Microorganisms are causative or contributory agents in the etiology of dental caries, gingivitis and related periodontal disease(s). The pathogenicity of Gram-positive streptococci and Gram-negative Fusobacteria resides in part in the capacity of these species to form a variety of organic acids and toxic sulfur-containing derivatives as end products of carbohydrate and amino acid fermentation. Elucidation of the biochemical steps and the genetic basis for regulation of these energy-yielding pathways provides the rationale for this research program. Significant accomplishments of the past year include: 1) Demonstration that the triosephosphate gene (tpi) of Lactococcus lactis is monocistronic; 2) Elucidation of the role(s) of lysine 214 and cysteine residues in activity and cytotoxicity of beta-cystathionase from Bordetella avium; 3) Purification, cloning, sequence analysis and expression of maltose 6-phosphate:6-phosphohydrolase from Fusobacterium mortiferum ATCC 25557; 4) Cloning and site-directed mutagenesis of catalytically functional residues of Tn5306-encoded N(5)-(carboxyethyl) ornithine synthase from L. lactis; 5) Purification of a novel cellobiose 6-phosphate:6-phosphohydrolase from F. mortiferum; 6) Chemical synthesis of unique methylumbelliferyl analogs of phospho-alpha and phospho-beta-glucosides for use as fluorogenic reporter molecules for study of the regulation of gene expression in Fusobacteria. Results from this research program have been published in four papers in peer-reviewed, international journals.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01DE000341-14
Application #
5201770
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Zhang, Qiangmin; Gao, Feng; Peng, Hao et al. (2009) Crystal structures of Streptococcus suis mannonate dehydratase (ManD) and its complex with substrate: genetic and biochemical evidence for a catalytic mechanism. J Bacteriol 191:5832-7
Zhang, Qiangmin; Peng, Hao; Gao, Feng et al. (2009) Structural insight into the catalytic mechanism of gluconate 5-dehydrogenase from Streptococcus suis: Crystal structures of the substrate-free and quaternary complex enzymes. Protein Sci 18:294-303
Hall, Barry G; Pikis, Andreas; Thompson, John (2009) Evolution and biochemistry of family 4 glycosidases: implications for assigning enzyme function in sequence annotations. Mol Biol Evol 26:2487-97
Pikis, Andreas; Hess, Sonja; Arnold, Ingrid et al. (2006) Genetic requirements for growth of Escherichia coli K12 on methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside and the five alpha-D-glucosyl-D-fructose isomers of sucrose. J Biol Chem 281:17900-8
Thompson, John; Hess, Sonja; Pikis, Andreas (2004) Genes malh and pagl of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 encode NAD+- and Mn2+-dependent phospho-alpha-glucosidase(s). J Biol Chem 279:1553-61
Rajan, Shyamala S; Yang, Xiaojing; Collart, Frank et al. (2004) Novel catalytic mechanism of glycoside hydrolysis based on the structure of an NAD+/Mn2+ -dependent phospho-alpha-glucosidase from Bacillus subtilis. Structure 12:1619-29
Yip, Vivian L Y; Varrot, Annabelle; Davies, Gideon J et al. (2004) An unusual mechanism of glycoside hydrolysis involving redox and elimination steps by a family 4 beta-glycosidase from Thermotoga maritima. J Am Chem Soc 126:8354-5
Xu, De-Qi; Thompson, John; Cisar, John O (2003) Genetic loci for coaggregation receptor polysaccharide biosynthesis in Streptococcus gordonii 38. J Bacteriol 185:5419-30
Cisar, J O; Xu, D Q; Thompson, J et al. (2000) An alternative interpretation of nanobacteria-induced biomineralization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:11511-5