IADR Abstract Archives

The significant role of Porphyromonas gingivalis “Gingipains” as a virulence factor on periodontal inflammation

Abstract: Periodontal disease is an infectious and inflammatory disease in periodontal tissues, and is also considered to link with systemic diseases such as diabetes, vascular and cardiovascular diseases. Porphyromonas gingivalis is well known as one of high-risk pathogens, and its persistent infection may contribute to the destruction of periodontal tissues, eventually also affect the systemic diseases. Periodontal disease has proinflammatory mediators including interleukin-6, TNFα, and prostaglandins (PGs). In our recent research, we have focused on the function of cysteine proteases “gingipains”, which are the virulence factors from P. gingivalis. and studied the relationship between gingipains and PGE2 production in P. gingivalis infection. In this study, human monocytes were challenged with wild-type P. gingivalis (wtPg) and gingipains-deficient mutant strain (mtPg) to investigate molecular characterizations of the cellular signaling caused by the host cell-pathogen interactions. We found that gingipains induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production via activation of MEK/ERK/AP-1 (c-fos/c-Jun) and IKK/NF-κBp65, and their proteolytic activity is crucial to cause these events. Furthermore, we examined the upstream pathways leading to MEK/ERK/AP-1 and IKK/NF-κBp65, and then found the involvement of calcium influx and activation of TLR4 signaling in gingipains-induced signaling pathways for COX-2 expression. It is likely that COX-2 expression/PGE2 production induced by gingipains has several interactions and signaling pathways in the monocytes infected with P. gingivalis. Taken together, our study provides the significant role of P. gingivalis gingipains in periodontal inflammation.
Japanese Division Meeting
2020 Japanese Division Meeting (Virtual)
Virtual, Japan
2020
SⅠ-2
At the front-line: Etiology of periodontitis
  • Nakayama, Masaaki  ( Department of Microbiology, Graduate school of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University,and Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (ARCOCS), Dental School, Okayama University )
  • Ohara, Naoya  ( Department of Microbiology, Graduate school of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University,and Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (ARCOCS), Dental School, Okayama University )
  • Symposium I