Molecular Oral Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"UCHL1 Exacerbates Periodontitis by Coordinating Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Macrophages.","authors":"Yun Yuan, Shengjia Ye, Hanxiao Xue, Xiayue Jin, Xueying Yang, Hongming Zhang, Hui Huang","doi":"10.1111/omi.70028","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Given the pivotal role of macrophages in both the progression and regenerative phases of periodontitis, targeting macrophage-mediated immunity represents a novel therapeutic strategy for periodontitis management. Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) has been previously implicated in inflammatory processes. However, how UCHL1 regulates macrophage immune response in periodontitis remains to be elucidated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Ligature-induced periodontitis mice and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g LPS) were used to investigate the expression of UCHL1 in macrophages during immune responses. Lentivirus and an inhibitor were conducted to determine the role of UCHL1 in the periodontitis-associated macrophage immune response. The mitochondrial function and the endoplasmic reticulum status of macrophages were examined to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Finally, we constructed hydrogels containing UCHL1 inhibitor and evaluated their efficacy in treating periodontitis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The expression of UCHL1 was upregulated in proinflammatory immune response of periodontitis-associated macrophages. Inhibition of UCHL1 reduced the expression and release of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. In addition, inhibition of UCHL1 in macrophages improved the osteogenesis and migration ability of MC3T3-E1 cells in the co-culture system. Mechanistically, inhibition of UCHL1 ameliorated LPS-induced mitochondrial damage and endoplasmic reticulum stress in macrophages. LDN@GelMA hydrogel had great in vitro anti-inflammatory and bone-promoting effects. Periodontal injection of LDN@GelMA hydrogel alleviated local inflammation and promoted alveolar bone regeneration.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our data suggest that UCHL1 may serve as a critical negative regulator for periodontitis treatment, and inhibition of UCHL1 is expected to improve the periodontal inflammatory microenvironment and promote alveolar bone regeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"201-215"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147593196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ginsenoside Compound K Plays an Anti-Inflammatory Role in Gingival Epithelial Cells Stimulated With Porphyromonas gingivalis by Regulating Pyruvate Kinase M2.","authors":"Luxin Jin, Lin Lu, Yang Jiao, Yanchun Wang, Hongbing He","doi":"10.1111/omi.70029","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Globally prevalent periodontitis, an inflammatory disease, may be associated with glucose metabolism disorders. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), the key enzyme of glycolysis, is potentially implicated in periodontitis pathogenesis, although its precise role is unclear. Ginsenoside compound K (CK) has strong anti-inflammatory effects. Prior studies indicate that CK down-regulates PKM2 expression, yet it remains unclear whether CK can regulate PKM2 to modulate the inflammatory response. Furthermore, CK's role in periodontitis lacks pharmacological investigation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A periodontitis cell model was established by stimulating human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) with Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), and subsequently intervened with CK. Western blotting assessed the expressions of PKM2, phospho-PKM2 (Tyr105), nuclear factor kappa-B P65 (NF-κB P65), and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (Ser536). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measured interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in culture supernatants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pg stimulation induced NF-κB p65 (Ser536) activation and the secretion of IL-1β and TNF-α in HGECs and promoted PKM2 (Tyr105) phosphorylation. PKM2 was found to be the upstream regulator of NF-κB p65, and NF-κB p65 activated PKM2 through positive feedback to promote IL-1β and TNF-α production, forming a feedback regulatory loop. CK inhibited Pg-induced inflammation and NF-κB p65 (Ser536) and PKM2 (Tyr105) phosphorylation in HGECs. Furthermore, PKM2 overexpression significantly reversed CK's anti-inflammatory effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The PKM2/NF-κB p65 pathway is involved in regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines in Pg-stimulated HGECs and serves as a crucial inflammatory regulatory pathway in the Pg-stimulated HGECs model. CK exhibits anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the PKM2-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway and has potential as PKM2 modulator for treating periodontitis and other inflammatory diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"216-226"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147593201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GcrR in Streptococcus mutans Inhibits the Morphological Transition of Candida albicans Through Ras1-cAMP/PKA Pathway in the Cross-Kingdom Biofilms.","authors":"Bin Zhang, Shihao Hou, Anqi Zhang, Jielin Yang, Wenjiao Zhang, Shijie Zhu, Hong Chen, Ruizhe Huang","doi":"10.1111/omi.70026","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dual-species biofilms formed by Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans exhibit enhanced cariogenic potential due to the production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs). The response regulator GcrR in S. mutans negatively regulates EPS synthesis, but its impact on dual-species biofilms remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of GcrR on the cariogenicity of cross-kingdom biofilms established by S. mutans and C. albicans. The crystal violet (CV) staining was conducted to evaluate the dual-species biofilm formation. The anthrone-sulfuric acid assay was employed to assess EPS formation. The biofilm morphology was visualized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the structure was examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The expression levels of genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The animal assay was conducted to elucidate the anti-cariogenic effect of GcrR. The overexpression of GcrR suppressed dual-species biofilm formation, which was accompanied by a reduction in both water-soluble glucans (WSGs) and water-insoluble glucans (WIGs). The morphological transformation of C. albicans from yeast to hyphal form was inhibited by GcrR. Expression of gtfB/D and gbpB/C genes in S. mutans and Ras1-cAMP/PKA pathway genes in C. albicans was downregulated. Furthermore, we found that GcrR attenuated the virulence of dual-species biofilms. This study suggests that GcrR in S. mutans plays a critical role in modulating the cariogenic potential of bacterial-fungal biofilms.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"188-200"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13325523/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147776510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Outcome of Intracellular Selenomonas sputigena and its Impact on Gingival Keratinocytes.","authors":"Colin G Hawkes, Travis J Chiarelli, Doaa N Abdallah, Grayson Way, Huiping Zhou, Jason A Carlyon, Daniel P Miller","doi":"10.1111/omi.70021","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Selenomonas sputigena is an understudied oral pathobiont associated with periodontitis and dental caries. We recently demonstrated that S. sputigena binds to gingival epithelial cells (GECs), where afterwards the bacterium causes robust in vitro pro-inflammatory cytokine production and migration of monocytes and neutrophils. Here, we report that extracellular adherent S. sputigena are subsequently internalized by GECs. Fluorescently labeled intracellular S. sputigena were observed in two gingival keratinocyte cell lines and primary cells. Oxygen-killed S. sputigena was found within GECs at a similar rate to living bacteria, suggesting active protein synthesis is not required for internalization. Host-cell actin polymerization was essential for the internalization of S. sputigena. Electron microscopy revealed that intracellular S. sputigena is located within a single membrane vesicle tightly wrapped around the bacterium which is decorated with LAMP1, indicating that S. sputigena is ultimately trafficked to a lysosome-like vesicle. Although S. sputigena mRNA was detectable within GECs, it rapidly decreased by 24 h post-inoculation. This differed from bacterial morphology, which remained intact up to 48 h. Induction of CXCL8 expression was concurrent with intracellular S. sputigena morphological integrity, suggesting that, while the bacteria are likely dead, bacterial macromolecules perpetuate inflammation in GECs. Collectively, this study demonstrates S. sputigena can be taken into gingival keratinocytes, where the bacterium induces inflammatory responses, but S. sputigena is ultimately processed by lysosomal machinery and is cleared from the intracellular niche in GECs.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"131-144"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13121935/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145966232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Streptococcus mutans CcpA Promotes Biofilm Exopolysaccharide Production and Virulence Gene Expression.","authors":"Yujie Zhang, Zhanyi Chen, Meiling Jing, Zhengwei Huang, Mengying Mao","doi":"10.1111/omi.70027","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Streptococcus mutans is a key cariogenic pathogen of dental caries due to its strong ability to synthesize extracellular glucans and form biofilms. Glucosyltransferases, encoded by gtfB/C/D genes in S. mutans, are responsible for producing biofilm exopolysaccharides (EPS) and are considered to be critical virulence factors. Previous studies have highlighted the roles of various regulatory factors of gtf genes in S. mutans. Here, we investigated the role of the global transcriptional regulator CcpA encoded by ccpA in regulating the EPS synthesis and biofilm formation of S. mutans. A ccpA in-frame deletion strain was observed to develop shiny, round colonies and longer cell length. In addition, the deletion of ccpA resulted in impaired growth, diminished synthesis of EPS, and reduced biofilm formation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in the ccpA deletion strain were significantly enriched in pathways of carbohydrate transport and metabolism, in which the expressions of gtfB and gtfC were downregulated markedly. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that CcpA directly binds to the promoter sequences of gtfB and gtfC, with a higher affinity for gtfC. Moreover, the expression level of ccpA in part explained differences in the ability to synthesize sufficient EPS and form stable biofilm in clinically isolated strains. These findings highlight that CcpA plays a crucial role in the EPS production and biofilm formation of S. mutans through directly binding to the promoter regions of gtfB and gtfC. This study provides novel insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of S. mutans and potential strategies for the prevention and treatment of dental caries.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"165-178"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147491310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Random Mutagenesis in Porphyromonas gingivalis Enables Isolation of Mutants With Enhanced Secreted Protease Activity.","authors":"Takeru Nakabayashi, Satoshi Yuhara, Kosei Tanaka","doi":"10.1111/omi.70024","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porphyromonas gingivalis is a key pathogen in periodontitis, with secreted proteases as major virulence factors. We developed a screening method to generate and identify P. gingivalis mutants with elevated protease activity. Mutations were induced using the mutagens 2,6-diaminopurine (2,6-DAP) or ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), and the mutagenized cells were subsequently plated on casein agar. During colony growth, the medium became opaque due to partial casein precipitation, whereas colonies with higher protease activity produced clear halos through casein degradation. Colonies that formed halos earlier than the wild type were selected for further analysis. Liquid culture assays of the supernatants identified four strains with enhanced protease activity, of which two were 2,6-DAP-derived and two were EMS-derived. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the two 2,6-DAP-derived strains carried mutations in iron transport-related genes (foeA and tonB, respectively), likely increasing protease levels through iron limitation-induced upregulation of rgpA. The two EMS-derived strains contained multiple mutations, including one in rgpA, a major protease gene. The N-terminal region of RgpA, which contains the protease motif, harbored the G450D mutation in one strain and the C600Y mutation in the other. These results demonstrate that our method efficiently generates P. gingivalis mutants with protease gene alterations that increase enzymatic activity. This approach provides a useful tool for studying protease function and virulence mechanisms in this pathogen, and for identifying genes that affect protease secretion.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"158-164"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13121919/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147355762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Evidence to Include Filifactor alocis as a Novel Candidate in Socransky's Complexes.","authors":"Ali A Abdulkareem, Sarhang S Gul, Hayder R Abdulbaqi, Aram M Sha, Philip M Preshaw","doi":"10.1111/omi.70018","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Socransky's complexes have identified a range of bacteria as key contributors to the onset and progression of periodontal disease. However, advancements in microbiological detection methods have allowed for exploration of the microbiome in periodontal health/disease in greater detail. In recent years, Filifactor alocis has emerged as a potential periodontal pathogen. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate whether this bacterium could be included in Socransky's model by summarizing the available evidence. A comprehensive literature search performed using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases was undertaken. The retrieved articles were filtered according to defined eligibility criteria, which yielded 24 studies. Data were extracted from these observational and clinical studies to synthesize findings. Findings regarding the host immune response were derived from in vitro and experimental animal models and narratively summarized. Observational studies and clinical trials showed heterogeneity and a lack of standardized outcomes. However, the general trend indicated a higher prevalence of F. alocis at diseased sites than at healthy sites. In addition, periodontal treatment was found to significantly reduce F. alocis levels and was associated with improvements in clinical periodontal parameters. Experimental models and in vitro studies showed that F. alocis exhibits a range of virulence attributes and pathogenic behavior similar to that of putative pathogenic periodontal bacteria. The evidence is not sufficient to include F. alocis as a new member of Socransky's model. However, this review suggests that this bacterium has the potential to be included in Socransky's complexes in the future after further research which would require to be highly standardized to enhance comparability and generalizability of findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"117-130"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145970943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental Stress Induces Altered Composition of Streptococcus mutans Membrane Vesicles: pH-Driven Changes