Cloning and expression of a neutral phosphatase gene from Treponema denticola

Crawling motility of Treponema denticola modulated by outer sheath protein

Treponema denticola, a helically shaped motile microorganism, is a major pathogen of chronic periodontitis. Major surface protein (Msp) and dentilisin are virulence factors of T. denticola that are located on the outer sheath. The motility of T. denticola is deeply involved in colonization on and invasion into the host tissue. The outer sheath is located at the interface between the environment and T. denticola, and its components may also contribute to its motility via interaction with the materials outside the cells. The study aimed to clarify whether Msp or dentilisin contributes to the motility of T. denticola on solid surfaces, termed crawling, by investigating their effects using Msp-deficient and dentilisin-deficient T. denticola strains. Motility was analyzed by measuring the colony size in agar plates and velocity was analyzed using dark-field microscopy. The colony area of the mutant strains was smaller than that of the wild-type strain. The crawling velocity of the mutant strains was lower than that of the wild-type strain, with the lowest velocity observed in the dentilisin-deficient strain. Additionally, the ratio of the crawling distance by one revolution to the protoplasmic cylinder pitch (an indicator of the crawling efficiency) in the dentilisin mutant was significantly lower than that in the wild type strain and the Msp mutant. Together, these results indicate that dentilisin facilitates the crawling-dependent surface spreading of T. denticola.

Response of epithelial cells infected by Treponema denticola

OBJECTIVE

In the gingival crevice, the interaction between epithelial cells and periodontopathic bacteria is important for the development of periodontitis. Treponema denticola is a major pathogen of chronic periodontitis and possesses several virulence factors, such as major surface protein (Msp) and prolyl-phenylalanine-specific protease (dentilisin). Here, we investigated the behaviours of epithelial cells infected with T. denticola by measuring the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, β defensin 2 (BD-2) and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70).

METHODS

Epithelial cells were infected with T. denticola wild-type strain, Msp-deficient mutant or dentilisin-deficient mutant, and the expression levels of the above targets were analysed by polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Infection with T. denticola wild-type strain and mutants induced the production of IL-6 and HSP70. The level of BD-2 induced by T. denticola wild-type strain at 24 hr was significantly higher than that of the dentilisin-deficient mutant. The level of IL-1β mRNA in the wild-type strain and dentilisin-deficient mutant was slightly lower than that in the uninfected control.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the levels of BD-2 were affected by Msp and dentilisin. This effect may contribute to the disruption of the response of epithelial cells to eradicate T. denticola.

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of oral Treponema species

Treponemes occur in the microflora of the dental plaque. Certain Treponema species that are frequently isolated from chronic periodontitis lesions are involved in its initiation and progression. In addition to mechanical instrumentation, antimicrobial agents are used as an adjunctive treatment modality for periodontitis. Despite its importance for successful antimicrobial treatment, information about susceptibility is limited for Treponema species. The aim of this study was to assess the susceptibility of Treponema denticola strains, Treponema socranskii, and Treponema vincentii to eleven antimicrobial agents. The minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of these antimicrobial agents revealed strain-specific variation. Doxycycline, minocycline, azithromycin, and erythromycin were effective against all Treponema species tested in this study, whereas fluoroquinolones only exhibited an equivalent effectiveness on T. socranskii. The susceptibility of one T. denticola strain, T. socranskii, and T. vincentii to kanamycin was influenced by prior exposure to aerobic conditions. The susceptibility to quinolone drugs varied among strains of T. denticola, although they share an amino acid sequence identity of greater than 99% for DNA gyrase (type II topoisomerase) subunit A. In addition, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter inhibitor assay for T. denticola indicated that the transport of quinolone drugs is partially related to this transporter, although there may be parallel transport mechanisms. Our results provide important insights into antimicrobial agent-Treponema dynamics and establish a basis for developing an appropriate adjunctive therapy for periodontal disease.

Treponema denticola invasion into human gingival epithelial cells

Host cell invasion is important for periodontal pathogens in evading host defenses and spreading into deeper areas of the periodontal tissue. Treponema denticola has been implicated in a number of potentially pathogenic processes, including periodontal tissue penetration. Here we tested the ability of T. denticola strains to invade human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC). After 2 h infection, intracellular location of T. denticola cells was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results from an antibiotic protection assay following [(3)H]uridine labeling indicated that invasion efficiency reached a maximum at 2 h after infection. Internalized T. denticola cells were still observed in HGEC at 24 h by CLSM. A dentilisin deficient mutant exhibited significantly decreased invasion (p < 0.05) compared with the wild-type strain. In inhibition assays, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and metabolic inhibitors such as methyl-β-cyclodextrin and staurosporine significantly reduced T. denticola invasion. Under CLSM, T. denticola colocalized with GM-1 ganglioside-containing membrane microdomains in a cholesterol-dependent manner. These results indicated that T. denticola has the ability to invade into and survive within HGECs. Dentilisin activity of T. denticola and lipid rafts on HGEC appear to play important roles in this process.

Dentipain, a Streptococcus pyogenes IdeS protease homolog, is a novel virulence factor of Treponema denticola

Treponema denticola is a major pathogen of chronic periodontitis. Analysis of the T. denticola genome revealed a gene orthologous with a cysteine protease-encoding gene from Streptococcus pyogenes (IdeS). IdeS interferes with IgG-dependent opsonophagocytosis by specific cleavage of IgG molecules. Analysis of this gene (termed ideT) revealed it to encode a two-domain protein whose N-terminus is composed of tandem immunoglobulin-like domains followed by a C-terminal IdeS-like protease domain. In this study we show that during secretion the IdeT protein is processed into an N-terminal fragment which remains associated with the cell, and a C-terminal part released into the medium. Although the secreted domain of IdeT, termed dentipain, shows only 25% identity to the IdeS protease, the putative catalytic cysteine and histidine residues are strongly conserved. Recombinant dentipain cleaves the insulin β-chain, an activity which is inhibited by E-64, a diagnostic inhibitor of cysteine proteases. Apart from insulin no cleavage of other protein substrates was detected, suggesting that dentipain has oligopeptidase activity. A mutant strain was constructed expressing a modified IdeT variant, the dentipain domain of which was deleted. This strain was found to be significantly reduced in its abscess-forming activity compared with the parental strain in a murine abscess model, suggesting that dentipain contributes to the virulence of T. denticola.

The Treponema denticola surface protease dentilisin degrades interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha

Dentilisin is a major surface protease and virulence factor of the bacterium Treponema denticola. In this study, we found that T. denticola reduced inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells through degradation by dentilisin.

Surface protease of Treponema denticola hydrolyzes C3 and influences function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Treponema denticola is a dominant microorganism in human periodontal lesions. One of the major virulence factors of this microorganism is its chymotrypsin-like surface protease, dentilisin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of dentilisin on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). We used chemiluminescence to assess production of O(-)(2) by PMNs against T. denticola ATCC 35405 and dentilisin-deficient mutant K1. T. denticola ATCC 35405 induced production of O(-)(2), whereas dentilisin-deficient K1 did not. We found that chymostatin, a protease inhibitor, strongly reduced the ability of T. denticola ATCC 35405 to induce production of, O(-)(2), whereas K1 was relatively unaffected. We also used Immunoblot and ELISA to evaluate the activation of complement by this microorganism in relation to PMNs. T. denticola ATCC 35405 hydrolyzed the alpha-chain of C3, producing iC3b. Furthermore, strain ATCC 35405 induced a larger release of MMP-9 from PMNs than strain K1. Dentilisin activated PMNs via complement pathways and may play a role in establishing periodontal lesions.

BcrC from Bacillus subtilis Acts as an Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Phosphatase in Bacitracin Resistance

Overexpression of the BcrC(Bs) protein, formerly called YwoA, in Escherichia coli or in Bacillus subtilis allows these bacteria to stand higher concentrations of bacitracin. It was suggested that BcrC(Bs) was a membrane-spanning domain of an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter involved in bacitracin resistance. However, we hypothesized that this protein has an undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (UPP) phosphatase activity able to compete with bacitracin for UPP. We found that overexpression of a recombinant His6-BcrC(Bs) protein in E. coli (i) increased the resistance of the cells to bacitracin and (ii) increased UPP phosphatase activity in membrane preparations by 600-fold. We solubilized and prepared an electrophoretically pure protein exhibiting a strong UPP phosphatase activity. BcrC(Bs), which belongs to the type 2 phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP2) phosphatase superfamily (PF01569), differs totally from the already known BacA UPP phosphatase from E. coli, a member of the PF02673 family of the Protein family (Pfam) database. Thus, BcrC(Bs) and its orthologs form a new class of proteins within the PAP2 phosphatase superfamily, and likely all of them share a UPP phosphatase activity.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for rapid detection of the periodontopathic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a novel nucleic acid amplification method, was developed for the rapid detection of the major periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. The LAMP method amplifies DNA with high specificity, efficiency, and rapidity under isothermal conditions using a set of four specially designed primers and a DNA polymerase with strand displacement activity. In this study, we initially designed the primers for LAMP assays to detect these bacteria and evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of these assays. The specificities of the primers for these bacteria were examined using various oral bacteria and various reaction times. The lower detection limits of the 60-min LAMP reaction without loop primers were 1 microg/tube for P. gingivalis, 10 fg/tube for T. forsythia, and 1 ng/tube for T. denticola. Addition of the loop primers for each bacterium improved the detection specificities and sensitivities by several magnitudes. Furthermore, LAMP assays were applied to the rapid detection of these periodontal pathogens in clinical specimens, and the results were compared with those of conventional PCR detection. The results of the LAMP assays corresponded to those of conventional PCR assays. These results indicate that the LAMP assay is an extremely rapid, highly sensitive, specific method. This method is very useful for the rapid detection of periodontopathic bacteria and the diagnosis of periodontal disease.

TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the correlation of Treponema denticola numbers with the severity of periodontal disease

Treponema denticola has been implicated in periodontitis, and the presence of this organism in periodontal pockets has been investigated. However, qualitative analysis is insufficient for the clinical evaluation of periodontal treatments, and quantification of T. denticola populations is essential for monitoring therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, we developed a quantitative method for T. denticola that uses the TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Using this system, we evaluated the relative and absolute numbers of this organism in saliva and subgingival plaque. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the numbers of T. denticola and pocket depth, and found a significant positive correlation (P < 0.0001) between these parameters. This report demonstrates the broad potential of real-time polymerase chain reaction applications in periodontology.

A 43-kDa protein ofTreponema denticolais essential for dentilisin activity

A protease of Treponema denticola, dentilisin, is thought to be part of a complex with 43- and 38-kDa proteins. A sequence encoding a 43-kDa protein was located in the 3' region of the prcA gene upstream of the dentilisin gene (prtP). The 43-kDa protein was apparently generated from digestion of PrcA. To clarify the function of the protein, we constructed a mutant of the 43-kDa protein following homologous recombination. The mutant lacked detectable dentilisin activity. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the dentilisin protein was degraded in the mutant. The results of real-time polymerase chain reaction suggested that prtP mRNA expression in the mutant was somewhat decreased compared with the wild-type strain. These data suggest that the 43-kDa protein is involved in the stabilization of the dentilisin protein.

YtsCD and YwoA, two independent systems that confer bacitracin resistance toBacillus subtilis

The Bacillus subtilis yts, yxd and yvc gene clusters encode a putative ABC transporter and a functionally coupled two-component system. When tested for their sensitivity towards a series of antibiotics, null yts mutants were found to be sensitive to bacitracin. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments demonstrated that the presence of bacitracin in the growth medium strongly stimulates the expression of the ytsCD genes encoding the ABC transporter and that this stimulation strictly depends on the YtsA response regulator. The ywoA gene encodes a protein known to confer some resistance to bacitracin on the bacterium. When it was mutated in a null yts background, the ywoA yts double mutant was found to be five times more sensitive than the yts one. We propose that (i) the YtsCD ABC transporter exports the bacitracin; (ii) YwoA, the protein that contains an acidPPc (PAP2 or PgpB) domain, is not part of an ABC transporter but competes with bacitracin for the dephosphorylation of the C55-isoprenyl pyrophosphate (IPP); (iii) the two resistance mechanisms are independent and complementary.

Genetic relatedness and phenotypic characteristics of Treponema associated with human periodontal tissues and ruminant foot disease

Treponema have been implicated recently in the pathogenesis of digital dermatitis (DD) and contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) that are infectious diseases of bovine and ovine foot tissues, respectively. Previous analyses of treponemal 16S rDNA sequences, PCR-amplified directly from DD or CODD lesions, have suggested relatedness of animal Treponema to some human oral Treponema species isolated from periodontal tissues. In this study a range of adhesion and virulence-related properties of three animal Treponema isolates have been compared with representative human oral strains of Treponema denticola and Treponema vincentii. In adhesion assays using biotinylated treponemal cells, T. denticola cells bound in consistently higher numbers to fibronectin, laminin, collagen type I, gelatin, keratin and lactoferrin than did T. vincentii or animal Treponema isolates. However, animal DD strains adhered to fibrinogen at equivalent or greater levels than T. denticola. All Treponema strains bound to the amino-terminal heparin I/fibrin I domain of fibronectin. 16S rDNA sequence analyses placed ovine strain UB1090 and bovine strain UB1467 within a cluster that was phylogenetically related to T. vincentii, while ovine strain UB1466 appeared more closely related to T. denticola. These observations correlated with phenotypic properties. Thus, T. denticola ATCC 35405, GM-1, and Treponema UB1466 had similar outer-membrane protein profiles, produced chymotrypsin-like protease (CTLP), trypsin-like protease and high levels of proline iminopeptidase, and co-aggregated with human oral bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus crista. Conversely, T. vincentii ATCC 35580, D2A-2, and animal strains UB1090 and UB1467 did not express CTLP or trypsin-like protease and did not co-aggregate with P. gingivalis or S. crista. Taken collectively, these results suggest that human oral-related Treponema have broad host specificity and that similar control or preventive strategies might be developed for human and animal Treponema-associated infections.

Role of Treponema denticola in periodontal diseases

Among periodontal anaerobic pathogens, the oral spirochetes, and especially Treponema denticola, have been associated with periodontal diseases such as early-onset periodontitis, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, and acute pericoronitis. Basic research as well as clinical evidence suggest that the prevalence of T denticola, together with other proteolytic gram-negative bacteria in high numbers in periodontal pockets, may play an important role in the progression of periodontal disease. The accumulation of these bacteria and their products in the pocket may render the surface lining periodontal cells highly susceptible to lysis and damage. T. denticola has been shown to adhere to fibroblasts and epithelial cells, as well as to extracellular matrix components present in periodontal tissues, and to produce several deleterious factors that may contribute to the virulence of the bacteria. These bacterial components include outer-sheath-associated peptidases, chymotrypsin-like and trypsin-like proteinases, hemolytic and hemagglutinating activities, adhesins that bind to matrix proteins and cells, and an outer-sheath protein with pore-forming properties. The effects of T. denticola whole cells and their products on a variety of host mucosal and immunological cells has been studied extensively (Fig. 1). The clinical data regarding the presence of T. denticola in periodontal health and disease, together with the basic research results involving the role of T. denticola factors and products in relation to periodontal diseases, are reviewed and discussed in this article.

