Project Grant R21DE036367

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded $234,000 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on September 1, 2026, under the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research program (CFDA 93.121) to investigate decoy adhesion mechanisms by which the commensal bacterium Veillonella atypica shields oral epithelial cells from colonization and inflammatory damage by the pathogenic keystone species Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The research dissects the molecular and genetic mechanisms of Veillonella atypica's protective function against periodontal disease pathogenesis. Aim 1 will define the domain-specific functions of HAG1, a giant autotransporter adhesin that mediates both Veillonella-epithelial cell adhesion and Veillonella-Porphyromonas coaggregation, using genetic deletion mutants, co-culture assays, and mass spectrometry to identify epithelial receptors and pathogenic adhesin partners. Aim 2 will uncover the genetic repertoire regulating HAG1 expression and broader Veillonella-mediated suppression of Porphyromonas-induced pathogenesis through high-throughput transposon screening, markerless mutagenesis, and RNA-seq to identify key regulatory genes and signaling pathways.

The award is structured as a Project Grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, with place of performance in Houston, Texas. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. This is assistance funding supporting basic and translational research in dental and oral health under NIDCR's extramural research portfolio.