Exploring the Genetic and Functional Diversity of <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> Survival Factor RagAB.

ABSTRACT: Porphyromonas gingivalis is a key pathogen in periodontitis. Its outer membrane contains the RagAB transport complex, which has been implicated in protein uptake, essential for a proteolytic species. RagA is a 22-stranded β-barrel, and RagB is the corresponding 4-TPR lid, together forming a TonB-dependent system acting as a "pedal bin". Four different alleles were observed, of which ragAB-1 is more virulent than the others. Our aim was to map ragAB in 129 strains of P. gingivalis and related species available in our collection, supported by a newly introduced universal PCR for amplification/sequencing of all four ragA variants and to find reasons for the differences in virulence and/or fitness. Regarding the PCR method, by pairing established Long-PCR pri

SUBMITTER: Montz PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11817032 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature