The gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase for putrescine biosynthesis is essential for the viability of <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i>.

ABSTRACT: Fusobacterium nucleatum is a Gram-negative anaerobe associated with periodontitis and colorectal cancer. It secretes putrescine, a polyamine that promotes biofilm formation by oral co-colonizers and enhances the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the physiological importance of putrescine for F. nucleatum itself remains unexplored. Here, we show that putrescine biosynthesis, mediated by the ornithine decarboxylase gene oda, is essential for F. nucleatum viability. Deletion of oda was only possible when a functional copy was provided in trans, and CRISPR interference of oda expression resulted in complete growth defects. The essentiality of oda was conserved across multiple subspecies. Supplementation with exogenous putrescine ena

SUBMITTER: Xu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12826042 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature