Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Model Organism for Assessing Interaction of Anaerobic Bacteria with Host Cells
Published on: December 17, 2015
Genetic exchange and reassignment in Porphyromonas gingivalis
Ingar Olsen1, Tsute Chen2,3, Gena D Tribble4
1Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Abstract:
Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered a keystone pathogen in adult periodontitis but has also been associated with systemic diseases. It has a myriad of virulence factors that differ between strains. Genetic exchange and intracellular genome rearrangements may be responsible for the variability in the virulence of P. gingivalis. The present review discusses how the exchange of alleles can convert this bacterium from commensalistic to pathogenic and potentially shapes the host-microbe environment from homeostasis to dysbiosis. It is likely that genotypes of P. gingivalis with increased pathogenic adaptations may spread in the human population with features acquired from a common pool of alleles. The exact molecular mechanisms that trigger this exchange are so far unknown but they may be elicited by environmental pressure.
Related Concept Videos
Social Exchange Theory
Social Exchange Theory
Gas Exchange and Transport
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Capillary Exchange
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

