Interactions of Bacteroides gingivalis with fibrinogen

M. S. Lantz, R. W. Rowland, L. M. Switalski, M. Hook

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    36 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Results of previous studies from our laboratory have shown that a strain of Bacteroides intermedius isolated originally from a patient with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis binds and degrades human fibrinogen. We report that strains of Bacteroides gingivalis, an organism implicated in the etiology of several forms of periodontitis, also bind and degrade fibrinogen. The binding is rapid, reversible, saturable, and specific. The number of fibrinogen-binding sites per cell varies from 500 to 1,500 in different batches of bacteria, and the dissociation constant for the complex is on the order of 10-8 M. B. gingivalis possesses cell-associated fibrinogenolytic activity that is activated by dithiothreitol and blocked by thiol protease inhibitors. Interaction with fibrinogen may mediate colinization and establishment of these organisms in the periodontal microbiota.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)654-658
    Number of pages5
    JournalInfection and Immunity
    Volume54
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1986

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Parasitology
    • Microbiology
    • Immunology
    • Infectious Diseases

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