Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative anaerobe. It is a secondary colonizer of the oral cavity and has a role in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease, which is the major cause of tooth loss in industrial nations. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the periodontium that leads to erosion of the attachment apparatus and supporting bone for teeth and is one of the most frequently occurring infectious diseases in humans. Recently, a number of epidemiological studies have shown significant relationships between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases. P.gingivalis, which is often found in deep periodontal pockets of humans, is asaccharolytic and highly proteolytic and produces a broad array of potential virulence factors involved in tissue colonization and destruction as well as host defense perturbation. P. gingivalis strains are divided into virulent and less-virulent strans; ATCC 33277, the type strain, is a less-virulent strain unlike W83, the only other currently sequenced member of the species (PORGI). It produces only a localized abscess 3 days after subcutaneous inoculation (adapted from PubMed 18524787). (HAMAP: PORG3)