Analysis of the molecular mechanism of fusobacterial coaggregation with other oral bacteria

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18481
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Tada Ayano 香川大学, 医学部, 助教 (80779463)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Fusobacterium nucleatum / バイオフィルム / 共凝集

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fusobacterium nulceatum co-aggregates with other oral microbes. We found that the culture supernatant of A. naeslundii enhanced the growth and autoaggregation of F. nucleatum. Transcriptome analysis of F. nucleatum revealed that the expression of the genes for D-fructose utilization was up-regulated in response to the culture supernatant of A. naeslundii. In consistent with the finding, D-fructose promoted the growth of F. nucleatum and biofilm formation. Furthermore, the adherence of F. nucleatum to Ca9-22, human gingival cancer cell, when the bacterium was cultured in BHIS medium containing D-fructose. These results indicate that the adaptation of F. nucleatum to environmental changes such as nutritional status closely associates with the formation of complex bacterial consortium in subgingival region, resulting in the progression of periodontal diseases.

Free Research Field

口腔細菌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

歯周病と全身疾患との関連について、糖尿病や心疾患、誤嚥性肺炎、早産との関連性が明らかになっている。成人の70-80%が歯周病に罹患しており、残存歯数の増加に伴う高齢者での歯周病の増加も問題となっている。健康寿命の延伸が喫緊の課題であるわが国において、生涯にわたる歯周病予防は極めて重要である。F. nucleatumは歯周病関連細菌として知られており、他の口腔細菌や歯周病原細菌と共凝集する性質を持つ。この共凝集活性が多種多様な細菌による複雑なバイオフィルム形成を可能にし、プラーク形成に重要な役割を果たしている。このような共凝集因子の同定は新たな歯周病予防法の開発に多大な情報を与えるものである。