Exploring common shifts in amino acid balance in periodontitis-associated microbial communities

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17281
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57080:Social dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Sakanaka Akito 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 助教 (90815557)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 歯周病 / 微生物叢 / 栄養共生 / アミノ酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the amino acid trophic webs in subgingibal microbial communities from both in vitro and clinical approaches. We showed that Fusobacterium nucleatum has the high production capability of polyamines, which is strengthend by coexistence with commensal microbes such as oral streptococci and Veillonella species.In clinical studies, we found several aromatic amino acid degradation products as metabolites that correlated with periodontal disease severity. We also found evidence suggesting that they were produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella spp. bacteria. These novel findings suggest that shifts in amino acid metabolism in subgingival communities underlie periodontal pathogenesis.

Free Research Field

予防歯科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

歯周病はバイオフィルムの量および質の変化に起因する慢性炎症性疾患である。近年、バイオフィルムの質の変化、特に、バイオフィルム内の菌種を超えた代謝活動が病原性を表す一つの尺度として注目されている。バイオフィルムにおける代謝活動の本体は、様々な微生物種間で行われる代謝物の受け渡し、すなわち栄養共生であり、これらのネットワークの総和として集団の代謝が形作られる。本研究の結果から、細菌集団内でのアミノ酸代謝変動が病態形成に関与する可能性を見出した。