User:S4352142

Rochelle Overton

Bench E

31082016

Capnocytophaga gingivalis

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria - Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi group - Bacteroidetes - Flavobacteriia - Flavobacteriales - Flavobacteriaceae - Capnocytophaga

Species

Species name and type strain (consult LPSN http://www.bacterio.net/index.html for this information)

Capnocytophaga gingivalis ATCC 33624

Description and significance

Capnocytophaga gingivalis are a species of motile, gliding bacteria that inhabit the oral cavity of the mouth(kagermeier), making up a large component of subgingival plaque (spratt). It has a straight rod-shaped, fusiform morphology with a granulated surface, being classified in the bacillus family. This purple stained, gram negative bacteria (kagermeier, newman) has fermentative physiology, with a preference for growing in environments with high levels of carbon dioxide. This being said, it is able to aerobically respire in the presence of glucose (London), and can be cultured in a lab. This oral microorganism can become pathogenic in the right conditions, causing numerous ailments including: periodontal infections, tooth loss, decay of supporting tissues and alveolar bone loss in the mouth. In some cases, C. gingivalis can spread into the eyes, brain, lungs, digestive tract, heart or muscular skeletal system. Although these diseases are treatable with antibiotics, there have been reports of resistant strains occurring since the mid 1980's, making it an important bacteria to study.

Discovered (when/where): Cultured?: Yes (kagermeier) Functional role: Importance:

Examples of citations ^[1], ^[2]

Genome structure

This microaerophilic organism

Select a strain for which genome information (e.g. size, plasmids, distinct genes, etc.) is available.

Cell structure and metabolism

Cell wall: Being a gram negative bacteria, the cell wall of C. gingivalis is composed of an outer membrane containing a thin peptidoglycan layer within.

biofilm formation: A biofilm is the formation of a thin layer of microorganisms which cling together to adhere to a hard surface, such as the tooth. When left over long instances of time, this can create instances of plaque which if left unchecked can result in periodontal infections. -each bacteria has a different phenotype throughout the group (can sense fluctuations in cell pop density)(hosohama-saito)

motility: Capnocytophaga gingivalis is a motile organism that lacks both flagella and flagellates. It creates longitudinal movement in a gliding motion with the mechanisms involved in this process being unknown (Mcbride).

metabolic functions: Glucose is a necessary source of energy required for Capnocytophaga gingivalis to aerobically respire. Despite its

Ecology

Aerobe/anaerobe, habitat (location in the oral cavity, potential other environments) and microbe/host interactions.

Pathology

Do these microorganisms cause disease in the oral cavity or elsewhere?

Application to biotechnology

Bioengineering, biotechnologically relevant enzyme/compound production, drug targets,…

Current research

Summarise some of the most recent discoveries regarding this species.

References

References examples

1. Sahm, K., MacGregor, B.J., Jørgensen, B.B., and Stahl, D.A. (1999) Sulphate reduction and vertical distribution of sulphate-reducing bacteria quantified by rRNA slotblot hybridization in a coastal marine sediment. Environ Microbiol 1: 65-74.

2. Human Oral Microbiome

This page is written by Rochelle Overton for the MICR3004 course, Semester 2, 2016