* shared first/senior authorship
Wessler S, Backert S. A novel basolateral type IV secretion model for the CagA oncoprotein of Helicobacter pylori. Microb Cell, 2018, 5: 60-32.
Stutz K, Hiss JA, Müller AT, Hiss JA, Schneider P, Blatter M, Pfeiffer B, Posselt G, Kanfer G, Kornmann B, Wrede P, Altmann KH, Wessler S, Schneider G. Peptide-membrane interaction between targeting and lysis. ACS Chem Biol, 2017, 12: 2254-2259.
Tegtmeyer N, Wessler S, Necchi V, Rohde M, Harrer A, Rau TT, Asche CI, Böhm M, Loessner H, Figueiredo C, Naumann M, Palmisano R, Solcia E, Ricchi V, Backert S. Helicobacter pylori employs a unique basolateral type IV secretion mechanism for CagA delivery. Cell Host Microbe, 2017, 22: 552-560.                                               
Pillong M, Hiss JA, Schneider P, Lin YC, Posselt G, Pfeiffer B, Blatter M, Müller AT, Bachler S, Neuhaus C, Dittrich P, Altmann KH, Wessler S, Schneider G. Rational design of self-assembling membrane-pore-forming peptides. Small, 2017, 13: 1701316.
McKenna O, Posselt G, Briza P, Lackner P, Schmitt A, Gadermaier G, Wessler S, Ferreira F. Multi-approach analysis for the identification of proteases within birch pollen. Int J Mol Sci, 2017, 18: 1433.                                                                 
Feichtinger RG, Neureiter D, Skaria T, Wessler S, Cover TL, Mayr JA, Zimmermann FA, Posselt G, Sperl W, Kofler B. Oxidative phosphorylation system in gastric carcinomas and gastritis. Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2017, 2017: 1320241.  
Wessler S, Aberger F, Hartmann T. The Sound of Tumor Cell-Microenvironment Communication – composed by the Cancer Cluster Salzburg Research Network. Cell Commun Signal, 2017, 15: 20.

Wessler S, Krisch LM, Elmer DP, Aberger F. From inflammation to gastric cancer – The importance of hedgehog/GLI signaling in Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Cell Commun Signal, 2017, 15: 15.
Posselt G, Crabtree JE, Wessler S. Proteolysis in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric cancer. Toxins, 2017, 9: 134.
Backert S, Schmidt TP, Harrer A, Wessler S. Exploiting the epithelial barrier: Helicobacter pylori’s attack on tight and adherens junctions. In: Molecular pathogenesis and signal transduction by Helicobacter pylori. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol, 2017, 400:195-226.
Wessler S, Schneider G, Backert S. Bacterial serine protease HtrA as a promising new target for antimicrobial therapy? Cell Commun Signal, 2017, 15: 4.
Schneider P, Müller A, Gabernet G, Posselt G, Wessler S, Hiss JA, Schneider G. Hybrid Network Model for “Deep Learning” of Chemical Data: Application to Antimicrobial Peptides. Mol Inform, 2017, 36: 1600011.
Müller AT, Kaymaz AC, Gabernet G, Posselt G, Wessler S, Hiss JA, Schneider G. Sparse neural network models of antimicrobial peptide-activity relationships. Mol Inform, 2016, 35: 606-614.                                                                                     
Abfalter CM, Schubert M, Götz C, Schmidt TP, Posselt G, Wessler S. HtrA-mediated E-cadherin cleavage is limited to DegP and DegQ homologs expressed by Gram-negative pathogens. Cell Commun Signal, 2016, 14: 30.
Abfalter CM, Schönauer E, Ponnuraj K, Huemer M, Gadermaier G, Regl C, Briza P, Ferreira F, Huber CG, Brandstetter H, Posselt G, Wessler S. Cloning, purification and characterization of the collagenase ColA expressed by Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. PLoS ONE, 2016, 11: e0162433.
Krisch LM, Posselt G, Hammerl P, Wessler S. CagA phosphorylation in Helicobacter pylori-infected B cells is mediated by the non-receptor tyrosine kinases of the Src and Abl families. Infect Immun, 2016, 84: 2671-2680.
Schmidt TP, Götz C, Huemer M, Schneider G, Wessler S. Calcium binding protects E-cadherin from cleavage by Helicobacter pylori HtrA. Gut Pathog, 2016, 8:29.
Wessler S. Emerging Novel Virulence Factors of Helicobacter pylori. In: Helicobacter pylori Research: From Bench to Bedside. Edited by Backert S, Yamaoka Y. Tokyo: Springer Japan, 2016, 165-188.                 