in Membrane Vesicle Production and Composition.","authors":"Taylor C Boone, Swetha K Shankar, Melodie L Weller","doi":"10.1111/omi.70022","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacteria produce membrane vesicles (MVs) in response to environmental stress and genetic changes. Previous studies have shown that MVs can trigger inflammatory responses and may serve as important mediators of host-microbe interactions. Given the dynamic nature of the oral microbiome, bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans are frequently exposed to environmental fluctuations that could alter MV production. The objective of this study was to investigate whether inducing stress conditions would affect MV production and morphology in S. mutans, a prominent oral pathogen. Cultures were subjected to different pH conditions to mimic environmentally relevant stress. MVs were isolated and purified in order to characterize and assess changes in yield, size, and cargo. Our findings show that acidic stress significantly increased MV production while reducing average MV size. We also observed significant differences in MV content when compared to control conditions. These changes may reflect bacterial adaptation strategies and could influence how MVs interact with host immune systems. Overall, this study highlights the potential for environmental stress to reshape MV-mediated communication in the oral microbiome and provides a foundation for exploring how such changes may contribute to inflammation and oral disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"145-157"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13121933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146258523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ComEA/ComEC Operon is Critical for Nitrosative Stress Tolerance by an Oral Commensal.","authors":"Sara E Edmonds, Hernan Grenett, Priscilla Grenett, Jessica A Scoffield","doi":"10.1111/omi.70032","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oral commensal streptococci play a large role in mediating microbial homeostasis. Our prior work has demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) produced by oral commensal streptococci can react with salivary nitrite (NO₂) and generate peroxynitrite (ONOO^-), a potent antimicrobial. We have shown that the combinatorial antimicrobial effects of NO₂ and H₂O₂ produced from the commensal Streptococcus parasanguinis inhibit the colonization and pathogenesis of oral pathogens to promote homeostasis. Remarkably, S. parasanguinis is highly resistant to NO₂ and ONOO^-. However, it remains unclear how S. parasanguinis tolerates nitrosative stress. The goal of this study was to identify mechanisms used by S. parasanguinis to resist NO₂-mediated nitrosative stress. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the DNA uptake gene, comEA was upregulated during growth on 2 mM NaNO₂. Further, loss of the ComEA/ComEC DNA uptake locus resulted in increased sensitivity to peroxynitrite and a decrease in biofilm development, intracellular nitrite transport, H₂O₂ production, and was defective for colonization in a Drosophila melanogaster colonization model. In summary, our data show that the ComEA/EC DNA uptake operon is critical for key aspects of S. parasanguinis physiology and potentially impacts S. parasanguinis's ability to colonize and modulate homeostasis in the oral cavity.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147776569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional Analysis of Treponema denticola Periplasmic Flagella: Roles of FlaB1, FlaB2, and FlaB3 in Morphology and Motility.","authors":"Chen-Hsuan Chiu, Mari Fujita, Keiji Nagano","doi":"10.1111/omi.70020","DOIUrl":"10.1111/omi.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Treponema denticola is a Gram-negative, anaerobic spirochete associated with periodontal disease. It navigates highly viscous environments using periplasmic flagella located between the inner and outer membranes. The flagellum is composed of three homologous flagellin proteins-FlaB1, FlaB2, and FlaB3-encoded by the flaB1, flaB2, and flaB3 genes, respectively, and is enwrapped by the sheath protein FlaA, encoded by the flaA gene. To investigate the roles of the three FlaB flagellins in cell morphology and motility, we constructed mutants lacking different combinations of the flaB genes, including double and triple deletions. The deletion of one or two flaB genes did not affect the transcription or protein expression of the remaining flaB gene(s). Normal flagellar filaments were observed when at least one FlaB was expressed but were absent in the complete flaB deletion mutant, which also exhibited an elongated cell shape. The flagella had no significant impact on bacterial growth. In liquid medium, most mutants exhibited rotational movement comparable to the parent strain, although some showed an increased population of cells with higher rotation rates. However, in a medium containing 0.5% agar, deletion of any two or three flaB genes significantly reduced motility. These findings suggest that the expression of at least two FlaB flagellins is required for the potent movement of T. denticola.</p>","PeriodicalId":18815,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oral Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"107-114"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145900813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}