For a complete list of publications please see Pubmed or our Google Scholar page. Below are some highlighted publications:

To access an article’s link, click on the thumbnail of the article. Members of the team are underlined.

Díaz, J. M., Wells, J. E. J., Marple, A. C., Shannon, B. A., Rishi, A., Martin, I., McGeer, A., Croxen, M. A., Tyrrell, G. J., Walker, M. J., Brouwer, S., and J. K McCormick. (2026) Acquisition of toxin-encoding lysogenic bacteriophage elements enhances the virulence of pandemic Streptococcus pyogenes M1UK. Infection and Immunity. DOI: 10.1128/iai.00503-25

Kim, Y. J. J., Walton, N. R., Huang, W., Lee, M., Xiang, Y., Sang, Z., Sussman, C., Moore, S. K. L., Taylor, D. J., Chen, K., Hook, J. L., J. K. McCormick, & Shi, Y. (2026). Multivalent nanobodies for potent and broad neutralization of Staphylococcus aureus toxins. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73120-1

Dufresne, K., Al, K. F., Craig, H. C., Coleman, C. E. M., Kasper, K. J., Burton, J. P., and J. K. McCormick. (2025) TSST-1 promotes colonization of Staphylococcus aureus within the vaginal tract by activation of CD8+ T cells. Infection and Immunity. DOI: 10.1128/iai.00439-24

Dufresne, K., Tuffs, S. W., Walton, N. R., Kasper, K. J., Mohorovic, I., Hasan, F., Bentall, T., Heinrichs, D. E., Delport, J., Mele, T. S., and J. K. McCormick. (2025) Evidence that staphylococcal superantigens promote within-patient bacterial persistence following post-operative surgical site infection. Infection and Immunity. DOI: 10.1128/iai.00407-24

Marple, A. C., Shannon, B. A., Rishi, A., Estafanos, L., Armstrong, B. D., Guariglia-Oropeza, V., Tuffs, S. W., and J. K. McCormick. (2025) The Streptococcus pyogenes mannose phosphotransferase system (Man-PTS) influences antimicrobial activity and niche-specific nasopharyngeal infection. Journal of Bacteriology. DOI: 10.1128/jb.00492-24

Dufresne, K., DiMaggio, D. A., Maduta, C. S., Brinsmade, S. R., and J. K. McCormick. (2024) Discovery of an antivirulence compound that targets the Staphylococcus aureus SaeRS two-component system to inhibit toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 production. Journal of Biological Chemistry. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107455

Shannon, B. A., Hurst, J. R., Flannagan, R. S., Craig, H. C., Rishi, A., Kasper, K. J., Tuffs, S. W., Heinrichs, D. E., and J. K. McCormick. (2024) Streptolysin S is required for Streptococcus pyogenes nasopharyngeal and skin infection in HLA-transgenic mice. PLoS Pathogens DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012072

Maduta, C. S., J. K. McCormick, and K. Dufresne. (2024) Vaginal community state types (CSTs) alter environmental cues and production of the Staphylococcus aureus toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). DOI: 10.1128/jb.00447-23

Tuffs, S. W., Dufresne, K., Rishi, A., Walton, N. R., and J. K. McCormcik. (2024) Novel insights into the immune response to bacterial T cell superantigens. Nature Reviews Immunology. DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00979-2

Maduta, C. S., Tuffs, S. W., J. K. McCormick, and K. Dufresne. (2024) Interplay between Staphylococcus aureus and the baginal micriobiota. Trends in Microbiology. DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.12.005

Dufresne, K., Podskalniy, V. A., Herfst, C. A., Lovell, G. F. M., Lee, I. S., DeJong, E. N., J. K. McCormick, and S. W. Tuffs. (2022) Glucose Mediates Niche-Specific Repression of Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 through the Activity of CcpA in the Vaginal Environment. Journal of Bacteriology. 204(10):e0026922

Hurst, J.R., B. A. Shannon, H. C. Craig, A. Rishi, S. W. Tuffs, and J. K. McCormick. (2022) The Streptococcus pyogenes hyaluronic acid capsule promotes experimental nasal and skin infection by preventing neutrophilmediated clearance. PLoS Pathogens. 18(11):e1011013

Tuffs, S.W., M. I. Goncheva, S. X. Xu, H. C. Craig, K. J. Kasper, J. Choi, R. S. Flannagan, S. M. Kerfoot, D. E. Heinrichs and J. K. McCormick. Superantigens promote Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection by eliciting pathogenic interferon-gamma (IFNγ) production. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 119(8):E2115987119

Hurst, J. H., S. Brouwer, M. Walker*, J. K. McCormick*. 2021. Streptococcal superantigens and the return of scarlet fever. PLoS Pathogens. 17(12):E1010097.

Brouwer, S., T. C. Barnett, D. Ly, K. J. Kasper, D. M. P. De Oliveira, T. Rivera-Hernandez, A. J. Cork, J. Richter, B. L. Schulz, G. Dougan, V. Nizet, K. Yuen, Y. You, J. K. McCormick, M. L. Sanderson-Smith, M. R. Davies, M. J. Walker. 2020. Prophage exotoxins enhance colonization fitness in epidemic scarlet fever-causing Streptococcus pyogenes. Nature Communications, 11(1), 1-11.

Tuffs, S. W., C. A. Herfst, M. L. Baroja, E. N. DeJong, C. E. M. Coleman, and J. K. McCormick. 2019. Regulation of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 by the accessory gene regulator in Staphylococcus aureus is mediated by the repressor of toxins. Molecular Microbiology.

