Göttig Lab
Our research focuses on antibiotic resistance mechanisms and virulence factors of clinically relevant Gram-negative bacteria. Resistance to antibiotics has dramatically increased in recent years, especially among Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli or Acinetobacter baumannii. Multidrug resistance is often caused by acquisition of bacterial enzymes which are encoded on mobile genetic elements (e.g., plasmid-encoded carbapenemase genes). Highly pathogenic bacteria that are non-susceptible to last-line antibiotics like carbapenems or polymyxins pose a major threat to public health. These bacteria cause severe nosocomial infections like sepsis or pneumonia and can be transmitted from patient to patient.
Therefore, we are interested in characterizing
- molecular mechanisms by which Gram-negative bacteria become resistant to carbapenems, hydroxyquinolines and colistin
- the molecular evolution of carbapenemases like the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)
- how antibiotic resistance genes can be transmitted by horizontal gene transfer in vitro and in vivo
- the impact of antimicrobial resistance on fitness and virulence of Gram-negative bacteria
- the pathogenicity factor Acinetobacter trimeric autotransporter adhesin of A. baumannii
Group Leader
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. physiol. Stephan Göttig
stephan.goettig@unimedizin-ffm.de
Lab members
Dr. Tobias Appel
Zara Dogan
Monika Doll
Anna-Lena Hesse
Lena Ilievski
Luisa Langhoff
Malin Lauer
Amanda Muscheler
Bettina Stietz
Sara Garcia Torres
Funding
Selected Publications
Cacace E, Tietgen M, Steinhauer M, Mateus A, Schultze TG, Eckermann M, Galardini M, Varik V, Koumoutsi A, Parzeller JJ, Corona F, Orakov A, Knopp M, Brauer-Nikonow A, Bork P, Romao CV, Zimmermann M, Cloetens P, Savitski MM, Typas A, Göttig S.
Uncovering nitroxoline activity spectrum, mode of action and resistance across Gram-negative bacteria.
Nat Commun. 2025 Apr 22;16(1):3783. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58730-5
Vaidya S, Saha D, Rode DKH, Torrens G, Hansen MF, Singh PK, Jelli E, Nosho K, Jeckel H, Göttig S, Cava F, Drescher K.
Bacteria use exogenous peptidoglycan as a danger signal to trigger biofilm formation.
Nat Microbiol. 2025 Jan;10(1):144-157. doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01886-5
Sommer J, Reiter H, Sattler J, Cacace E, Eisfeld J, Gatermann S, Hamprecht A, Göttig S.
Emergence of OXA-48-like producing Citrobacter species, Germany, 2011 to 2022.
Euro Surveill. 2024 Apr;29(15):2300528. doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.15.2300528
Cacace E, Kim V, Varik V, Knopp M, Tietgen M, Brauer-Nikonow A, Inecik K, Mateus A, Milanese A, Mårli MT, Mitosch K, Selkrig J, Brochado AR, Kuipers OP, Kjos M, Zeller G, Savitski MM, Göttig S, Huber W, Typas A.
Systematic analysis of drug combinations against Gram-positive bacteria.
Nat Microbiol. 2023 Nov;8(11):2196-2212. doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01486-9
Hamprecht A, Sattler J, Noster J, Stelzer Y, Fuchs F, Dorth V, Gatermann SG, Göttig S.
Proteus mirabilis - analysis of a concealed source of carbapenemases and development of a diagnostic algorithm for detection.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Sep;29(9):1198.e1-1198.e6. doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2023.05.032
Leukert L, Tietgen M, Krause FF, Schultze TG, Fuhrmann DC, Debruyne C, Salcedo SP, Visekruna A, Wittig L, Göttig S.
Infection of Endothelial Cells with Acinetobacter baumannii Reveals Remodelling of Mitochondrial Protein Complexes.
Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Jun 15;11(3):e0517422. doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.05174-22
Sommer J, Gerbracht KM, Krause FF, Wild F, Tietgen M, Riedel-Christ S, Sattler J, Hamprecht A, Kempf VAJ, Göttig S.
OXA-484, an OXA-48-Type Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamase From Escherichia coli.
Front Microbiol. 2021 May 12;12:660094. doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.660094
Tietgen M, Leukert L, Sommer J, Kramer JS, Brunst S, Wittig I, Proschak E, Göttig S.
Characterization of the novel OXA-213-like β-lactamase OXA-822 from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.
J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021 Feb 11;76(3):626-634. doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkaa488