Author:

Keywords:

Alveolar Bone Loss, Animals, Bacteria, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Mice, Mouth, Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein, Periodontitis, Signal Transduction, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Microbiology, Parasitology, Virology, PORPHYROMONAS-GINGIVALIS, NEUTROPHIL RECRUITMENT, CLOSTRIDIUM-DIFFICILE, PERIODONTAL-DISEASE, GUT MICROBIOTA, IN-VIVO, RECOGNITION, RECEPTOR, INNATE, PATHOGEN, 0605 Microbiology, 1108 Medical Microbiology, Immunology, 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology, 3107 Microbiology, 3207 Medical microbiology

Abstract:

Periodontitis is a common disease that is characterized by resorption of the alveolar bone and mediated by commensal bacteria that trigger host immune responses and bone destruction through unidentified mechanisms. We report that Nod1, an innate intracellular host receptor for bacterial peptidoglycan-related molecules, is critical for commensal-induced periodontitis in a mouse model. Mice lacking Nod1 exhibit reduced bone resorption as well as impaired recruitment of neutrophils to gingival tissues and osteoclasts to the alveolar bone, which mediate tissue and bone destruction. Further analysis showed that accumulation of a Nod1-stimulating commensal bacterium, NI1060, at gingival sites was sufficient to induce neutrophil recruitment and bone resorption. Genomic sequencing revealed that NI1060 is a mouse-specific bacterium that is related to bacteria associated with the development of aggressive periodontitis in humans. These findings provide insight into commensal-host interactions contributing to periodontitis and identify a potential target for preventing this common oral disease.