Shannon, B., J. K. McCormick and P. M. Schlievert.* 2019. Toxins and superantigens of Group A streptococci. Microbiology Spectrum.

Zeppa J. J., K. J. Kasper, I. Mohorovic, D. M. Mazzuca, S. M. M. Haeryfar and J. K. McCormick*. 2017.Nasopharyngeal infection by Streptococcus pyogenes requires superantigen-responsive Vb-specific T cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 114 (38), 10226-10231.

Armstrong, B. D., C. A. Herfst, N. C. Tonial, A. T. Wakabayashi, J. J. Zeppa, and J. K. McCormick*. 2016. Identification of a two-component class IIb bacteriocin in Streptococcus pyogenes by recombinase-based in vivoexpression technology. Scientific Reports. 6:36233.

Baroja, M. L., C. A. Herfst, K. J. Kasper, S. X. Xu, D. A. Gillett, J. Li, G. Reid and J. K. McCormick*. 2016. The SaeRS two-component system is a direct and dominant transcriptional activator of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in Staphylococcus aureus. The Journal of Bacteriology. 198(19):2732-42.

 

Zeppa, J. J., A. T. Wakabayashi, K. J. Kasper, S. X. Xu, S. M. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick. 2015. Nasopharyngeal infection of mice with Streptococcus pyogenes and in vivo detection of superantigen activity. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1396:95-107

 

Xu, S. X., K. J. Kasper, J. J. Zeppa, and J. K. McCormick. 2015. Superantigens modulate bacterial density during Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization. Toxins. 7: 1821-1836.

 

Kasper, K. J., J. J. Zeppa, A. T. Wakabayashi, S. X. Xu, D. M. Mazzuca, I. Welch, M. L. Baroja, M. Kotb, E. Cairns, P. P. Cleary, S. M. M. Haeryfar and J. K. McCormick. 2014. Bacterial superantigens promote acute nasopharyngeal infection by Streptococcus pyogenes in a human MHC class II-dependent manner. PLoS Pathogens. 10(5): e1004155.

Anantha, R.V., D. Mazzuca, S. X. Xu. S. A. Porcelli, T. Mele, D. D. Fraser, C. Martin, S.M. Haeryfar* and J. K. McCormick*. 2014. Th2-polarized invariant natural killer T cells reduce disease severity in intra-abdominal sepsis. Clinical and Experimental Immunology. 178 (2), 292-309.

 

Xu, S. X., K. J. Gilmore, P. Szabo, J. J. Zeppa, M. L. Baroja, S. M. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick. 2014. Superantigens subvert the neutrophil response to promote abscess formation and enhance Staphylococcus aureus survival in vivo. Infection and Immunity. 82(9):3588-98.

 

Patterson, K. G., J. L. Dixon, P. S. Bastedo, D. Hess, S. M. Haeryfar, and J. K. McCormick. 2014.Control of established colon cancer xenografts using a novel humanized single chain antibody-streptococcal superantigen fusion targeting the 5T4 oncofetal antigen. PLoS One. 15;9(4):e95200.

Xu, S. X. and J. K. McCormick. 2012. Staphylococcal superantigens in colonization and disease. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2:52.

Li, J., W. Wang, S. X. Xu, N. A. Magarvey, and J. K. McCormick. 2011. Lactobacillus reuteri-produced cyclic dipeptides quench agr-mediated expression of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in staphylococci. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 108(8):33

Kasper, K. J., W. Xi, A. K. M. N. Rahman, M. Nooh, M. Kotb, E. J. Sundberg, J. Madrenas and J. K. McCormick. 2008.Molecular requirements for MHC class II alpha-chain engagement and allelic discrimination by the bacterial superantigen streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin C. The Journal of Immunology. 181:3384-92.

Rahman, A. K. M. N., D. A. Bonsor, C. A. Herfst, F. Pollard, M. Peirce, A. W. Wyatt, K. J. Kasper, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2011. The TCR β-chain CDR2 loop governs T cell activation and Vβ-specificity by bacterial superantigens. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286(6):4871-81.

Rahman, A. K. M. N., C. A. Herfst, B. Moza, L. Chau, C. Bueno, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2006. Molecular basis of TCR selectivity, cross-reactivity and allelic discrimination by a bacterial superantigen: integrative functional and energetic mapping of the SpeC-Vβ2.1 molecular interface. The Journal of Immunology. 77:8595-603.

Brouillard, J-N. P., S. Günther, A. K. Varma, I. Gryski, A. K. M. N. Rahman, C. A. Herfst, P. M. Schlievert, D. Y. M. Leung, J. Madrenas, E. J. Sundberg, and J. K. McCormick. 2007.Crystal structure of the streptococcal superantigen SpeI and functional role of a novel loop domain in T cell activation by group V superantigens. The Journal of Molecular Biology. 367:925-34.

Moza, B., A. K. Varma, R. A. Buonpane, P. Zhu, C. A. Herfst, M. J. Nicholson, A.-K. Wilbuer, K. W. Wucherpfennig, J. K. McCormick, D. M. Kranz, and E. J. Sundberg. 2007.Structural basis of T cell specificity and activation by the bacterial superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. The EMBO Journal. 26:1187-97.

Laughton, J. M., E. Devillard, D. E. Heinrichs, G. Reid, and J. K. McCormick. 2006. Inhibition of expression of a staphylococcal superantigen-like protein by a soluble factor from Lactobacillus reuteri. Microbiology. 152: 1155-67.

McCormick, J. K., J. M. Yarwood, and P. M. Schlievert. 2001. Bacterial superantigens and toxic shock syndrome: An update. The Annual Review of Microbiology 55:77-104.