title: Activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway contributes to survival of primary epithelial cells infected with the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.
abstract: Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important periodontal pathogen, infects primary gingival epithelial cells (GECs). Despite the large number of bacteria that replicate inside the GECs, the host cell remains viable. We demonstrate that P. gingivalis triggers rapid and reversible surface phosphatidylserine exposure through a mechanism requiring caspase activation. However, after 1 day of infection, the bacteria no longer induce phosphatidylserine externalization and instead protect infected cells against apoptosis. Infection exerts its effect at the level of mitochondria, as P. gingivalis also blocks depolarization of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and cytochrome c release. Interestingly, protein kinase B/Akt is phosphorylated during infection, which can be blocked with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002. Suppression of the PI3K/Akt pathway following staurosporine treatment results in mitochondrial-membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, DNA fragmentation, and increased apoptosis of infected GECs. Thus, P. gingivalis stimulates early surface exposure of phosphatidylserine, which could downmodulate the inflammatory response, while also promoting host cell survival through the PI3K/Akt pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health, HSC Box 357238, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. ozlem@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jungas
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verbeke
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ojcius
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D045304:Cytochromes c; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C494918:AKT1 protein, human