Species specificity, surface exposure, protein expression, immunogenicity, and participation in biofilm formation of Porphyromonas gingivalis HmuY.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major etiological agent of chronic periodontitis. The aim of this study was to examine the species specificity, surface exposure, protein expression, immunogenicity, and participation in biofilm formation of the P. gingivalis heme-binding protein HmuY.

Results

HmuY is a unique protein of P. gingivalis since only low amino-acid sequence homology has been found to proteins encoded in other species. It is exposed on the cell surface and highly abundant in the outer membrane of the cell, in outer-membrane vesicles, and is released into culture medium in a soluble form. The protein is produced constitutively at low levels in bacteria grown under high-iron/heme conditions and at higher levels in bacteria growing under the low-iron/heme cond

SUBMITTER: Olczak T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2873494 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature