Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10771346 | Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications | 2005 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Methyl mercaptan is derived from l-methionine by the action of l-methionine-α-deamino-γ-mercaptomethane lyase (METase) and is a major component of oral malodor. This compound is highly toxic and is thought to play an important role in periodontal disease. We found that Treponema denticola, a member of the subgingival biofilm at periodontal disease sites, produced a large amount of methyl mercaptan even at low concentration of l-methionine. METase activity in a cell-free extract from T. denticola was detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions, and the protein spot that exhibited high METase activity was identified using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The identified gene produced a METase with a Km value for l-methionine (0.55 mM) that is much lower than those of METases previously identified in the other organisms. This result suggests that T. denticola is an important producer of methyl mercaptan in the subgingival biofilm.
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Authors
Haruka Fukamachi, Yoshio Nakano, Soichiro Okano, Yasuko Shibata, Yoshimitsu Abiko, Yoshihisa Yamashita,