Title: Associate Professor
College: Dentistry
Department: Periodontology & Oral Biology
Research Interests: Establishment of Chronic Bacterial Infections in the Oral Cavity
Curriculum vitae: PDF
Özlem Yilmaz is a doctor of dental surgery (Istanbul University) and holds a Ph.D. in the field of oral biology (University of Washington, Seattle), specializing on identification of the mechanisms that facilitate the establishment of chronic oral infections and inflammation in the oral mucosa. Within the gingival crevice, epithelial cells embody an initial defense to invading oral microbiota and also serve as an initial site for microbial colonization. Dr. Yilmaz’ major area of focus is characterization of the epithelial cell biology of chronic bacterial infections particularly Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram (-) oral anaerobe in gingival epithelium. P. gingivalis, a prominent component of oral microbiota is a successful colonizer of oral mucosa and a major etiological agent in severe forms of periodontitis, which has recently been identified as a risk factor for coronary heart disease, preterm / low weight deliveries, diabetes mellitus, and stroke.
The long term goals of Yilmaz’ studies are to increase our understanding on the chronic oral infections that affects oral tissues and oral health and creation of a knowledge base that could facilitate development of therapeutic modalities to control persistent bacterial infections and inflammation associated with oral tissues. The current primary gingival epithelium – oral bacteria model provides a very useful and extendable system for studying other chronic bacterial infections and host response in human mucosal tissues. Therefore, it can also greatly enhance our current knowledge on persistence of pathogenic bacteria and their complex colonization mechanisms in host interfaces, which are relevant to other chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases induced by persistent bacteria, such as tuberculosis, peptic ulcers, and Lyme arthritis. Our understanding of the signaling processes may also enable us to design new therapies that can be widely applied to interfere with or reduce the severity of downstream consequences of infections by intracellular persistent pathogens.
The specific areas of research her laboratory is currently examining are:
- Studying the mechanisms of anti-apoptotic gingival epithelial cell responses mediated by P. gingivalis infection including the activation of mitochondrion-associated anti-apoptotic pathways, induction of host-cell cycle progression, and inhibition of ATP / P2X7 mediated epithelial host-cell death by P. gingivalis
- Examining of the modulation of innate immune response via danger-signal receptors during P. gingivalis infection, specifically, the activation of inflammasome and secretion of IL-1β secretion in gingival epithelial cells upon P. gingivalis infection
- Characterization of the P. gingivalis secreted effector molecules such as Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (Ndk) during the infection of gingival epithelial cells
- Investigation of the intracellular trafficking and fate of P. gingivalis in gingival epithelial cells
- Motility: Modulation of actin cytoskeleton and identification of associated cell structural-signaling molecules during the intercellular spreading of P. gingivalis in gingival epithelium
- Investigation of the modulation of the epithelial cell metabolism by extracellular ATP / P2X7 mediated signaling during P. gingivalis infection
Contact information:
Emerging Pathogens Institute
University of Florida
P.O. Box 100009
Gainesville, Florida 32610-0009
Voice: (352) 273-8003
Fax: (352) 273-9399
Email: oyilmaz@ufl.edu