Heterogeneous Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS modulates immuno-inflammatory response, antioxidant defense and cytoskeletal dynamics in human gingival fibroblasts

Periodontal (gum) disease is a highly prevalent infection and inflammation accounting for the majority of tooth loss in adult population worldwide. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone periodontal pathogen and its lipopolysaccharide (PgLPS) acts as a major virulence attribute to the disease. Herein, we deciphered the overall host response of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) to two featured isoforms of tetra-acylated PgLPS1435/1449 and penta-acylated PgLPS1690 with reference to E. coli LPS through quantitative proteomics. This study unraveled differentially expressed novel biomarkers of immuno-inflammatory response, antioxidant defense and cytoskeletal dynamics in HGFs. PgLPS1690 greatly upregulated inflammatory proteins (e.g. cyclophilin, inducible nitric oxide synthase, annexins, galectin, cathepsins and heat shock proteins), whereas the anti-inflammatory proteins (e.g. Annexin A2 and Annexin A6) were significantly upregulated by PgLPS1435/1449. Interestingly, the antioxidants proteins such as mitochondrial manganese-containing superoxide dismutase and peroxiredoxin 5 were only upregulated by PgLPS1690. The cytoskeletal rearrangement-related proteins like myosin were differentially regulated by these PgLPS isoforms. The present study gives new insight into the biological properties of P. gingivalis LPS lipid A moiety that could critically modulate immuno-inflammatory response, antioxidant defense and cytoskeletal dynamics in HGFs, and thereby enhances our understanding of periodontal pathogenesis.