Molecular Strategies Underlying Porphyromonas gingivalis Virulence

• Published in: Journal of molecular biology Vol. 433; no. 7; p. 166836
• Main Authors: Lunar Silva, Ignacio, Cascales, Eric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 02.04.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: IX secretion system; Life Sciences; pathogenesis; Porphyromonas gingivalis; protein transport; type; virulence factors; Porphyromonas gingivalis; protein transport; T9SS; IM; PPAD; A-LPS; type; HBP35; virulence factors; RA; pathogenesis; CTD; IX secretion system; OM; OMVs
• ISSN: 0022-2836; 1089-8638
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166836

[Display omitted] •Porphyromonas gingivalis is the etiologic agent of gingivitis and periodontitis.•Porphyromonas pathogenesis relies on a broad repertoire of virulence factors.•Porphyromonas virulence factors include the T9SS, fimbriae, and OMVs.•The T9SS is a multiprotein complex of the cell envelope that transports effectors.•T9SS effectors are mainly proteolytic enzymes that degrade the tooth tissues. The anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered the keystone of periodontitis diseases, a set of inflammatory conditions that affects the tissues surrounding the teeth. In the recent years, the major virulence factors exploited by P. gingivalis have been identified and characterized, including a cocktail of toxins, mainly proteases called gingipains, which promote gingival tissue invasion. These effectors use the Sec pathway to cross the inner membrane and are then recruited and transported across the outer membrane by the type IX secretion system (T9SS). In P. gingivalis, most secreted effectors are attached to anionic lipopolysaccharides (A-LPS), and hence form a virulence coat at the cell surface. P. gingivalis produces additional virulence factors to evade host immune responses, such as capsular polysaccharide, fimbriae and outer membrane vesicles. In addition to periodontitis, it is proposed that this broad repertoire of virulence factors enable P. gingivalis to be involved in diverse human diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegenerative, Alzheimer, and cardiovascular disorders. Here, we review the major virulence determinants of P. gingivalis and discuss future directions to better understand their mechanisms of action.