title: Frequency of 530-bp deletion in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin promoter region.
abstract: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strains showing a 530-bp deletion in the promoter region of the leukotoxin gene operon elaborate high amounts of leukotoxin that may play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study used polymerase chain reaction detection to determine the occurrence of the 530-bp deletion in 94 A. actinomycetemcomitans strains from individuals of various ethnic backgrounds. Eleven blacks and one Hispanic subject but no Caucasian or Asian subjects showed the 530-bp deletion in the leukotoxin promoter region, suggesting that the deletion is mainly a characteristic of individuals of African descent. A. actinomycetemcomitans strains exhibiting a deletion in the leukotoxin promoter region occurred both in individuals having severe periodontitis and in adolescents revealing no evidence of destructive periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0641, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rusitanonta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Michalowicz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slots
mesh_terms: D000189:Actinobacillus Infections; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D020029:Base Pairing; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003603:Cytotoxins; D005098:Exotoxins; C018579:leukotoxin