Abstract
The Mfa1 fimbriae of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis are involved in adhesion, including binding to synergistic species in oral biofilms. Mfa1 fimbriae are comprised of 5 proteins: the structural component Mfa1, the anchor Mfa2, and Mfa3-5 which constitute the fimbrial tip complex. Interactions among the Mfa proteins and the polymerization mechanism for Mfa1 are poorly understood. Here we show that Mfa3 can bind to Mfa1, 2, 4, and 5 in vitro, and may function as an adaptor protein interlinking other fimbrial subunits. Polymerization of Mfa1 is independent of Mfa3-5 and requires proteolytic processing mediated by the RgpA/B arginine gingipains of P. gingivalis. Both the N- and C- terminal regions of Mfa1 are necessary for polymerization; however, potential β-strand disrupting amino acid substitutions in these regions do not impair Mfa1 polymerization. In contrast, substitution of hydrophobic amino acids with charged residues in either the N- or C- terminal domains yielded Mfa1 proteins that failed to polymerize. Collectively, these results indicate that Mfa3 serves as an adaptor protein between Mfa1 and other accessory fimbrial proteins. Mfa1 fimbrial polymerization is dependent on hydrophobicity in both the N- and C-terminal regions, indicative of an assembly mechanism involving the terminal regions forming a hydrophobic binding interface between Mfa1 subunits.
Highlights
Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe, is a major etiological agent in periodontal disease, one of the most common infectious diseases of humans (Lamont and Jenkinson, 1998; Kassebaum et al, 2014; Hajishengallis, 2015; Tonetti et al, 2017)
Mfa1 fimbriae bind to the SspA/B surface protein of S. gordonii, and this binding initiates a signal transduction event within P. gingivalis that is based on protein tyrosinephosphorylation (Maeda et al, 2008; Wright et al, 2013, 2014)
The Mfa1 fimbrial structure of P. gingivalis is anchored by Mfa2 in the outer membrane
Summary
Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe, is a major etiological agent in periodontal disease, one of the most common infectious diseases of humans (Lamont and Jenkinson, 1998; Kassebaum et al, 2014; Hajishengallis, 2015; Tonetti et al, 2017). The major, or long, fimbriae comprise the FimA structural subunit protein and extend up to 3 μm from the cell surface (Enersen et al, 2013). Mfa fimbriae bind to the SspA/B surface protein of S. gordonii, and this binding initiates a signal transduction event within P. gingivalis that is based on protein tyrosine (de)phosphorylation (Maeda et al, 2008; Wright et al, 2013, 2014). Another reported binding partner for Mfa fimbriae is the DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific ICAM3 grabbing nonintegrin) receptor of human dendritic cells. Interaction between Mfa and DC-SIGN facilitates the entry of P. gingivalis into dendritic cells and subsequent persistence of P. gingivalis within the cells, leading to blocked maturation of dendritic cells, stimulation of Th2 effector response, and diminished levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Zeituni et al, 2009; El-Awady et al, 2015; Arjunan et al, 2016)
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