Schmidt TP, Perna AM, Fugmann T, Böhm M, Hiss J, Haller S, Götz C, Tegtmeyer N, Hoy B, Rau TT, Neri D, Backert S, Schneider G, Wessler S. Identification of E-cadherin signature motifs functioning as cleavage sites for Helicobacter pylori HtrA. Sci Rep, 2016, 6: 23264. 
Tegtmeyer N, Moodley Y, Yamaoka Y, Pernitzsch SR, Schmidt V, Traverso FR, Schmidt TP, Rad R, Yeoh KG, Bow H, Torres J, Sharma CM, Schneider G, Wessler S, Backert S. Characterization of worldwide Helicobacter pylori strains reveals genetic conservation and essentiality of serine protease HtrA. Mol Microbiol, 2016, 99: 925-944.
Hiss JA, Stutz K, Posselt G, Wessler S, Schneider G. Attractors in sequence space: Peptide morphing by directed simulated evolution. Mol Inform, 2015, 34: 709-714.
Perna AM, Rodrigues T, Schmidt TP, Böhm M, Stutz K, Reker D, Pfeiffer B, Altmann KH, Backert S, Wessler S, Schneider G. Fragment-based de novo design reveals a small molecule inhibitor of Helicobacter pylori HtrA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2015, 54: 10244-10248.
Abfalter CM, Schmidt TP, Wessler S. Proteolytic activities expressed by gastrointestinal pathogens Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus faecium in different growth phases. Br Microbiol Res J, 2015, 7: 62-70.
Lin YC, Hiss JA, Schneider P, Thelesklaf P, Lim YF, Pillong M, Köhler FM, Dittrich PS, Halin C, Wessler S, Schneider G. Piloting the Membranolytic Activities of Peptides with a Self-organizing Map. ChemBioChem, 2014, 15: 2225-2231.
Perna AM, Reisen F, Schmidt TP, Geppert T, Pillong M, Weisel M, Hoy B, Simister PC, Feller SM, Wessler S, Schneider G. Inhibiting Helicobacter pylori HtrA protease by addressing a computationally predicted allosteric ligand binding site. Chem Sci, 2014, 5: 3583-3590.
Posselt G, Backert S, Wessler S. The functional interplay of Helicobacter pylori factors with gastric epithelial cells induces a multi-step process in pathogenesis. Cell Commun Signal, 2013, 11: 77.
Backert S, Böhm M, Wessler S, Tegtmeyer N. Transmigration route of Campylobacter jejuni across polarized intestinal epithelial cells: paracellular, transcellular or both? Cell Commun Signal, 2013, 11: 72.
Boehm M, Haenel I, Hoy B, Hendrixson D, Brøndsted L, Hoover T, Wessler S, Tegtmeyer N. Extracellular secretion of protease HtrA from Campylobacter jejuni is highly efficient and independent of its protease activity: investigation of culture media conditions, host cell lines and flagellar export genes. Eur J Microbiol Immunol, 2013, 3: 163-173. 
Binai NA, Carra G, Löwer J, Löwer R, Wessler S. Differential gene expression in ERα-positive and ERα-negative breast cancer cells upon leptin stimulation. Endocrine, 2013, 44: 496-503.
Hoy B, Brandstetter H, Wessler S. The stability and activity of recombinant Helicobacter pylori HtrA under stress conditions. J Basic Microbiol, 2013, 53: 402-409.
Wagner W, Reuter A, Hüller P, Löwer J, Wessler S. Peroxiredoxin 6 promotes upregulation of the prion protein (PrP) in neuronal cells of prion-infected mice. Cell Commun Signal, 2012, 10: 38.
Rieder G, Krisch L, Fischer H, Kaufmann M, Maringer A, Wessler S. Carnobacterium divergens – a dominating bacterium of pork meat juice. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2012, 332:122-130.
Boehm M, Hoy B, Rohde M, Tegtmeyer N, Baek KT, Oyarzabal OA, Brøndsted L, Wessler S, Backert S. Rapid paracellular transmigration of Campylobacter jejuni across polarized epithelial cells without affecting TER: role of proteolytic-active HtrA cleaving E-cadherin but not fibronectin. Gut Pathog, 2012, 4: 3.
Wiedemann T, Hofbaur S, Tegtmeyer N, Huber S, Sewald N, Wessler S, Backert S, Rieder G. Helicobacter pylori CagL dependent induction of gastrin expression via a novel αvβ5-integrin-integrin linked kinase signalling complex. Gut, 2012, 61: 986-996.
Hoy B, Geppert T, Boehm M, Reisen F, Plattner P, Gadermaier, Sewald N, Ferreira F, Briza P, Schneider G, Backert S, Wessler S. Distinct roles of HtrA proteases from different Gram-negative bacteria in cleaving the junctional protein and tumor suppressor E-cadherin. J Biol Chem, 2012, 287: 10115-10120.
Müller D, Tegtmeyer N, Brandt S, Yamaoka Y, de Poire E, Sgouras D, Wessler S, Torres J, Smolka A, Backert S. c-Src and c-Abl kinases control hierarchic phosphorylation and function of the Helicobacter pylori CagA effector protein in Western and East-Asian strains. J Clin Invest, 2012, 122: 1553-1566.
Klenner A, Hähnke V, Geppert T, Schneider P, Zettl H, Haller S, Rodrigues T, Reisen F, Hoy B, Schaible AM, Werz O, Wessler S, Schneider G. From virtual screening to bioactive compounds by visualizing and clustering of chemical space. Mol Inform, 2012, 31: 21-26.
Wessler S, Gimona M, Rieder G. Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in Helicobacter pylori-induced migration and invasive growth of gastric epithelial cells. Cell Commun Signal, 2011, 9: 27.
Wessler S. Many ways of communication: From Helicobacter pylori adherence to death, disruption, migration and escape. Cell Commun Signal, 2011, 9: 24.
Tegtmeyer N, Wittelsberger R, Hartig R, Wessler S, Martinez-Quiles N, Backert S. Serine phosphorylation of cortactin controls focal adhesion kinase activity and cell scattering induced by Helicobacter pylori. Cell Host Microbe, 2011, 9: 520-531.
Schneider S, Carra G, Sahin U, Hoy B, Rieder G, Wessler S. Complex cellular responses of Helicobacter pylori-colonized gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Infect Immun, 2011, 79: 2362-2371.
Löwer M, Geppert T, Schneider P, Hoy B, Schneider G*, Wessler S*. Inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori Protease HtrA Found by ‘Virtual Ligand’ Screening Combat Bacterial Invasion of Epithelia. PLoS One, 2011, 6: e17986.
Geppert T, Hoy B, Wessler S, Schneider G. Context-based identification of protein-protein interfaces and ‘hot-spot’ residues. Chem Biol, 2011, 18, 344-353.
Tegtmeyer N, Wessler S, Backert S. Role of the cag pathogenicity island encoded type IV secretion system in Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis. FEBS J, 2011, 278: 1190-1202.
Wessler S, Backert S. Abl Family of Tyrosine Kinases and Microbial Pathogenesis. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol, 2011, 286: 261- 300.
Wagner W, Ajuh P, Löwer J, Wessler S. Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of prion-infected neuronal cells. Cell Commun Signal, 2010, 8: 28.     
Hoy B, Löwer M, Weydig C, Carra G, Tegtmeyer N, Geppert T, Schröder P, Sewald N, Backert S, Schneider G, Wessler S. Helicobacter pylori HtrA is a new secreted virulence factor that cleaves E-cadherin to disrupt intercellular adhesion. EMBO Rep, 2010, 11: 798 – 804.
Binai NA, Damert A, Carra G, Steckelbroeck S, Löwer J, Löwer R, Wessler S. Expression of estrogen receptor alpha increases leptin-induced STAT3 activity in breast cancer cells. Int J Cancer, 2010, 127: 55-66.
Brandt S, Wessler S, Hartig R, Backert S. Helicobacter pylori activates protein kinase C delta to control Raf in MAP kinase signaling: role in AGS epithelial cell scattering and elongation. Cell Motil Cytoskel, 2009, 66: 874-892.
Dschietzig T, Bartsch C, Wessler S, Baumann G, Stangl K. Autoregulation of human relaxin-2 gene expression critically involves relaxin and glucocorticoid receptor binding to glucocorticoid response half-sites in the relaxin-2 promoter. Regul Peptides, 2009, 155: 163-173.
Löwer M, Weydig C, Metzler D, Reuter A, Starzinski-Powitz A, Schneider* G, Wessler* S. Prediction of extracellular proteases of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori reveals proteolytic activity of the Hp1018/19 protein HtrA. PLoS ONE, 2008, 3: e3510.
Ogden SR, Wroblewski LE, Weydig C, Romero-Gallo J, O’Brien DP, Israel DA, Krishna US, Fingleton B, Reynolds AB, Wessler S, Peek Jr R. p120 and Kaiso regulate Helicobacter pylori-induced 1 expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7. Mol Biol Cell, 2008, 19: 4110-4121.
Knauer O, Binai NA, Carra G, Beckhaus T, Hanschmann KM, Renné T, Backert S, Karas M, Wessler S. Differential profiling of the phospho-proteome revealed a functional role for VASP in Helicobacter pylori-induced cytoskeletal turn-over of gastric epithelial cells. Cell Microbiol, 2008, 10: 2285-2296.
