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| Author(s): |
Ana Carla Robatto Nunes
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) |
| Defense date: | 2009-09-09 |
| Examining board members: |
Marcia Pinto Alves Mayer;
Silvana Cai;
Luciene Cristina de Figueiredo;
Marina Baquerizo Martinez;
Elisabete Jose Vicente
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| Advisor: | Marcia Pinto Alves Mayer |
| Abstract | |
The gram-negative organism Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, associated with aggressive periodontitis, colonizes the oral cavity by binding to and invading epithelial cells and by participating in biofilms formed in host surfaces. A. actinomycetemcomitans express Aae, a surface protein, implicated in the adhesion to epithelial cells. This study evaluated the role of Aae in adhesion to other substrates such as collagen and non-collagen extracellular matrix proteins and saliva coated hydroxyapatite (SHA) and in biofilm formation. A null mutant in aae was constructed and its behavior was compared with the wild type strain VT1169. The null mutant exhibited a decreased ability to bind to epithelial cells and to SHA, formed less biofilm and was less hydrophobic than the parental strain. The abilities to bind to collagen V and fibronectin were very poorly affected by aae interruption. However, the null aae mutant exhibited a decreased ability to adhere to laminin, collagen I, III and IV. These data suggest that Aae may play an important role in the colonization of the oral cavity by A. actinomycetemcomitans, not only by promoting its adhesion to epithelial cells, but by mediating adhesion to other substrates. (AU) | |