Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

12:16
Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Model Organism for Assessing Interaction of Anaerobic Bacteria with Host Cells
Published on: December 17, 2015
26.9K
Distinct gene expression characteristics in epithelial cell-Porphyromonas gingivalis interactions by integrating
Dongmei Zhang1, Jingya Hou2, Yun Wu2
1Department of Periodontics and Oral Biology, School of Stomatology, China Medical University, Shenyang 110002, China.
International Journal of Medical Sciences
|November 7, 2019
Summary
Porphyromonas gingivalis infection up-regulates genes in epithelial cells, promoting survival and proliferation. This may contribute to periodontitis and oral cancer development through inflammation and altered cell regulation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Oral Biology
Background:
- Porphyromonas gingivalis is a key pathogen in periodontitis.
- Epithelial cells form the primary defense against bacterial invasion.
- Host-bacteria interactions influence disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify differential gene expression profiles in epithelial cells upon Porphyromonas gingivalis infection.
- To analyze gene ontology and pathway enrichment of differentially expressed genes.
Main Methods:
- A network-based meta-analysis of gene expression profiling was employed.
- Gene ontology analysis was performed on differentially expressed genes.
- Pathway enrichment analysis identified affected biological pathways.
Main Results:
- 290 genes were consistently up-regulated in Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected epithelial cells.
- Up-regulated genes were associated with "negative regulation of apoptotic process" and "positive regulation of cell proliferation/migration/angiogenesis".
- Pathways linked to inflammation and "transcriptional misregulation in cancer" were enriched.
Conclusions:
- Porphyromonas gingivalis infection enhances epithelial cell survival and proliferation, aiding colonization.
- Chronic inflammation and altered gene regulation by P. gingivalis may contribute to oral cancer development.
- Negative regulation of apoptosis and cancer-related pathways are crucial in periodontitis and oral cancer pathogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
443
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
443
Reporter Genes
12.8K
Reporter genes are a type of protein-coding gene that are often tagged to a gene of interest. Once inside a target cell, reporter genes usually produce visually identifiable characteristics like fluorescence and luminescence when expressed along with the gene of interest. Thus, reporter genes “report” the presence or absence of genes of interest in an organism, determine the gene expression pattern, or track the physical location of a DNA segment or protein in the cell.
12.8K

