DEGRADATION OF ENDOGENOUS PLASMA-MEMBRANE FIBRONECTIN CONCOMITANT WITH TREPONEMA-DENTICOLA-35405 ADHESION TO GINGIVAL FIBROBLASTS

Treponema denticola adhesion and degradation of fibronectin (Fn) on hu man gingival fibroblasts (HGF) were studied by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, The number of adherent bacteria in creased and the amount of immunoreactive Fn decreased as a function of increasing T. denticola concentration. The distribution of cell-bound Fn was punctate in micrographs. Anti-human Fn impaired bacterial adhe sion to HGF. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride inhibited Fh degradation bu t not adhesion. Sonicated extracts and diluted spent growth medium deg raded HGF Fn but, unlike intact T. denticola cells, they hardly stimul ated F-actin rearrangements.