This $354,143 federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121), supports research by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to investigate two-component signaling systems in the oral pathogen Treponema denticola. The objective is to elucidate the genetic regulatory mechanisms that allow T. denticola to persist and contribute to the progression of periodontal disease. Specifically, the award will fund studies to characterize the role of the ATCR and RRP2 two-component systems in T. denticola's gene expression, physiology, and interactions with other oral bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis. The research aims to define how these signaling systems allow T. denticola to sense environmental cues, modulate virulence factors, and establish pathogenic communities in the diseased periodontal environment. This 5-year project builds on VCU's prior work characterizing these two-component systems and their potential contribution to T. denticola's success as an oral pathogen.
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