Isolation and identification of a cytopathic activity in Tannerella forsythia

Interactions between pathogens and host induce human disorders including periodontitis, disintegration of the tooth supporting tissues. Tannerella forsythia has been linked to the periodontitis and several cytopathic reagents have been found in the bacterium; however, its contribution to the disease remains unclear. Biochemical approach to explore the cytopathic effect revealed two distinct activities in T. forsythia (ATCC 43037) extract; one detaches adherent cells from substratum and another arrests cells at G2. An executor of former activity, forsythia detaching factor (FDF) was identified; its genomic sequence and peptidase activity revealed that FDF is a substantial form of putative PrtH; prtH gene was hypothetically identified directly from a DNA fragment of the bacterium and its native product has never been shown. Since FDF was found in the bacterial culture supernatant, its activity implies a contribution to the disintegration of tissues although the mechanism how FDF disturbs cellular anchors remains elusive.