Porphyromonas gingivalis lipid A phosphatase activity is critical for colonization and increasing the commensal load in the rabbit ligature model.

Periodontitis is a disease of polymicrobial etiology characterized by inflammation, degradation of host tissue, and bone that irreversibly destroys the supporting apparatus of teeth. Porphyromonas gingivalis contains lipid A with structural heterogeneity that has been postulated to contribute to the initiation of dysbiosis in oral communities by modulating the host response, thereby creating a permissive environment for its growth. We examined two P. gingivalis lipid A phosphatase mutants which contain different "locked" lipid A structures that induce different host cellular responses for their ability to induce dysbiosis and periodontitis in rabbits. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparations obtained from these strains were also examined. After repeated applications of all strains and their respective LPS preparations, P. gingivalis wild type, but not the lipid A mutants, had a significant impact on both the oral commensal microbial load and composition. In contrast, in rabbits exposed to the mutant strains or the LPS preparations, the microbial load did not increase, and yet significant changes in the oral microbial composition were observed. All strains and their respective LPS preparations induced periodontitis. Therefore, the ability to alter the lipid A composition in response to environmental conditions by lipid A phosphatases is required for both colonization of the rabbit and increases in the microbial load. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that multiple dysbiotic oral microbial communities can elicit periodontitis.