Professor John Tagg

Research Interest: Medical Microbiology
Year of Appointment: 1975
Training: MSc(Melb) PhD(Monash)

Professor Tagg's research is largely concerned with investigation of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) produced by gram-positive bacteria. These studies have been directed at attempting to define the role that these molecules have in the day-to-day life of bacteria in highly complex ecosystems such as exist in dental plaque. Aspects of this research, currently being pursued with vigour, include the isolation and biochemical characterisation of streptococcal and staphylococcal BLIS, definition of their genetic basis and field trials with human subjects to determine whether these agents are capable of affording protection against streptococcal pharyngitis and dental caries. Other research interests of this laboratory include the application of BLIS to the prevention of mastitis in dairy cattle and to the preservation of food.

The recent establishment of the company BLIS Technologies Ltd (http://www.blis.co.nz/) is expected to fast-track practical applications of BLIS. Professor John Tagg is principal Scientific Consultant for these BLIS developments both within the Department of Microbiology and in the University of Otago’s new Centre for Innovation.

Selected Publications

Tagg J.R. Streptococcal bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances: some personal insights into the bacteriocin-like activities produced by streptococci good and bad. Probiot. Antimicr. Prot. 1:60-6 (2009).

Wescombe P.A., Heng, N.C.K., Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N. and Tagg, J.R. Something old something new: the amazing repertoire of bacteriocins produced by Streptococcus salivarius. Probiot. Antimicr. Prot. In Press (2009).

Swe, P.M., Cook< G.M., Tagg, J.R., and Jack, R.W. Mode of action of dysgalacticin: a large heat-labile bacteriocin. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 63:679-86 (2009)

Jones, R.J., Zagorec, M., Brightwell, G., and Tagg, J.R. Inhibition by Lactobacillus sakei of other species in the flora of vacuum packaged raw meats during prolonged storage. Food Micr. 26: 876-81 (2009)

Wescombe P.A., Heng, N.C.K., Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N. and Tagg, J.R. Streptococcal bacteriocins and the case for Streptococcus salivarius as model oral probiotics. Future Microbiology 4: 819 - 35 (2009)

Cosseau C., Devine D.A., Dullaghan E., Gardy J.L., Chikatamarla A., Gellatly S., Yu L.L., Pistolic J., Falsafi R., Tagg J., Hancock R.E. The commensal Streptococcus salivarius K12 downregulates the innate immune responses of human epithelial cells and promotes host-microbe homeostasis. Inf. Immun 76: 4163-75 (2008)

Alqumber, M.A., Burton, J.P., Devenish, C. and Tagg, J.R. A species-specific PCR for Lactobacillus iners demonstrates a relative specificity of this species for vaginal colonization. Microb. Ecol. Hlth Dis. 20: 135-9 (2008)

Power, D.A., Burton, J.P., Chilcott, C.N., Dawes, P.J. and Tagg, J.R. Preliminary investigations of the colonisation of upper respiratory tract tissues of infants using a paediatric formulation of the oral probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12. Eur. J. Microbiol. Infec. Dis. (2008)

Jones, R.J., Hussein, H.M., Zagorec, M., Brightwell, G. and Tagg, J.R. Isolation of lactic acid bacteria with inhibitory activity against pathogens and spoilage organisms associated with fresh meat. Food Microbiol. 25: 228-34 (2008)

Tagg, J.R., Burton J.P., Wescombe P.A. and Chilcott C.N. Streptococci as effector organisms for probiotic and replacement therapy. In:Therapeutic microbiology: probiotics and other strategies, ASM Press ed J Versalovic and M Wilson pp. 61 - 81 (2008)

Heng, N.C.K., Wescombe, P.A., Burton, J.P., Jack, R.W. and Tagg, J.R. The Diversity of Bacteriocins Produced by Gram-positive Bacteria. In: Evolution and Ecology of Bacteriocins (Riley, M.A. and Chavan, M., eds.). Springer New York. pp. 45-92 (2007)

Tagg, J.R., Burton, J.P. and Wescombe, P.A. Application of bacterial pathogens in replacement therapy. Patho-biotechnology. Landes Bioscience. Ed Sleator R and Hill C. (2007)

