Treponema denticola invasion into human gingival epithelial cells

ABSTRACT Oral treponemes are considered to be important in the development and progression of periodontal diseases. We investigated the mechanisms of recognition and activation of human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) with the oral treponemes Treponema denticola, Treponema vincentii, and Treponema medium and their outer membrane extracts (OMEs). T. vincentii and T. medium but not T. denticola produced interleukin 8 (IL-8) in an HGEC culture. Further, all three treponemes induced IL-8 mRNA expression and NF-κB activation in HGEC. Among them, T. denticola especially exhibited trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like protease activities, and the addition of chymostatin, a chymotrypsin protease inhibitor, resulted in detectable IL-8 production by HGEC cultured with T. denticola. Additionally, IL-8 mRNA expression in HGEC cultured with the three treponemes and their OMEs was definitely inhibited by the mouse anti-human Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) monoclonal antibody TL2.1. These findings suggest that oral treponemes and their OMEs activate HGEC through TLR2.

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Treponema denticola Suppresses Expression of Human β-Defensin-3 in Gingival Epithelial Cells through Inhibition of the Toll-Like Receptor 2 Axis

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00808-09 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 78 (2) ◽

pp. 672-679 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Ji Eun Shin ◽

Young Sook Kim ◽

Ju-Eun Oh ◽

Byung-Moo Min ◽

Youngnim Choi

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cells ◽

Suppressive Effect ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Treponema Denticola ◽

Toll Like Receptor ◽

Periodontal Pathogens ◽

Gingival Epithelial Cells ◽

Toll Like Receptor 2 ◽

Human Gingival Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT We reported previously that Treponema denticola, one of the periodontal pathogens, suppresses the expression of human β-defensins (HBDs) in human gingival epithelial cells. To identify the mechanisms involved in this suppression, immortalized and normal human gingival epithelial cells were infected with live or heat-killed T. denticola for 24 h, and then the expression of HBDs was examined by real-time RT-PCR. Live T. denticola suppressed the expression of HBD-3 substantially and also suppressed the expression of HBD-1 and HBD-2. However, heat-killed bacteria did not produce a suppressive effect but instead slightly upregulated the levels of HBD-2 and HBD-3. In contrast to live T. denticola, which reduced the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-κB within an hour of infection, heat-killed bacteria did not show any inhibitory effect on the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Knockdown of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) via RNA interference abolished the suppressive effect of T. denticola on the expression of HBD-3. Heat-killed T. denticola but not live bacteria could activate TLR2 in CHO/CD14/TLR2 reporter cells, suggesting that T. denticola contains a heat-labile inhibitor(s) of TLR2 in addition to ligands recognized by TLR2. Indeed, live T. denticola was able to inhibit TLR2 activation by Pam3CSK. In conclusion, T. denticola suppressed the expression of HBD-3 by inhibiting the TLR2 axis in gingival epithelial cells. These results may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of periodontitis caused by T. denticola.

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Cigarette Smoke Stimulates SARS-CoV-2 Internalization by Activating AhR and Increasing ACE2 Expression in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22147669 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (14) ◽

pp. 7669

Author(s):

Cassio Luiz Coutinho Almeida-da-Silva ◽

Harmony Matshik Dakafay ◽

Kaitlyn Liu ◽

David M. Ojcius

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cells ◽

Oral Cavity ◽

Cigarette Smoke ◽

Large Body ◽

Receptor Expression ◽

Host Cells ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Gingival Epithelial Cells ◽

Human Gingival Epithelial Cells ◽

Oral Cells

A large body of evidence shows the harmful effects of cigarette smoke to oral and systemic health. More recently, a link between smoking and susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was proposed. COVID-19 is due to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which uses the receptor ACE2 and the protease TMPRSS2 for entry into host cells, thereby infecting cells of the respiratory tract and the oral cavity. Here, we examined the effects of cigarette smoke on the expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptors and infection in human gingival epithelial cells (GECs). We found that cigarette smoke condensates (CSC) upregulated ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in GECs, and that CSC activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling in the oral cells. ACE2 was known to mediate SARS-CoV-2 internalization, and we demonstrate that CSC treatment potentiated the internalization of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in GECs in an AhR-dependent manner. AhR depletion using small interference RNA decreased SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus internalization in CSC-treated GECs compared with control GECs. Our study reveals that cigarette smoke upregulates SARS-CoV-2 receptor expression and infection in oral cells. Understanding the mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells of the oral cavity may suggest therapeutic interventions for preventing viral infection and transmission.

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Pro-inflammatory cytokine responses in human gingival epithelial cells after stimulation with cell wall extract of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans subtypes

Anaerobe ◽

10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.08.001 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 103-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nuntiya Pahumunto ◽

Pareena Chotjumlong ◽

Anupong Makeudom ◽

Suttichai Krisanaprakornkit ◽

Gunnar Dahlen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Inflammatory Cytokine ◽

Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans ◽

Cytokine Responses ◽

Gingival Epithelial Cells ◽

Cell Wall Extract ◽

Human Gingival Epithelial Cells

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Identification of Porphyromonas gingivalis Genes Specifically Expressed in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells by Using Differential Display Reverse Transcription-PCR

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.72.7.3752-3758.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 72 (7) ◽

pp. 3752-3758 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Yoonsuk Park ◽

Özlem Yilmaz ◽

Il-Young Jung ◽

Richard J. Lamont

Keyword(s):

Epithelial Cells ◽

Porphyromonas Gingivalis ◽

Abc Transporter ◽

Differential Display ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Gene Products ◽

Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽

Gingival Epithelial Cells ◽

Insertional Inactivation ◽

Human Gingival Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the causative agents of adult periodontitis, can invade and survive within host epithelial cells. The molecular mechanisms by which P. gingivalis induces uptake and adapts to an intracellular environment are not fully understood. In this study, we have investigated the genetic responses of P. gingivalis internalized within human gingival epithelial cells (GECs) in order to identify factors involved in invasion and survival. We compared the differential display of arbitrarily PCR-amplified gene transcripts in P. gingivalis recovered from GECs with the display of transcripts in P. gingivalis control cultures. Over 20 potential differentially expressed transcripts were identified. Among these, pepO, encoding an endopeptidase, and genes encoding an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter and a cation-transporting ATPase were upregulated in GECs. To investigate the functionality of these gene products, mutants were generated by insertional inactivation. Compared to the parental strain, mutants of each gene showed a significant reduction in their invasion capabilities. In addition, GEC cytoskeletal responses to the mutants were distinct from those induced by the parent. In contrast, adhesion of the mutant strains to GECs was not affected by lack of expression of the gene products. These results suggest that PepO, a cation-transporting ATPase, and an ABC transporter are required for the intracellular lifestyle of P. gingivalis.

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