Discrete Protein Determinant Directs the Species-Specific Adherence of Porphyromonas gingivalis to Oral Streptococci

Abstract excerpt

For pathogens to survive in the human oral cavity, they must identify a suitable niche in the complex multispecies biofilm that exists on oral tissues. The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis adheres to Streptococcus gordonii by interacting with a specific region of the streptococcal SspB polypeptide, designated BAR. However, it does not adhere to Streptococcus mutans, which expresses SpaP, a highly...