Metabolic cooperativity between and .

Background:   and  are proteolytic periodontopathogens that co-localize in polymicrobial subgingival plaque biofilms, display  growth symbiosis and synergistic virulence in animal models of disease. These symbioses are underpinned by a range of metabolic interactions including cooperative hydrolysis of glycine-containing peptides to produce free glycine, which  uses as a major energy and carbon source.

Objective:  To characterize the  gene products essential for these interactions.

The Role of Motility in Synergistic Biofilm Formation With .

Chronic periodontitis has a polymicrobial biofilm etiology and interactions between key oral bacterial species, such as and contribute to disease progression. and are co-localized in subgingival plaque and have been previously shown to exhibit strong synergy in growth, biofilm formation and virulence in an animal model of disease. The motility of , although not considered as a classic virulence factor, may be involved in synergistic biofilm development between and .

A therapeutic gingipain vaccine induces neutralising IgG1 antibodies that protect against experimental periodontitis.

infected mice with an established -specific inflammatory immune response were protected from developing alveolar bone resorption by therapeutic vaccination with a chimera (KAS2-A1) immunogen targeting the major virulence factors of the bacterium, the gingipain proteinases. Protection was characterised by an antigen-specific IgG1 isotype antibody and Th2 cell response. Adoptive transfer of KAS2-A1-specific IgG1 or IgG2 expressing B cells confirmed that IgG1-mediated protection.

PG1058 Is a Novel Multidomain Protein Component of the Bacterial Type IX Secretion System.

Porphyromonas gingivalis utilises the Bacteroidetes-specific type IX secretion system (T9SS) to export proteins across the outer membrane (OM), including virulence factors such as the gingipains. The secreted proteins have a conserved carboxy-terminal domain essential for type IX secretion that is cleaved upon export. In P.

Bacterial interactions in pathogenic subgingival plaque.

Chronic periodontitis has a polymicrobial biofilm aetiology. Polymicrobial biofilms are complex, dynamic microbial communities formed by two or more bacterial species that are important for the persistence and proliferation of participating microbes in the environment. Interspecies adherence, which often involves bacterial surface-associated molecules, and communications are essential in the spatial and temporal development of a polymicrobial biofilm, which in turn is necessary for the overall fitness of a well-organized multispecies biofilm community.