  Yilmaz, O., Jungas, T., Verbeke, P., Ojcius, D.M. (2004) Activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt pathway contributes to survival of primary epithelial cells infected with the periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Infect Immun 72 3743-3751
[11]  Zhang, Y., Wang, T., Chen, W., Yilmaz, O., Park, Y., Jung, I.Y., Hackett, M., Lamont, R.J. (2005) Differential Protein Expression by Porphyromonas gingivalis in Response to Secreted Epithelial Cell Components. Proteomics 1 198-211
[12]  Park, Y., Yilmaz, O., Jung, I.Y., Lamont, R.J. (2004) Identification of P. gingivalis Genes Specifically Expressed in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells using Differential Display RT-PCR. Infect Immun 72 3752-3758
[13]  Yilmaz, O., Young, P.A., Lamont, R.J., Kenny, G.E. (2003). Gingival epithelial signaling and cytoskeletal responses to P. gingivalis invasion. Microbiology 149 2417-26
[14]  Yilmaz, O., Watanabe, K., and Lamont R.J. (2002) Involvement of integrins in fimbriae mediated binding and invasion by P.gingivalis. Cell Microbiol 4 (5) 305-314
[15]  Watanabe, K., Yilmaz, O., Nakhjiri, S.F., Belton, C.M., and Lamont, R.J. (2001) Association of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways with gingival epithelial cell responses to Porphyromonas gingivalis Infection. Infect Immun 69 6731-6737.
[16]  Nakhjiri, S.F., Park, Y., Yilmaz, O., Chung, W.O., Watanabe, K., El-Sabaeny, A., Park, K., and Lamont, R.J. (2001) Inhibition of epithelial cell apoptosis by Porphyromonas gingivalis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 200 145-149.
[17]  Spooner R., and Yilmaz, O (2011) "The Role of Reactive-Oxygen-Species in Microbial Persistence and Inflammation" International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Special Issue: Advances in Molecular Recognition 12(1):334-352
[18]  Yilmaz, O (2011) Chapter "Gingival cell response to Porphyromonas gingivalis" in "Oral Microbial Communities: Genomic Inquiry and Interspecies Communication" Edited by Paul E Kolenbrander, American Society of Microbiology
[19]  Avila M., Ojcius DM., and Yilmaz O (2009) "Oral microbiota: Living with a Permanent Guest" DNA and Cell Biology, Special Issue: Symbioses 28 (8) 405-411
[20]  Abdul-Sater A, Said N, David Ojcius, Yilmaz O, and Kelly K (2009) "Inflammasomes bridge signalling between pathogen identification and the immune response". Drugs Today (Barc) Nov;45 Suppl B:105-12.
[21]  Yilmaz, O (2008) "The chronicles of Porphyromonas gingivalis: the microbium, the human epithelium, and their interplay", Microbiology 154 (10) 2897-2903.
[22]  Yilmaz, O., Lamont, R.J. (2004) Chapter "Invasion by P.gingivalis", in "Bacterial Invasion of Host Cells", Chapter 10, 295-315, Cambridge University Press
[23]  Lamont, R.J., and Yilmaz, O (2002) "In or Out: the invasiveness of oral bacteria", Perio 2000 30 61-69
[24]  "Porphyromonas gingivalis Persists by Modulating Host Cell Metabolism" Invited speaker for Special Symposium on "How Microbes Adapt and Shape Host Physiology and Defenses", ASM general meeting, May 2011, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
[25]  "P. gingivalis' Mechanisms of Persistence in Oral Epithelium", Emerging Pathogens Institute Seminar Series, University of Florida, Dec 15, 2010
[26]  "P. gingivalis' Mechanisms of Persistence in Gingival Epithelium", Invited speaker, NIH, NIDCR, "Translational & Clinical Research" Seminar Series, Bethesda, Maryland, Sep 21, 2010
[27]  "Living with Persistent Oral Bacteria", Invited speaker for University of Florida, Science for Life, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dec 1, 2009
[28]  "Age of Exploration in Oral Sciences: Has P. gingivalis Discovered the Fountain of Youth in the Gingiva" Symposium for NIDCR 60th anniversary: Looking toward the future, International Association for Dental Research, Dallas, USA, April 2008
[29]  "Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms in Microbial Pathogenesis" Symposium, International Association for Dental Research, New Orleans, USA, March 2007
[30]  "Mechanisms of P. gingivalis in colonizing Gingival Epithelium" Key note speaker in Turkish Periodontology Association's 36th Annual International Congress, Cesme, Turkey, September 2006
[31]  "Survive and Conquer: Strategies of P. gingivalis in colonizing gingival epithelial cells" University of Florida, Gainesville, August 2005
[32]  "Survive and Conquer: Strategies of P. gingivalis in colonizing gingival epithelial cells" University of Maryland, Baltimore, June 2005
[33]  "Sense and Responsibility: Gingival epithelial cell interaction with Porphyromonas gingivalis". University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, October 2003
[34]  "P. gingivalis Interactions with Gingival Epithelial Cells", Stanford University, Palo Alto, January 2003