Role of glutathione metabolism of Treponema denticola in bacterial growth and virulence expression

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a major metabolic end product detected in deep periodontal pockets that is produced by resident periodontopathic microbiota associated with the progression of periodontitis. Treponema denticola, a member of the subgingival biofilm at disease sites, produces cystalysin, an enzyme that catabolizes cysteine, releasing H(2)S. The metabolic pathway leading to H(2)S formation in periodontal pockets has not been determined. We used a variety of thiol compounds as substrates for T. denticola to produce H(2)S. Our results indicate that glutathione, a readily available thiol source in periodontal pockets, is a suitable substrate for H(2)S production by this microorganism. In addition to H(2)S, glutamate, glycine, ammonia, and pyruvate were metabolic end products of metabolism of glutathione. Cysteinyl glycine (Cys-Gly) was also catabolized by the bacteria, yielding glycine, H(2)S, ammonia, and pyruvate. However, purified cystalysin could not catalyze glutathione and Cys-Gly degradation in vitro. Moreover, the enzymatic activity(ies) in T. denticola responsible for glutathione breakdown was inactivated by trypsin or proteinase K, by heating (56 degrees C) and freezing (-20 degrees C), by sonication, and by exposure to N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK). These treatments had no effect on degradation of cysteine by the purified enzyme. In this study we delineated an enzymatic pathway for glutathione metabolism in the oral spirochete T. denticola; our results suggest that glutathione metabolism plays a role in bacterial nutrition and potential virulence expression.

Isolation, cloning, and expression of an acid phosphatase containing phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity from Prevotella intermedia

A novel acid phosphatase containing phosphotyrosyl phosphatase (PTPase) activity, designated PiACP, from Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611, an anaerobe implicated in progressive periodontal disease, has been purified and characterized. PiACP, a monomer with an apparent molecular mass of 30 kDa, did not require divalent metal cations for activity and was sensitive to orthovanadate but highly resistant to okadaic acid. The enzyme exhibited substantial activity against tyrosine phosphate-containing peptides derived from the epidermal growth factor receptor. On the basis of N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of purified PiACP, the gene coding for PiACP was isolated and sequenced. The PiACP gene consisted of 792 bp and coded for a basic protein with an M(r) of 29,164. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited striking similarity (25 to 64%) to those of members of class A bacterial acid phosphatases, including PhoC of Morganella morganii, and involved a conserved phosphatase sequence motif that is shared among several lipid phosphatases and the mammalian glucose-6-phosphatases. The highly conservative motif HCXAGXXR in the active domain of PTPase was not found in PiACP. Mutagenesis of recombinant PiACP showed that His-170 and His-209 were essential for activity. Thus, the class A bacterial acid phosphatases including PiACP may function as atypical PTPases, the biological functions of which remain to be determined.

Hemoxidation and binding of the 46-kDa cystalysin of Treponema denticola leads to a cysteine-dependent hemolysis of human erythrocytes

Cystalysin, a 46-kDa protein isolated from the cytosol of Treponema denticola, was capable of both cysteine dependent hemoxidation and hemolysis of human and sheep red blood cells. The activities were characteristic of a cysteine desulfhydrase. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western immunoblotting analysis of the interaction of cystalysin with the red blood cells revealed an interaction of the protein with the red blood cell membrane. Substrates for the enzyme (including L-cysteine and beta-chloroalanine) enhanced the interaction, which occurred with both whole red blood cells as well as with isolated and purified red blood cell ghosts. SDS-PAGE and western immunoblotting employing anti-hemoglobin serum revealed that, during the hemoxidative events, the hemoglobin molecule associated with the red blood cell membrane, forming putative Heinz bodies. Spectrophotometric analysis of the hemoxidative events (cystalysin + cysteine + red blood cells) revealed a chemical modification of the native hemoglobin to sulfhemoglobin and methemoglobin. Hemoxidation also resulted in the degradation of both the red blood cell alpha- and beta-spectrin. The results presented suggest that the interaction of cystalysin with the red blood cell membrane results in the chemical oxidation of the hemoglobin molecule as well as an alteration in the red blood cell membrane itself.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CWH8 gene is required for full levels of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides in the endoplasmic reticulum and for efficient N-glycosylation

