2019 Volume 62 Issue 6 Pages 271-278
Objective: Aside from their biocompatibility, hops also exhibit bioactivity, such as antibacterial effects against oral bacteria that cause dental plaques and anti-inflammatory action in the host. Therefore, hops are expected to have protective activity against periodontitis. However, the mechanism by which hops act on the periodontal bacterial pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis has not been elucidated. In this study, using RNA-Seq, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the activity of xanthohumol (XN), a component of hops, against P. gingivalis.
Materials and methods: RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis of the effects of XN on P. gingivalis was conducted using next-generation sequencing. After culturing P. gingivalis strain W83 anaerobically in the presence of XN, RNA was extracted from the bacterial cells for RNA-Seq analysis and confirmation of reproducibility by real-time PCR.
Results: The transcriptome analysis revealed the increased expression of genes related to heat shock proteins, namely, molecular chaperone GroES, nucleotide exchange factor GrpE, and molecular chaperone HtpG. Meanwhile, there was decreased expression of the Fe-S cluster assembly proteins, SufB and SufD, and the Fe-S cluster assembly ATPase SufC. The SufB, SufD, and SufC genes play major roles in the uptake of iron and formation of iron-sulfur clusters. Therefore, XN likely inhibits the uptake of iron that is necessary for P. gingivalis growth.
Conclusion: The hop component XN has an inhibitory effect on the growth of P. gingivalis in vitro.
