title: The peptidylarginine deiminase gene is a conserved feature of Porphyromonas gingivalis.
abstract: Periodontitis is an infective process that ultimately leads to destruction of the soft and hard tissues that support the teeth (the periodontium). Periodontitis has been proposed as a candidate risk factor for development of the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, is the only known prokaryote expressing a peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) enzyme necessary for protein citrullination. Antibodies to citrullinated proteins (anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, ACPA) are highly specific for RA and precede disease onset. Objective of this study was to assess P. gingivalis PAD (PPAD) gene expression and citrullination patterns in representative samples of P. gingivalis clinical isolates derived from periodontitis patients with and without RA and in related microbes of the Porphyromonas genus. Our findings indicate that PPAD is omnipresent in P. gingivalis, but absent in related species. No significant differences were found in the composition and expression of the PPAD gene of P. gingivalis regardless of the presence of RA or periodontal disease phenotypes. From this study it can be concluded that if P. gingivalis plays a role in RA, it is unlikely to originate from a variation in PPAD gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gabarrini
authors.affiliation: Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Menke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Smit
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westra
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arjan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vissink
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: John W A
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rossen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stobernack
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan Maarten
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Dijl
authors.affiliation: Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.|Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arie Jan
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Winkelhoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D000076342:Protein-Arginine Deiminases; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D006867:Hydrolases; D000076342:Protein-Arginine Deiminases