Schneider S, Weydig C, Wessler S. Targeting focal adhesions: Helicobacter pylori-host communication in cell migration. Cell Commun Signal, 2008, 6: 2.
Wessler S, Backert S. Molecular mechanisms of epithelial barrier disruption by Helicobacter pylori. Trends Microbiol, 2008, 16: 397-405.
Backert S, Feller SM, Wessler S. Emerging roles of Abl tyrosine kinases in microbial pathogenesis. Trends Biochem Sci, 2008, 33: 80-90.
Weydig C, Starzinski-Powitz A, Carra G, Löwer J, Wessler S. CagA-independent disruption of adherence junction complexes involves E-cadherin shedding and implies multiple steps in Helicobacter pylori pathogenicity. Exp Cell Res, 2007, 313: 3459-3471.
Kwok T, Zabler D, Urman S, Rhode M, Hartig R, Wessler S, Misselwitz R, Berger J, Sewald N, König W, Backert S. Helicobacter exploits integrin for type IV secretion and kinase activation. Nature, 2007, 449: 862-866.
Poppe M, Feller SM, Römer G, Wessler S. Phosphorylation of Helicobacter pylori CagA by c-Abl leads to cell motility. Oncogene, 2007, 26: 3462–3472.
Otto C, Wessler S, Fritzemeier KH. Exploiting nongenomic estrogen receptor-mediated signaling for the Development of pathway-selective Estrogen receptor ligands. Ernst Schering Found Symp Proc, 2006, 1: 163-181.
Wessler S, Otto C, Wilck N, Stangl V, and Fritzemeier KH. Identification of estrogen receptor ligands leading to activation of non-genomic signaling pathways while exhibiting only weak transcriptional activity. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 2006, 98: 25-35.
Wessler S, Münzner P, Meyer TF, Naumann M. The anti-inflammatory compound curcumin inhibits Neisseria gonorrhoeae-induced NF-kappaB signaling, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and attenuates adhesion in late infection. Biol Chem, 2005, 386: 481-490.
Wessler* S, Al-Ghoul* L, Hundertmark T, Krüger S, Fischer W, Wunder C, Haas R, Roessner A, Naumann M. Analysis of the type IV secretion system-dependent cell motility of Helicobacter pylori-infected epithelial cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2004, 322: 860-866.
Strowski MZ, Cramer T, Schäfer G, Jüttner S, Walduck A, Schipani E, Kemmner W, Wessler S, Wunder C, Weber M, Meyer TF, Wiedenmann B, Jons T, Naumann M, Höcker M. Helicobacter pylori stimulates host vascular endothelial growth factor-A (vegf-A) gene expression via MEK/ERK-dependent activation of Sp1 and Sp3. FASEB J, 2004, 18: 218-220.
Lorenz M, Wessler S, Follmann E, Michaelis W, Düsterhöft T, Baumann G, Stangl K, Stangl V. A constituent of green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase by a PI3K-, PKA-, and Akt-dependent pathway, and leads to endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation. J Biol Chem, 2004, 279: 6190-6195.
Jüttner S, Cramer T, Wessler S, Walduck A, Gao F, Schmitz F, Wunder C, Weber M, Fischer SM, Schmidt WE, Wiedenmann B, Meyer TF, Naumann M, Höcker M. Helicobacter pylori stimulates host cyclooxygenase-2 gene transcription: critical importance of MEK/ERK-dependent activation of USF1/-2 and CREB transcription factors. Cell Microbiol, 2003, 5: 821-834.
Wessler S, Rapp UR, Wiedenmann B, Meyer TF, Schöneberg T, Höcker M, Naumann M. B-Raf/Rap1 signaling but not c-Raf-1/Ras induces the histidine decarboxylase promoter in Helicobacter pylori infection. FASEB J, 2002, 16: 417-419.
Wessler S, Höcker M, Fischer W, Wang TC, Rosewicz S, Haas R, Wiedenmann B, Meyer TF, Naumann M. Helicobacter pylori activates the human histidine decarboxylase promoter through an extracellular-regulated kinase pathway independent of pathogenicity island-encoded virulence factors. J Biol Chem, 2000, 275: 3629-3636.
Naumann M, Wessler S, Bartsch C, Wieland B, Covacci A, Haas R, Meyer TF. Activation of activator protein 1 and stress response kinases in epithelial cells colonized by Helicobacter pylori encoding the cag pathogenicity island. J Biol Chem, 1999, 274: 31655-31662.
Naumann M, Wessler S, Bartsch C, Wieland B, Meyer TF. Neisseria gonorrhoeae epithelial cell interaction leads to the activation of the transcription factors nuclear factor κB and activator protein 1 and the induction of inflammatory cytokines. J Exp Med, 1997, 186: 247-258.