Abstract
As the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria increases, novel ways of treating infections need to be developed. This is particularly pertinent with respect to the periodontal diseases—the most common chronic bacterial infections of man. The use of a photosensitizer in combination with red light has been demonstrated to be effective in killing several human pathogens, including the oral bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major pathogen in periodontitis. Killing was associated with alterations in the molecular masses of several outer membrane and plasma membrane proteins and these may be therapeutic targets for photodynamic therapy and other antimicrobial approaches. To identify these photolabile proteins, we have used a panel of monoclonal antibodies raised to whole P. gingivalis. A number of the antibodies recognized various photolabile proteins. Using a combination of Western blotting and protein sequencing the predominant photolabile proteins in P. gingivalis have been identified as the major secreted/cell surface proteases—Lys and Arg gingipain.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 30 August 2000 / Accepted: 1 January 2001
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhatti, M., Nair, S., Macrobert, A. et al. Identification of Photolabile Outer Membrane Proteins of Porphyromonas gingivalis . Curr Microbiol 43, 96–99 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002840010268
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002840010268