Publications by authors named "Joseph DiRienzo"

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various titanium and zirconia polishing protocols on the colonization of oral bacteria. Titanium and zirconia discs were divided into five groups: unpolished (control, UNP) and polished with Brownie only (BRO), Brownie plus Greenie (BPG), Brownie plus Greenie plus Supergreenie (BGS), and CeraMaster Coarse plus CeraMaster polishing tips (CER). The samples were sterilized and immersed in unstimulated saliva, then incubated in a liquid suspension of Streptococcus gordonii (S gordonii).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a periodontal pathogen colonizing the oral cavity in many individuals of the human population. It is equipped with several potent virulence factors that can cause cell death and induce or evade the host inflammatory response. Both harmless and highly virulent genotypes of the bacterium have emerged because of the large genetic diversity within the species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The dysbiotic microbiota associated with aggressive periodontitis includes Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, the only oral species known to produce a cytolethal distending toxin (AaCDT). Give that CDT alters the cytokine profile in monocytic cells, we aimed to test the hypothesis that CDT plays a role in bone homeostasis by affecting the differentiation of precursor cells into osteoclasts. Recombinant AaCDT was added to murine bone marrow monocytes (BMMC) in the presence or absence of RANKL and the cell viability and cytokine profile of osteoclast precursor cells were determined.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is a heterotrimeric holotoxin produced by a diverse group of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The Cdts expressed by the members of this group comprise a subclass of the AB toxin superfamily. Some AB toxins have hijacked the retrograde transport pathway, carried out by the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to translocate to cytosolic targets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Gram-negative bacterium Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is part of the HACEK group that causes infective endocarditis, a constituent of the oral flora that promotes some forms of periodontal disease and a member of the family of species that secrete a cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt). The family of bacteria that express the cdt genes participate in diseases that involve the disruption of a mucosal or epithelial layer. In vitro studies have shown that human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) are native targets of the Cdt that typically induces DNA damage that signals growth arrest at the G2/M interphase of the cell cycle.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an important periodontal pathogen that can participate in periodontitis and other non-oral infections. The cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) is among the virulence factors produced by this bacterium. The Cdt is also secreted by several mucosa-associated Gram-negative pathogens and may play a role in perpetuating the infection by modulating the immune response.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt), produced by some clinically important Gram-negative bacterial species, is related to the family of AB-type toxins. Three heterologous proteins (CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC) and a genotoxin mode of action distinguish the Cdt from others in this toxin class. Crystal structures of several species-specific Cdts have provided a basis for predicting subunit interactions and functions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the association between antibiotics used to treat acne and pharyngitis.

Design: Cross-sectional and 9-month prospective cohort.

Setting: Urban university setting.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chimeras composed of the cdtB gene of a novel bacterial genotoxin and the human type I DNAse I gene were constructed and their products characterized relative to the biochemical and enzymatic properties of the native proteins. The product of a cdtB/DNAse I chimera formed a heterotrimer with the CdtA and CdtC subunits of the genotoxin, and targeted mutations increased the specific activity of the hybrid protein. Expression of active chimeric gene products established that the CdtB protein is an atypical divalent cation-dependent endonuclease and demonstrated the potential for genetically engineering a new class of therapeutic agent for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans produces a cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) that inhibits the proliferation of oral epithelial cells. Structural models suggest that the CdtA and CdtC subunits of the Cdt heterotrimer form two putative lectin domains with a central groove. A region of CdtA rich in heterocyclic amino acids (aromatic patch) appears to play an important role in receptor recognition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The authors have previously shown that the periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter (formerly Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans Y4 contains an operon for a genotoxin known as the cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt). The cdt locus in strain Y4 is flanked by remnants of heterologous plasmid and integrase sequences. In this study, the DNA sequence immediately downstream from the cdt locus on the Y4 chromosome was examined.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report the in vitro inhibition of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) by a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS-like substance) produced by Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is an atypical A-B-type toxin consisting of a heterotrimer composed of the cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC gene products. The CdtA and CdtC subunits form two heterogeneous ricin-like lectin domains which bind the holotoxin to the target cell. Point mutations were used to study CdtC structure and function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Cdt is a family of gram-negative bacterial toxins that typically arrest eukaryotic cells in the G0/G1 or G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The toxin is a heterotrimer composed of the cdtA, cdtB and cdtC gene products. Although it has been shown that the CdtA protein subunit binds to cells in culture and in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CELISA) the precise mechanisms by which CdtA interacts with CdtB and CdtC has not yet been clarified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a typical member of this Gram-negative bacterium holotoxin family that targets a wide spectrum of eukarytotic cells, typically causing cell cycle arrest at either the G(1) or G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle. In view of the possible role of the CDT as a prominent A. actinomycetemcomitans virulence factor in periodontal diseases, we have examined the effects of the toxin on primary cultures of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The periodontal pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans expresses a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) that typically arrests the growth of eukaryotic cells at either the G0/G1 or G2/M phase of the cell cycle. It was previously found that CDT failed to arrest the growth of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs) when grown in pure culture. In contrast, proliferation of an oral epithelial cell line was rapidly inhibited by the toxin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a multicomponent bacterial holotoxin that targets most eukarytotic cells causing distension and cell cycle arrest. A number of diverse pathogenic bacterial species associated with diarrhoea, chancroid, chronic hepatitis and periodontal disease produce a CDT. Synthesis of the holotoxin is directed by the expression of three genes, cdtA, cdtB and cdtC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF