title: Genetic control of susceptibility to Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced alveolar bone loss in mice.
abstract: Periodontal disease affects a large percentage of the human population. Resorption of the alveolar bone of the jaw is a pivotal sequela of periodontal disease, because this bone is the attachment site for the periodontal ligaments that anchor the teeth. Using a murine model in which alveolar bone loss is induced by oral infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative bacterium associated with human adult periodontal disease, we provide evidence suggesting that susceptibility to such bone loss is a genetically determined trait. AKR/J, DBA/2J, and BALB/cByJ or BALB/cJ mice were highly susceptible, while A/J, A/HeJ, 129/J, SJL/J, and C57BL/6J mice were much more resistant. When susceptible BALB/cJ and BALB/cByJ mice were crossed to resistant strains, two patterns were observed. (BALBc/ByJ x C57BL/6J)F(1) offspring were susceptible, suggesting C57BL/6J has recessive resistance alleles, while (BALB/cJ x A/J)F(1) mice were all resistant, suggesting that A/J mice have dominant resistance alleles. These results suggest a tractable genetic basis for P. gingivalis-induced alveolar bone loss and open the possibility of exploiting the mouse model to identify loci important for host susceptibility and resistance to periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine 04240, USA. pbaker@abacus.bates.edu
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Roopenian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification