Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection
 
Topics of Studies

1. Molecular genetic study of virulence factors in periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis.
The whole genome sequence of P. gingivalis ATCC 33277, which is the type strain of P. gingivalis and has been widely used for characterization of pathophysiological features of the microorganism, has been determined. (Naito M. et al, DNA Res. 2008) The fully annotated genome sequence of P. gingivalis strain ATCC 33277 has been deposited in GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ databases under the accession number AP009380.
The whole genome sequence of ATCC 33277 is compared with that of a virulent strain, W83. Although the genome size and GC content are almost the same, extensive genome rearrangements are detected between the two strains, many of which have been induced by various mobile genetic elements (IS, MITE, Tn and CTn). Such structural alterations of the P. gingivalis genomes generate many strain-specific CDSs (protein-coding sequences), which may be closely associated with difference in virulence of the two strains.