Resolving the Contradictory Functions of Lysine Decarboxylase and Butyrate in Periodontal and Intestinal Diseases

Periodontal disease is a common, bacterially mediated health problem worldwide. Mastication (chewing) repeatedly traumatizes the gingiva and periodontium, causing traces of inflammatory exudate, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), to appear in crevices between the teeth and gingiva. Inadequate tooth cleaning causes a dentally adherent microbial biofilm composed of commensal salivary bacteria to appear around these crevices where many bacteria grow better on GCF than in saliva. We reported that lysine decarboxylase (Ldc) from Eikenella corrodens depletes the GCF of lysine by converting it to cadaverine and carbon dioxide. Lysine is an amino acid essential for the integrity and continuous renewal of dentally attached epithelium acting as a barrier to microbial products. Unless removed regularly by oral hygiene, bacterial products invade the lysine-deprived dental attachment where they stimulate inflammation that enhances GCF exudation. Cadaverine increases and supports the development of a butyrate-producing microbiome that utilizes the increased GCF substrates to slowly destroy the periodontium (dysbiosis). A long-standing paradox is that acid-induced Ldc and butyrate production support a commensal (probiotic) microbiome in the intestine. Here, we describe how the different physiologies of the respective tissues explain how the different Ldc and butyrate functions impact the progression and control of these two chronic diseases.