Lysozyme-mediated aggregation and lysis of the periodontal microorganism Capnocytophaga gingivalis 2010.

The ability of lysozyme to aggregate and lyse the gram-negative capnophilic periodontal microorganism Capnocytophaga gingivalis 2010 was monitored optically at 540 nm. Both hen egg white and chromatographically purified human lysozymes had significant but similar aggregation potentials for both logarithmic- and stationary-phase bacteria. In general, an increase in enzyme concentration resulted in a graded increase in both the initial and maximum changes in turbidity which occurred during the reaction period. The greatest change in turbidity occurred within the initial minutes of interaction of lysozyme and the cells, and the extent of aggregation paralleled a rapid depletion of lysozyme by the suspensions during the first minute of its incubation with the bacteria. Interestingly, the muramidase inhibitors N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and histamine did not block aggregation, whereas maleylation of lysozyme completely inhibited its aggregating ability. Demaleylation, however, restored aggregation activity comparable to the native enzyme, indicating that maleylated lysozyme retained its integrity and that aggregation was primarily dependent on charge. The addition of up to physiological concentrations of NaHCO3 and NaCl to cell aggregates resulted in varying degrees of deaggregation and lysis. Surprisingly, ultrastructural analysis of lysozyme-treated cells revealed morphological changes with or without the addition of salt. Damage appeared to occur at the blunted polar end of the cells where there was a large spherical outpouching bordered by a damaged cell envelope. Damaged cells uniformly contained dense granular cytoplasmic debris. In effect, the cationic enzyme lysed C. gingivalis 2010, which was not apparent in the spectrophotometric assay. The paradoxical finding that during bacterial aggregation there was lysis may be of significance to the further elucidation of lysozyme's antibacterial role in the gingival sulcus.