• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.331-337
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• 2009

Purpose: Interleukin (IL)-8 is one of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reduced metabolites of $O_2$. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is one of representative periodontopathogens. To investigate the role of A. actinomycetemcomitans in IL-8 expression of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells, we estimated the production of IL-8 and ROS in A. actinomycetemcomitans treated PDL cells. Methods: The IL-8 production was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ROS production was estimated using H2DCFDA and FACS. Results: A. actinomycetemcomitans increased the production of IL-8 and ROS at 10, 100, and 500 multiplicity of infection. N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant of ROS, down-regulated the production of IL-8 induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans. Conclusions: These results suggest that A. actinomycetemcomitans induces IL-8 production and ROS may act as a mediator in this process.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop species-specific real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) primers for use in the detection of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. These primers were designed based on the nucleotide sequences of the RNA polymerase ${\beta}$-subunit gene (rpoB). We assessed the specificity of the primers against nine strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans, eight strains (three species) of the Haemophilus genus, and 40 strains of 40 other oral bacterial species. Primer sensitivity was determined by testing serial dilutions of the purified genomic DNAs of A. actinomycetemcomitans ATCC $33384^T$. Our data reveal that we had obtained species-specific amplicons for all of the tested A. actinomycetemcomitans strains, and that none of these amplicons occurred in any of the other species. Our PCR protocol proved able to detect as little as 2 fg of A. actinomycetemcomitans chromosomal DNA. Our findings suggest that these qRT-PCR primers are suitable for application in epidemiological studies.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.35-39
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• 2015

Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the lowest concentration of antibiotics that inhibits the visible growth of bacteria. It has been reported that sub-MIC of antibiotics may result in morphological alterations, along with the biochemical and physiological changes in bacteria. The purpose of this study was to examine morphological changes of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, after the treatment with sub-MIC metronidazole and penicillin. The bacterial morphology was observed with scanning electron microscope, after incubating with sub-MIC antibiotics. The length of A. actinomycetemcomitans was increased after the incubation with sub-MIC metronidazole and penicillin. Sub-MIC metronidazole and penicillin inhibited bacterial division and induced long filaments. Our study showed that metronidazole and penicillin can induce the morphological changes in A. actinomycetemcomitans.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.553-562
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• 2007

Osteoblasts regulate osteoclastogenesis by production of various cytokines. Aggregatibacter(A) ac-tinomycetemcomitans is one of periodontopathogens which invades gingival tissue. Therefore, clarifying the effect of alive A. actinomycetemcomitans on osteoblasts is important to understand the mechanism of alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis. We investigated induction of osteoclastogenesis-inducing cytokines, adherence, and invasion by A. actinomycetemcomitans in osteoblasts. Osteoblasts were isolated from mouse calvaria and expression of cytokines was determined by RT-PCR. When the ratio of the number of A. actinomycetemcomtians to the number of osteoblasts was 10:1, 50:1 and 100:1, RANKL mRNA expression was increased. A. actinomycetemcomitans also increased expression of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP) -1${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-1${\beta}$, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$. A. actinomycetemcomitans attached to and invaded osteoblasts at ratio of 1000:1. These results suggest that A. actinomycetemcomitans increases osteoclastogenesis-inducing ability of osteoblasts by stimulating the expression of RANKL, MIP-1${\alpha}$,IL-1${\beta}$, and TNF-${\alpha}$ and that invasion of A. actinomycetemcomitans provides a means by which the bacteria escape from immune system and antibiotic therapy.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Inflammation is a protective mechanism against pathogens, but if maintained continuously, it destroys tissue structures. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic bacterium often found in severe periodontitis. A. actinomycetemcomitans invades epithelial cells and triggers inflammatory response in the immune cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of water-soluble rosehip extract on A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced inflammatory responses. A human monocytic cell line (THP-1) was differentiated to macrophages by phorbol 12-mystristate 13-acetate treatment. The cytotoxic effect of extract was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The effects of extract on bacterial growth were examined by measuring the optical densities using a spectrophotometer. THP-1-derived macrophages were infected A. actinomycetemcomitans after extract treatment, and culture supernatants were analyzed for cytokine production using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression was measured by western blotting. Extract was not toxic to THP-1-derived macrophages. A. actinomycetemcomitans growth was inhibited by 1% extract. The extract suppressed A. actinomycetemcomitans-induced tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-8 production. It also decreased mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation. Moreover, the extract inhibited the expression of inflammasome components, including nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3, Absent in Melanoma 2, and apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing a CARD. And cysteine-aspartic proteases-1 and IL-1β expression were decreased by the extract. In summary, extract suppressed A. actinomycetemcomitans growth and decreased inflammatory cytokine production by inhibiting activation of MAP kinase, NF-κB, and inflammasome signaling. Rosehip extract could be effective in the treatment of periodontal inflammation induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans infection.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.557-562
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• 2016

