Putting the POP into periodontitis

Dr Watt, Rory Munro   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Dr Kotaka Masayo   (Co-Investigator)

36

2021-01-01

1188707

Putting the POP into periodontitis

oral microbiome, peptidase, periodontitis, protein biochemistry, protein structure

Dentistry,Microbiology

Biology and Medicine (M)

17121820

General Research Fund (GRF)

2020

On-going

1 Determine the biochemical functions of the (putative) Oligopeptidase B (OpdB) and Prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) proteins encoded by Capnocytophaga gingivalis and clinically-important oral Capnocytophaga species (e.g. C. ochracea, C. canimorsus). 2 Use a combination of protein structure modelling and site-directed mutagenesis approaches to establish structure-activity relationships for OpdB and POP peptidases encoded by Capnocytophaga, and related Bacteroidetes/Flavobacteria taxa of clinical importance. 3 Evaluate cellular opdB/pop gene transcription levels in C. gingivalis and C. ochracea during planktonic cultivation and mono-species/mixed-species biofilm growth. 4 Create opdB and pop gene deletion mutants in C. gingivalis and C. ochracea to establish their respective effects on cellular peptidase activities and planktonic/biofilm growth characteristics. 5 Determine the abilities of selected S9-serine peptidase inhibitors (e.g. sitagliptin) to inhibit the respective peptidolytic activities of OpdB, POP and DPP peptidases, and the planktonic/biofilm growth capabilities of Capnocytophaga cells.