Role of Gingipains R in the Pathogenesis of Porphyromonas gingivalis‐Mediated Periodontal Disease

作者：Caroline Attardo Genco, Jan Potempa, Jowita Mikolajczyk‐Pawlinska, James W. Travis · 发表于：Clinical Infectious Diseases · 年份：1999 · DOI：10.1086/515156 · 被引用次数：118 · 研究领域：Oral microbiology and periodontitis research、Oral and gingival health research、Protease and Inhibitor Mechanisms

It has been demonstrated that the Porphyromonas gingivalis cysteine proteinases (gingipains) activate and/or degrade a broad range of host proteins. Inactivation of gingipains R prior to infection of mice results in a decrease in the virulence of P. gingivalis. Analysis of mouse, rabbit, and chicken antisera raised to gingipain R1 demonstrated that the hemagglutinin domains of gingipains are very immunogenic; however, immunization of mice with a peptide derived from the hemagglutinin domain did not protect mice from P. gingivalis infection. Our recent studies indicate that immunization of mice with a peptide corresponding to the N-terminus of the catalytic domain of gingipains R results in the generation of an immune response that affords protection of mice from P. gingivalis infection. It is postulated that the protection observed results from the inactivation of the enzymatic activity of gingipains R as a result of antibody recognition of a processing site on the gingipain R precursor.