Vaccination targeting surface FomA of Fusobacterium nucleatum against bacterial co-aggregation: Implication for treatment of periodontal infection and halitosis.
The mechanical therapy with multiple doses of antibiotics is one of modalities for treatment of periodontal diseases. However, treatments using multiple doses of antibiotics carry risks of generating resistant strains and misbalancing the resident body flora. We present an approach via immunization targeting an outer membrane protein FomA of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), a central bridging organism in the architecture of oral biofilms. Neutralization of FomA considerably abrogated the enhancement of bacterial co-aggregation, biofilms and production of volatile sulfur compounds mediated by an inter-species interaction of F. nucleatum with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). Vaccination targeting FomA also conferred a protective effect against co-infection-induced gum inflammation. Here, we advance a novel infectious mechanism by which F. nucleatum co-opts P. gingivalis to exacerbate gum infections. FomA is highlighted as a potential target for development of new therapeutics against periodontal infection and halitosis in humans.
Liu
Pei-Feng
PF
Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
Shi
Wenyuan
W
Zhu
Wenhong
W
Smith
Jeffery W
JW
Hsieh
Shie-Liang
SL
Gallo
Richard L
RL
Huang
Chun-Ming
CM
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018441:Biofilms; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006209:Halitosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000378:metabolism; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; C083760:fomA protein, Fusobacterium