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant cwh8 was previously found to have an anomalous cell wall. Here we show that the cwh8 mutant has an N -glycosylation defect. We found that cwh8 cells were resistant to vanadate and sensitive to hygromycin B, and produced glycoforms of invertase and carboxypeptidase Y with a reduced number of N -chains. We have cloned the CWH8 gene. We found that it was nonessential and encoded a putative transmembrane protein of 239 amino acids. Comparison of the in vitro oligosaccharyl transferase activities of membrane preparations from wild type or cwh8 Delta cells revealed no differences in enzyme kinetic properties indicating that the oligosaccharyl transferase complex of mutant cells was not affected. cwh8 Delta cells also produced normal dolichols and dolichol-linked oligosaccharide intermediates including the full-length form Glc3Man9GlcNAc2. The level of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides in cwh8 Delta cells was, however, reduced to about 20% of the wild type. We propose that inefficient N -glycosylation of secretory proteins in cwh8 Delta cells is caused by an insufficient supply of dolichol-linked oligosaccharide substrate.

Dentilisin activity affects the organization of the outer sheath of Treponema denticola

Prolyl-phenylalanine-specific serine protease (dentilisin) is a major extracellular protease produced by Treponema denticola. The gene, prtP, coding for the protease was recently cloned and sequenced (K. Ishihara, T. Miura, H. K. Kuramitsu, and K. Okuda, Infect. Immun. 64:5178-5186, 1996). In order to determine the role of this protease in the physiology and virulence of T. denticola, a dentilisin-deficient mutant, K1, was constructed following electroporation with a prtP-inactivated DNA fragment. No chymotrypsin-like protease activity was detected in the dentilisin-deficient mutant. In addition, the high-molecular-mass oligomeric protein characteristic of the outer sheath of the organism decreased in the mutant. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity of the mutant was decreased, and coaggregation of the mutant with Fusobacterium nucleatum was enhanced compared to that of the wild-type organism. The results obtained with a mouse abscess model system indicated that the virulence of the mutant was attenuated relative to that of the wild-type organism. These results suggest that dentilisin activity plays a major role in the structural organization of the outer sheath of T. denticola. The loss of dentilsin activity and the structural change in the outer sheath affect the pathogenicity of T. denticola.

Purification and characterization of alkaline phosphatase containing phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity from the bacterium Prevotella intermedia

A novel alkaline phosphatase, designated PiALP, has been purified and characterized from Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611, an anaerobe implicated in progressive periodontal disease. The enzyme was a homodimer of apparently identical subunits of Mr 54 kDa. Thiol-reducing agents completely inhibited the purified enzyme. The enzyme was highly stable even at 80 degrees C. It exhibited substantial activity against tyrosine-phosphate-containing Raytide. The phosphatase activity was sensitive to orthovanadate and Zn2+ but highly resistant to okadaic acid. The amino acid sequence of peptides derived from PiALP showed a high degree of identity (65%) with alkaline phosphatases from Zymomonas mobilis and Synechococcus. The present results imply that PiALP might represent a new family of alkaline phosphotyrosyl phosphatases which has not been described previously.

Cloning, expression, and sequencing of a protease gene from Bacteroides forsythus ATCC 43037 in Escherichia coli

We have isolated and characterized an N-benzoyl-Val-Gly-Arg-p-nitroanilide-specific protease gene, designated prtH, from Bacteroides forsythus ATCC 43037. Nucleotide sequencing of the DNA insert from the clone (hereafter referred to as clone FST) revealed that the protease activity corresponded to an open reading frame consisting of 1,272 bp coding for a 47.8-kDa protein. When plasmid pFST was used as a probe in Southern hybridization, Sau3AI-digested chromosomal DNA of B. forsythus ATCC 43037 as well as the chromosomal DNAs of the isolated strains Ta4, TR5, and YG2 showed 0.6- and 0.8-kb hybridizing bands. The cell-free extracts of clone FST showed hemolytic activity on human blood cells. The hydrolytic activity of cell extracts of the pFST clone was inhibited by p-toluenesulfonyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone hydrochloride, leupeptin, N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetic acid, iodoaceteamide, and EDTA.

