HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sabet, M. Articles by Um, H.-S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sabet, M. Articles by Um, H.-S. Agricola Articles by Sabet, M. Articles by Um, H.-S.

The surface (S-) layer is a virulence factor of Bacteroides forsythus

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Dental School, 666 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
² Department of Periodontics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Dental School, 666 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
³ Oral Health Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Correspondence
S.-W. Lee
SWL001{at}dental.umaryland.edu

Bacteroides forsythus has emerged as a crucial periodontal pathogen with possible implications for systemic disease. The aim of this study was to isolate the S-layer from B. forsythus and examine its virulence potential as a part of efforts to characterize virulence factors of B. forsythus. The role of the S-layer in the haemagglutinating and adherent/invasive activities was evaluated. It was observed that the S-layer alone was able to mediate haemagglutination. In adherent and invasive studies, transmission electron microscopy clearly revealed that B. forsythus cells were able to attach to and invade KB cells, showing the formation of a microvillus-like extension around adherent and intracellular bacteria. The quantitative analysis showed that five different B. forsythus strains exhibited attachment (1·9–2·3 %) and invasion (0·4–0·7 %) capabilities. It was also observed through antibody inhibition assays that adherent/invasive activities of B. forsythus are mediated by the S-layer. Furthermore, an in vivo immunization study adopting a murine abscess model was used to prove that the S-layer is involved in the infectious process of abscess formation. While mice immunized with purified S-layer and B. forsythus whole cells did not develop any abscesses when challenged with viable B. forsythus cells, unimmunized mice developed abscesses. Collectively, the data obtained from these studies indicate that the S-layer of B. forsythus is a virulence factor.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. L. Davis, J. B. Thoden, and H. M. Holden The X-ray Structure of dTDP-4-Keto-6-deoxy-D-glucose-3,4-ketoisomerase J. Biol. Chem., June 29, 2007; 282(26): 19227 - 19236. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Sakakibara, K. Nagano, Y. Murakami, N. Higuchi, H. Nakamura, K. Shimozato, and F. Yoshimura Loss of adherence ability to human gingival epithelial cells in S-layer protein-deficient mutants of Tannerella forsythensis Microbiology, March 1, 2007; 153(3): 866 - 876. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Inagaki, S. Onishi, H. K. Kuramitsu, and A. Sharma Porphyromonas gingivalis Vesicles Enhance Attachment, and the Leucine-Rich Repeat BspA Protein Is Required for Invasion of Epithelial Cells by "Tannerella forsythia" Infect. Immun., September 1, 2006; 74(9): 5023 - 5028. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Sharma, S. Inagaki, K. Honma, C. Sfintescu, P.J. Baker, and R.T. Evans Tannerella forsythia-induced Alveolar Bone Loss in Mice Involves Leucine-rich-repeat BspA Protein J. Dent. Res., May 1, 2005; 84(5): 462 - 467. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]