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Related Experiment Videos

Activation of complement by Treponema denticola.

H A Schenkein1, C R Berry

  • 1Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry, Richmond 23298.

Journal of Dental Research
|February 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Treponema denticola activates human complement, leading to opsonin deposition on its surface. This suggests complement activation is a key defense against oral spirochete infections.

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Area of Science:

  • Oral microbiology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Oral spirochetes, including Treponema denticola, are linked to periodontal diseases.
  • Increased T. denticola presence correlates with periodontal lesion severity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction between Treponema denticola and the human complement system.
  • To determine if T. denticola activates complement and how it affects opsonin deposition.

Main Methods:

  • Incubation of two T. denticola strains with human serum at 37°C.
  • Analysis of complement activation via classical and alternative pathways.
  • Detection of C3 fragment deposition on the bacterial surface.
  • Testing T. denticola's ability to degrade purified C3 (active vs. inactivated).

Main Results:

  • Both classical and alternative pathways of human complement were activated by T. denticola.
  • C3 fragments, including opsonic fragments C3b and iC3b, deposited on the T. denticola surface.
  • T. denticola degraded inactivated C3 but not hemolytically-active C3.

Conclusions:

  • Treponema denticola activates both classical and alternative pathways of the human complement system.
  • Complement activation leads to the deposition of opsonins (C3b, iC3b) on T. denticola.
  • Complement activation and opsonin deposition represent crucial host defense mechanisms against T. denticola infections, despite the bacterium's proteolytic activity.

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