치주질환은 만성염증성 질환으로 치조골소실을 일으켜 성인치아상실을 유발하는 요인 중 하나이다. 그람 음성세균인 Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans와 Porphyromonas gingivalis는 치주질환환자의 병소에서 쉽게 동정된다. 지질다당체(Lipopolysaccharide; LPS)는 그람 음성세균의 핵심 독력인자로 알려져 있다. 이러한 세균과 LPS는 파골세포에 의한 골소실을 조절하는 요인 중 하나이다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 동물모델을 활용하여 A. actinomycetemcomitans와 P. gingivalis의 의한 골소실 여부를 확인하고, 기전규명을 위하여 A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans와 P. gingivalis에서 분리한 LPS에 의한 파골세포분화 영향을 연구하였다. 열사멸한 A. actinomycetemcomitans (HKAa)와 열사멸한 P. gingivalis (HKPg)가 복강으로 투여된 쥐의 대퇴골은 대조군에 비해 감소된 골량을 보여주었다. 이러한 골소실의 증가가 파골세포분화 때문인지 확인하기 위해 파골세포분화를 연구한 결과, bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMM)의 RANKL-매개 파골세포분화를 감소시켰으나, committed osteoclast precursor의 파골세포분화를 유도함을 확인하였다. 세균에 의한 파골세포분화 결과와 동일하게 A. actinomycetemcomitans와 P. gingivalis에서 분리한 LPS 역시 RANKL-매개 파골세포분화는 감소시키고, committed osteoclast precursor의 파골세포분화를 유도하였다. 결과적으로 치주원인균인 A. actinomycetemcomitans와 P. gingivalis는 committed osteoclast precursor의 파골세포분화를 증가시키는데, 이 세균들의 LPS가 핵심 역할을 수행하는 것으로 판단되며 이를 통해 골 흡수를 유발함을 알 수 있었다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.199-208
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to identify the non-Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans bacteria grown on the tryptic soy-serum-bacitracin-vancomycin (TSBV) medium, an A. actinomycetemcomitans selective medium. A total of 82 unidentified bacterial isolates from the oral cavities of a Korean population were kindly provide by the Korean Collection for Oral Microbiology. All the clinical isolates were grown on TSBV medium and bacterial DNA purified from each isolate was subjected to PCR with universal primers specific for bacterial 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNAs) sequence. The each bacterial 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR and the nucleotide sequences of it was determined by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method. They were identified by 16S rDNA sequence comparison method at the specie-level. The data showed that Neisseria spp. (42 strains), Fusobacterium spp. (10 strains), Capnocytophaga spp. (8 strains), Propionibacterium acnes (5 strains), Aggregatibacter aprophilus (4 strains), Campylobacter spp. (5 strains), Veillonella dispar (3 strains), Streptococcus sp. (1 strain), Haemophilus parainfluenzae (1 strain), Leptotrichia wadei (1 strain), Morococcus sp./Neisseria sp. (1 strain), and Staphylococcus sp. (1 strain) were identified. These results could be used to develop a new A. actinomycetemcomitans-selective medium which is more effective than the TSBV medium in future studies.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.137-145
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• 2012

