Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

A Mouse Model for Pathogen-induced Chronic Inflammation at Local and Systemic Sites
Published on: August 8, 2014
Molecular genetics of Porphyromonas gingivalis: gingipains and other virulence factors
1Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Developmental and Reconstructive Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan. knak@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Porphyromonas gingivalis is a black-pigmented anaerobic gram-negative bacterium that is a major pathogen of chronic adult periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of tooth-supporting tissues. P. gingivalis possesses a number of potential virulence factors. Among them, cell-surface-associated and secreted proteinases such as Arg-gingipain and Lys-gingipain have received much attention because they can degrade various host proteins and cause inflammation. Molecular genetic analysis is extremely powerful to evaluate the significance of each virulence factor in a pathogenic microorganism. This review will describe the introduction of molecular genetics to analysis of pathogenesis of P. gingivalis and the findings that have been obtained using knockout mutants of various potential virulence factors, especially proteinases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
The Oral Microbiota
Colonisation of Pathogens
Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence
Regulation of Bacterial Virulence

