User:S4352142
Rochelle Overton
Bench E
31082016 [1]
Capnocytophaga gingivalis
Classification
Higher order taxa
| Kingdom | Bacteria |
|---|---|
| Domain | Bacteroidetes |
| Phylum | Bacteriodetes |
| Class | Flavobacteriia |
| Order | Flavobacteriales |
| Family | Flavobacteriaceae |
| Genus | Capnocytophaga |
Species
Capnocytophaga gingivalis ATCC 33624
Description and significance
Capnocytophaga gingivalis are a class of Flavobacteriia that inhabit the oral cavity of the mouth (kagermeier), making up a large component of subgingival plaque (spratt). These microorganisms are motile, travelling in a gliding motion as they lack the presence of flagella or flagellates. Microscopy has revealed that C. gingivalis are straight rod-shaped bacteria with a fusiform morphology, having a granulated outer surface. Capnocytophaga gingivalis is a facultative anaerobe, meaning that it can create ATP through aerobic respiration if oxygen is present(London), but is also also to use fermentation in instances where oxygen is poor/absent (kagermeier, newman). Gram staining produced a purple, gram negative cell, which was is also able to be successfully cultured in laboratories with a preference from environments with high carbon dioxide levels (London).
Whilst present in natural microbiome of the mouth, C. gingivalis can become pathogenic under certain conditions. Dental ailments such as periodontal infections, loss of teeth and supporting tissues as well as alveolar bone loss can occur. In severe cases, C. gingivalis has also spread to the eyes, brain, lungs, digestive tract, heart or muscular skeletal system and causing disease. 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):
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.
A biofilm is the clustered formation of a thin layer of microorganisms which cling together to adhere to a hard surface, such as the tooth. It begins with the pellicle (saliva) containing large quantities of absorbed macromolecules directly to the teeth (sakaguchi). Free-floating bacteria will then attach themselves to the saliva-coated tooth in order to feed, being the primary colonizers. Then the secondary colonizers, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, bind to the primary colonizers creating a second layer, proving increased strength and structure to the biofilm. When left over long periods of time, this can create instances of plaque which if left unchecked can result in periodontal infections. Throughout this microcolony, each microorganism is exposed to different environmental conditions such as; physical proximity, oxygen and glucose requirements . This is why each C. gingivitis will exhibit different phenotype throughout the oral cavity (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
- ↑ MICR3004
This page is written by Rochelle Overton for the MICR3004 course, Semester 2, 2016