Identification, isolation, and characterization of the 42-kilodalton major outer membrane protein (MompA) from Treponema pectinovorum ATCC 33768

The major protein present in the isolated outer membrane of Treponema pectinovorum ATCC 33768, MompA, was identified, purified, and characterized. Immuno-gold electron microscopy, using anti-MompA serum, and cell fractionation experiments confirmed the localization of MompA to the outer membrane. MompA was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to have a molecular mass of 42 kDa when heat denatured, whereas native MompA formed a number of detergent-stable forms with molecular masses of 71, 76, and 83 kDa. A temperature of 60 degrees C was required to convert the native protein to the 42-kDa form. A number of detergents and chemical agents that are capable of breaking ionic and hydrogen bonds of proteins did not convert native MompA to the 42-kDa species. The native forms of the protein were resistant to the combined action of proteinase K, trypsin, and chymotrypsin, whereas the 42-kDa form of MompA was not. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of MompA was determined to be DVTVNINSRVRPVLYTT, and database searches did not identify any homology with known protein sequences. Amino acid compositional analysis showed the protein to be rich in proline and glycine, with these amino acids accounting for 28 and 13%, respectively, of the total amino acids. Antiserum raised against the major outer membrane protein of T. denticola GM-1 and ATCC 35405 did not cross-react with MompA, and antiserum raised against MompA did not react with any cellular components of Treponema denticola, Treponema vincentii, or Treponema socranskii. A major outer membrane protein similar in molecular mass to MompA was identified in eight clinical isolates of T. pectinovorum. The major outer membrane protein produced by four of the clinical isolates reacted strongly, by Western blotting, with anti-MompA serum, whereas proteins of the other strains did not.

Cystalysin, a 46-kilodalton cysteine desulfhydrase from Treponema denticola, with hemolytic and hemoxidative activities

A 46-kDa hemolytic protein, referred to as cystalysin, from Treponema denticola ATCC 35404 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli LC-67. Both the native and recombinant 46-kDa proteins were purified to homogeneity. Both proteins expressed identical biological and functional characteristics. In addition to its biological function of lysing erythrocytes and hemoxidizing the hemoglobin to methemoglobin, cystalysin was also capable of removing the sulfhydryl and amino groups from selected S-containing compounds (e.g., cysteine) producing H2S, NH3, and pyruvate. This cysteine desulfhydrase resulted in the following Michaelis-Menten kinetics: Km = 3.6 mM and k(cat) = 12 s(-1). Cystathionine and S-aminoethyl-L-cysteine were also substrates for the protein. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the end products revealed NH3, pyruvate, homocysteine (from cystathionine), and cysteamine (from S-aminoethyl-L-cysteine). The enzyme was active over a broad pH range, with highest activity at pH 7.8 to 8.0. The enzymatic activity was increased by beta-mercaptoethanol. It was not inhibited by the proteinase inhibitor TLCK (N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone), pronase, or proteinase K, suggesting that the functional site was physically protected or located in a small fragment of the polypeptide. We hypothesize that cystalysin is a pyridoxal-5-phosphate-containing enzyme, with activity of an alphaC-N and betaC-S lyase (cystathionase) type. Since large amounts of H2S have been reported in deep periodontal pockets, cystalysin may also function in vivo as an important virulence molecule.

