Defining the role of Hmu and Hus systems in Porphyromonas gingivalis heme and iron homeostasis and virulence.

Iron and heme are essential nutrients for all branches of life. Pathogenic members of the Bacteroidota phylum, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, do not synthesize heme and rely on host hemoproteins for heme as a source of iron and protoporphyrin IX. P.

HmuY and Bvu-A Novel Competitive Heme Acquisition Strategy.

Human oral and gut microbiomes are crucial for maintenance of homeostasis in the human body. , the key etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis, can cause dysbiosis in the mouth and gut, which results in local and systemic infectious inflammatory diseases. Our previous work resulted in extensive biochemical and functional characterization of one of the major heme acquisition systems (Hmu), with the leading role played by the HmuY hemophore-like protein.