De Backer E., Verhelst R., Verstraelen H., Alqumber M.A., Burton J.P., Tagg J.R., Temmerman M. and Vaneechoutte M. Quantitative determination by real-time PCR of four vaginal Lactobacillus species, Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae indicates an inverse relationship between L. gasseri and L. iners. BMC Microbiol.7(1):115 (2007)

Swe, P.M., Heng, N.C., Ting, Y.T., Baird, H.J., Carne, A., Tauch, A., Tagg, J.R. and Jack, R.W. ef1097 and ypkK encode enterococcin V583 and corynicin JK, members of a new family of antimicrobial proteins (bacteriocins) with modular structure from Gram-positive bacteria. Microbiology 153: 3218-27 (2007)

Heng, N.C.K., Burtenshaw, G.A., Jack, R.W., and Tagg, J.R. Ubericin A, a class IIa bacteriocin produced by Streptococcus uberis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7763-6 (2007)

O'Connor, E.B., Cotter, P.D., O'Connor, P., O'Sullivan, O., Tagg, J.R., Ross, R.P. and Hill, C. Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity. BMC Microbiol. 7: 24 (2007)

Wirawan, R.E., Swanson, K.M., Kleffman, T., Jack, R.W. and Tagg, J.R. Uberolysin: a novel cyclic bacteriocin produced by Streptococcus uberis. Microbiology 153: 1619-30 (2007)

Hyink, O., Wescombe, P.A., Upton, M., Ragland, N., Burton, J.P. and Tagg, J.R. Salivaricin A2 and the novel lantibiotic salivaricin B are encoded by adjacent loci on a 190 kb transmissible megaplasmid in the oral probiotic strain Streptococcus salivarius K12. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1107-13 (2007)

Robson, C.L., Wescombe, P.A., Klesse, N.A. and Tagg, J.R. Isolation and partial characterisation of the Streptococcus mutans type AII lantibiotic mutacin K8. Microbiology 153: 1631-41 (2007)

Dierksen, K.P., Moore, C.J., Inglis, M., Wescombe, P.A. and Tagg, J.R. The effect of ingestion of milk supplemented with salivaricin A-producing Streptococcus salivarius on the bacteriocin-like inhibitory activity of streptococcal populations on the tongue. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 59: 584-91 (2007)

Heng, N.C.K., Tagg, J.R. and Tompkins, G.R. Competence-dependent bacteriocin production by Streptococcus gordonii. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1468-72 (2007)

Heng N.C.K. and Tagg J.R. What's in a name? Class distinction for bacteriocins. Nature Reviews Microbiology In Press (2006).

Wescombe P.A., Upton M., Dierksen K.p., Ragland N.L. Sivabalan S., Wirawan R., Inglis M., Moore C.J., Walker G. V., Chilcott C., Jenkinson H.F. and Tagg J.R. Production of the lantibiotic salivaricin A and its variants by oral streptococci and the use of a specific induction assay to detect their presence in human saliva. Applied and Environmental Microbiology In Press (2006).

Wirawan, R.E., Klesse, N.A., Jack, R.W., and Tagg, J.R. The production and characterization of a novel nisin variant by Streptococcus uberis. Applied and Environmental Microbiology In Press (2006).

Heng N.C.K., Wescombe P., Burton J.P., Jack R.W. and Tagg J. The Diversity of Bacteriocins Produced by Gram-positive Bacteria. (Book Chapter) in Evolution and Ecology of Bacteriocins. Springer New York, Editor: M Riley. In Press (2006).

Al-Qumber M. and Tagg J.R. Commensal bacilli inhibitory to mastitis pathogens isolated from the udder microbiota of healthy cows. Journal of Applied Microbiology In press. (2006).

Tagg J., Wescombe P. and Burton J. Oral streptococcal BLIS: heterogeneity of the effector molecules and potential role in the prevention of streptococcal infections International Congress Series. In Press (2006).

Power D.A., Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N., Tagg J.R. and Dawes P.J. PCR-DGGE analysis of aspirates from chronic rhinosinusitis patients. International Congress Series. In Press (2006).

Power D.A., Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N., Tagg J.R. and Dawes P.J. Non culture-based analysis of bacterial populations from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 45: 5822-5824 (2005).

Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N., Moore C. J., Speiser G. and J.R. Tagg. A preliminary study of the effect of probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12 on oral malodor parameters. Journal of Applied Microbiology. In Press (2006).

Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N., Al-Qumber M., Brooks H.J., Wilson D., Tagg J.R. and C Devenish A preliminary survey of Atopobium vaginae in women attending the Dunedin Gynaecology Out Patients Clinic: Is the contribution of the hard-to-culture microbiota overlooked in gynaecological disorders? The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetric and Gynaecology 45: 450-452. (2005).

Burton J.P., Chilcott C.N. and Tagg J.R. The rationale and potential for the reduction of oral malodour using Streptococcus salivarius probiotics. Oral Diseases 11 (S1): 29-31. (2005).

Hale J. D. F., Ting Y. T., Jack R.W. Tagg J. R. and Heng N. C. K. Bacteriocin (mutacin) production by Streptococcus mutans UA159: elucidation of the antimicrobial repertoire by genetic dissection. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71: 7613-7617 (2005).

Hale J. D. F., Heng N. C. K., Jack R. W. and Tagg J. R.. Identification of nlmTE, the genetic locus encoding the ABC transporter required for nonlantibiotic mutacin export in Streptococcus mutans. Journal of Bacteriology 187: 5036-5039 (2005).

Tagg J. R. Potential probiotic approach to the control of dental caries. Dental Digest 6: 7-8 (2005).

Hyink O., Balakrishnan M. and Tagg, J. R. Streptococcus rattus strain BHT produces both a class I two-component lantibiotic and a class II bacteriocin. FEMS Microbiology Letters 252: 235-244 (2005).

Navaratna, M. A. D. B., Sahl, H-G. and Tagg J.R. Identification of genes encoding two-component lantibiotic production in Staphylococcus aureus strain C55 and other phage group II S. aureus strains and demonstration of an association with the exfoliative toxin B gene. Infection and Immunity 67: 4268-71 (1999).

Dierksen, K.P. and Tagg, J.R. The influence of indigenous bacteriocin-producing Streptococcus salivarius on the acquisition of Streptococcus pyogenes by primary school children in Dunedin, New Zealand. Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases Entering the New Millennium. D.R. Martin and J. R. Tagg (eds), Securacopy, pp. 81-5 (2000).

Wescombe, P.A., Dierksen K. P., Upton M. and Tagg J. R. Investigation into the specificity of auto-regulation of lantibiotic production in Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus pyogenes. Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases Entering the New Millennium. D.R. Martin and J. R. Tagg (eds), Securacopy, pp. 345-8 (2000).

Upton, M., Tagg, J. R. and Jenkinson H. F. Structure and analysis of the salivaricin A gene cluster in Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus pyogenes strains. Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases Entering the New Millennium. D.R. Martin and J. R. Tagg (eds), Securacopy, pp. 349-52 (2000).

Balakrishnan, M., Simmonds, R.S. and Tagg, J.R. Dental caries is a preventable infectious disease. Australian Dental Journal 45: 235-45 (2000).

Dierksen, K.P., Ragland, N.L. and Tagg, J.R. A new alkaline pH-adjusted medium enhances detection of ß-hemolytic streptococci by minimizing bacterial interference due to Streptococcus salivarius. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 38: 643-650 (2000).

Balakrishnan, M., Simmonds, R.S., Carne, A. and Tagg, J.R. Streptococcus mutans strain N produces a novel low molecular mass non-lantibiotic bacteriocin. FEMS Microbiology Letters 183: 165-169 (2000).

Dierksen, K.P. and Tagg, J.R. Haemolysin-deficient variants of Streptococcus pyogenes and S. dysgalactiae subsp equisimilis may be overlooked as aetiological agents of pharyngitis? Journal of Medical Microbiology 49: 811-6 (2000).

Dierksen, K.P., Inglis, M. and Tagg, J.R. High pharyngeal carriage raters of Streptococcus pyogenes in Dunedin schoolchildren with a low incidence of rheumatic fever. New Zealand Medical Journal 113: 496-9 (2000).