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is the most important etiologic agent of aggressive periodontitis and can interact with endothelial cells. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) are chemokines, playing important roles in periodontal pathogenesis. In our current study, the effects of A. actinomycetemcomitans on the production of MCP-1 and IL-8 by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were investigated. A. actinomycetemcomitans strongly induced the gene expression and protein release of both MCP-1 and IL-8 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Dead A. actinomycetemcomitans cells were as effective as live bacteria in this induction. Treatment of HUVEC with cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of endocytosis, did not affect the mRNA up-regulation of MCP-1 and IL-8 by A. actinomycetemcomitans. However, genistein, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, substantially inhibited the MCP-1 and IL-8 production by A. actinomycetemcomitans, whereas pharmacological inhibition of each of three members of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family had little effect. Furthermore, gel shift assays showed that A. actinomycetemcomitans induces a biphasic activation (early at 1-2 h and late at 8-16 h) of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and an early brief activation (0.5-2 h) of activator protein-1 (AP-1). Activation of canonical NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway ($I{\kappa}B$ kinase activation and $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation) was also demonstrated in these experiments. Although lipopolysaccharide from A. actinomycetemcomitans also induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, this activation profile over time differed from that of live A. actinomycetemcomitans. These results suggest that the expression of MCP-1 and IL-8 is potently increased by A. actinomycetemcomitans in endothelial cells, and that the viability of A. actinomycetemcomitans and bacterial internalization are not required for this effect, whereas the activation of protein tyrosine kinase(s), NF-${\kappa}B$, and AP-1 appears to play important roles. The secretion of high levels of MCP-1 and IL-8 resulting from interactions of A. actinomycetemcomitans with endothelial cells may thus contribute to the pathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제39권sup2호
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• pp.231-237
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• 2009

Purpose: Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a family of heat-labile cytotoxins produced by several gram-negative mucosa-associated pathogens, including Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. CDT is well known to be capable of inducing growth arrest, morphological alterations, and eventually death in various cells. CDT belongs to a tripartite $AB_2$ toxin (CdtB: the enzymatic A subunit; CdtA and CdtC: the heterodimeric B subunit). Previous studies proposed that CdtA and CdtC together bind to a cell surface receptor and glycolipids act as a receptor for A. actinomycetemcomitans CDT (AaCDT). In this study, recombinant CdtA and CdtC proteins of AaCDT were co-expressed in a bacterial expression system and tested for their affinity for $GM_1$ ganglioside. Methods: The genes for CdtA and CdtC from A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 were utilized to construct the expression vectors, pRSET-cdtA and pET28a-cdtC. Both CdtA and CdtC proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and then purified using hexahistidine (His6) tag. The identity of purified protein was confirmed by anti-His6 antibody and monoclonal anti-CdtA antibody. Furthermore, the affinity of recombinant protein to $GM_1$ ganglioside was checked through ELISA. Results: Recombinant CdtA and CdtC proteins were expressed as soluble proteins and reacted to anti-His6 and monoclonal anti-CdtA antibodies. ELISA revealed that purified soluble CdtA-CdtC protein bound to $GM_1$ ganglioside, while CdtA alone did not. Conclusions: Co-expression of CdtA and CdtC proteins enhanced the solubility of the proteins in E. coli, leading to convenient preparation of active CdtA-CdtC, a critical material for the study of AaCDT pathogenesis.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제38권sup2호
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• pp.335-342
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• 2008

Purpose: Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) considered as a key factor of localized aggressive periodontitis, endocarditis, meningitis, and osteomyelitis is composed of five open reading frames (ORFs). Among of them, the individual role of CdtA and CdtC is not clear; several reports presents that CDT is an AB2 toxin and they enters the host cell via clathrin-coated pits or through the interaction with GM3 ganglioside. So, CdtA, CdtC, or both seem to be required for the delivery of the CdtB protein into the host cell. Moreover, recombinant CDT was suggested as good vaccine material and antibody against CDT can be used for neutralization or for a detection kit. Materials and Methods: We constructed the pET28a-cdtC plasmid from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Y4 by genomic DNA PCR and expressed in BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli system. We obtained the antibody against the recombinant CdtC in mice system. Using the anti-CdtC antibody, we test the native CdtC detection by ELISA and Western Blotting and confirm the expression time of native CdtC protein during the growth phase of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Results: In this study we reconstructed CdtC subunit of A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 and generated the anti CdtC antibody against recombinant CdtC subunit expressed in E. coli system. Our anti CdtC antibody can be interacting with recombinant CdtC and native CDT in ELISA and Western system. Also, CDT holotoxin existed at 24h but not at 48h meaning that CDT holotoxin was assembled at specific time during the bacterial growth. Conclusion: In conclusion, we thought that our anti CdtC antibody could be used mucosal adjuvant or detection kit development, because it could interact with native CDT holotoxin.