Sialic acid, periodontal pathogens and Tannerella forsythia: stick around and enjoy the feast!

ABSTRACT: Periodontal pathogens, like any other human commensal or pathogenic bacterium, must possess both the ability to acquire the necessary growth factors and the means to adhere to surfaces or reside and survive in their environmental niche. Recent evidence has suggested that sialic acid containing host molecules may provide both of these requirements in vivo for several periodontal pathogens but most notably for the red complex organism Tannerella forsythia. Several other periodontal pathogens also possess sialic acid scavenging enzymes - sialidases, which can also expose adhesive epitopes, but might also act as adhesins in their own right. In addition, recent experimental work coupled with the release of several genome sequences has revealed that periodontal bacteria have a range of sialic ac

SUBMITTER: Stafford G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4049603 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature