title: Porphyromonas gingivalis genes involved in community development with Streptococcus gordonii.
abstract: Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the causative agents of adult periodontitis, develops biofilm microcolonies on substrata of Streptococcus gordonii but not on Streptococcus mutans. P. gingivalis genome microarrays were used to identify genes differentially regulated during accretion of P. gingivalis in heterotypic biofilms with S. gordonii. Thirty-three genes showed up- or downregulation by array analysis, and differential expression was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The functions of the regulated genes were predominantly related to metabolism and energy production. In addition, many of the genes have no current known function. The roles of two upregulated genes, ftsH (PG0047) encoding an ATP-dependent zinc metallopeptidase and ptpA (PG1641) encoding a putative tyrosine phosphatase, were investigated further by mutational analysis. Strains with mutations in these genes developed more abundant biofilms with S. gordonii than the parental strain developed. ftsH and ptpA may thus participate in a regulatory network that constrains P. gingivalis accumulation in heterotypic biofilms. This study provided a global analysis of P. gingivalis transcriptional responses in an oral microbial community and also provided insight into the regulation of heterotypic biofilm development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0424, USA.
authors.forename: M Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Simionato
authors.forename: Chelsea M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Masae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuboniwa
authors.forename: Gwyneth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Demuth
authors.forename: Gena D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Tribble
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lamont
mesh_terms: D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases