User:S4323213

Name Bench ID Date

Porphyromonas gingivalis

Higher order taxa

Bacteria – Bacteria – Bacteroidetes – Bacteroidetes – Bacteroidales – Porphyromonadaceae – Porphyromonas

Species

P. gingivalis W83 Species name and type strain (consult LPSN http://www.bacterio.net/index.html for this information)

Description and significance

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a gram-negative obligate anaerobe that is non-motile and pathogenic. The bacterium is rod-shaped and is found in the oral cavity and has been strongly implicated as a pathogen in periodontitis ^[1], a damaging disease where the supporting structures of teeth and the gingiva are affected.

Give a general description of the species (e.g. where/when was it first discovered, where is it commonly found, has it been cultured, functional role, type of bacterium [Gram+/-], morphology, etc.) and explain why it is important to study this microorganism. Examples of citations ^[1], ^[2]

Genome structure

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

Cell structure and metabolism

Cell wall, biofilm formation, motility, metabolic functions.

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 Richard Leung for the MICR3004 course, Semester 2, 2016