Identification of a novel phosphatase sequence motif

We have identified a novel, conserved phosphatase sequence motif, KXXXXXXRP-(X12-54)-PSGH-(X31-54)-SRXXXXX HXXXD, that is shared among several lipid phosphatases, the mammalian glucose-6-phosphatases, and a collection of bacterial nonspecific acid phosphatases. This sequence was also found in the vanadium-containing chloroperoxidase of Curvularia inaequalis. Several lines of evidence support this phosphatase motif identification. Crystal structure data on chloroperoxidase revealed that all three domains are in close proximity and several of the conserved residues are involved in the binding of the cofactor, vanadate, a compound structurally similar to phosphate. Structure-function analysis of the human glucose-6-phosphatase has shown that two of the conserved residues (the first domain arginine and the central domain histidine) are essential for enzyme activity. This conserved sequence motif was used to identify nine additional putative phosphatases from sequence databases, one of which has been determined to be a lipid phosphatase in yeast.

Characterization of the Treponema denticola prtP gene encoding a prolyl-phenylalanine-specific protease (dentilisin)

A chymotrypsin-like protease from Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 was purified by chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme consisted of three polypeptides (38, 43, and 72 kDa). The protease exhibited specificity for peptide bonds containing phenylalanine and proline at the P1 and P2 positions, respectively, and was classified as a serine protease on the basis of inhibition studies. Naturally occurring protease inhibitors such as alpha1-antitrypsin and alpha1-antichymotrypsin had no effect on enzymatic activity. The enzyme degraded fibronectin, alpha1-antitrypsin, and gelatin while weakly degrading the immunoglobulin G heavy chain and type IV collagen. N-terminal amino acid sequences were determined for the 43- and 72-kDa proteins. On the basis of these sequences, the genes coding for the 43- and 72-kDa proteins were isolated and sequenced. The open reading frame which codes for the 72-kDa protein was designated prtP. This gene consists of 2,169 bp and codes for a protein with an Mr of 77,471. The protein appeared to be composed of a signal peptide region followed by a prosequence and the mature protein domain. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited similarity with that of the Bacillus subtilis serine protease subtilisin. The deduced properties of the sequence suggest that the 72-kDa protein is a chymotrypsin-like protease. However, the nature and function of the 43-kDa protein have not yet been determined.

Sequence analysis, expression, and binding activity of recombinant major outer sheath protein (Msp) of Treponema denticola

The gene encoding the major outer sheath protein (Msp) of the oral spirochete Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. Preliminary sequence analysis showed that the 5' end of the msp gene was not present on the 5.5-kb cloned fragment described in a recent study (M. Haapasalo, K. H. Müller, V. J. Uitto, W. K. Leung, and B. C. McBride, Infect. Immun. 60:2058-2065,1992). The 5' end of msp was obtained by PCR amplification from a T. denticola genomic library, and an open reading frame of 1,629 bp was identified as the coding region for Msp by combining overlapping sequences. The deduced peptide consisted of 543 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 58,233 Da. The peptide had a typical prokaryotic signal sequence with a potential cleavage site for signal peptidase 1. Northern (RNA) blot analysis showing the msp transcript to be approximately 1.7 kb was consistent with the identification of a promoter consensus sequence located optimally upstream of msp and a transcription termination signal found downstream of the stop codon. The entire msp sequence was amplified from T. denticola genomic DNA and cloned in E. coli by using a tightly regulated T7 RNA polymerase vector system. Expression of Msp was toxic to E. coli when the entire msp gene was present. High levels of Msp were produced as inclusion bodies when the putative signal peptide sequence was deleted and replaced by a vector-encoded T7 peptide sequence. Recombinant Msp purified to homogeneity from a clone containing the full-length msp gene adhered to immobilized laminin and fibronectin but not to bovine serum albumin. Attachment of recombinant Msp was decreased in the presence of soluble substrate. Attachment of T. denticola to immobilized laminin and fibronectin was increased by pretreatment of the substrate with recombinant Msp. These studies lend further support to the hypothesis that Msp mediates the extracellular matrix binding activity of T. denticola.