The capsule of Porphyromonas gingivalis reduces the immune response of human gingival fibroblasts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Periodontitis is a bacterial infection of the periodontal tissues. The Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered a major causative agent. One of the virulence factors of P. gingivalis is capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Non-encapsulated strains have been shown to be less virulent in mouse models than encapsulated strains.

Results

To examine the role of the CPS in host-pathogen interactions we constructed an insertional isogenic P. gingivalis knockout in the epimerase-coding gene epsC that is located at the end of the CPS biosynthesis locus. This mutant was subsequently shown to be non-encapsulated. K1 capsule biosynthesis could be restored by in trans expression of an intact epsC gene. We used the epsC mutant, the W83 wild type strain

SUBMITTER: Brunner J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2817674 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature