Project Grant R01DE035482

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded Virginia Commonwealth University $473,186 on September 1, 2026, under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121) to conduct functional characterization of phospholipase A2 enzymes in Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone periodontal pathogen.

The research interrogates phospholipase A2 (PLA2) homologs identified in P. gingivalis genomes, specifically examining whether bacterial PLA2 enzymes function as conserved virulence determinants in periodontal pathogens. The work builds on evidence linking elevated PLA activity and PLA2-derived metabolites (prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4) to periodontitis severity in human patients and seeks to clarify the underlying pathogenic mechanisms by which bacterial PLA2 contributes to disease. The research will assess functional properties of two identified PLA2 homologs (PG0898 and PG1879 in P. gingivalis strain W83) that contain conserved patatin-like phospholipase domains similar to known bacterial virulence factors.

Performance occurs at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The award runs through July 31, 2031. The assistance type is a Project Grant, a standard NIH research project grant mechanism reviewed for scientific merit, investigator competency, methodological innovation, and relevance to NIDCR program objectives by peer scientists and the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council.