Katarzyna Gawron, MD, prof. SUM, Karolina Strzelec, MSc, and Agata Dziedzic-Kowalska, MSc, from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, together with scientists from the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University (prof. J. Potempa, Ph.D., G. Bereta, Ph.D.) and periodontologists at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (Prof. M. Chomyszyn-Gajewska, Ph.D. and K. Łazarz-Bartyzel, Ph.D.) authored another scientific paper in Frontiers in Immunology, titled „Identification of a new genetic pathway in the field of molecular biology and genetics: , „Identification of a new genetic variant (G231N, E232T, N235D) of peptidylarginine deiminase from P. gingivalis in advanced periodontitis” (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024. 1355357).

This study identifies and describes a new genetic variant of peptidylarginine deiminase, an enzyme produced by one of the bacteria responsible for the development of periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis. The new protein variant is characterised by a significantly higher enzymatic activity compared to the reference, fully virulent P. gingivalis strain, favouring modification of peptides/proteins and thus altering their biological functions, which in turn may influence the degree of virulence of the periodontopathogen. Importantly, the genetic variant was identified in a group of patients with advanced periodontitis. Furthermore, given the important role of citrullination in the autoimmune response, the changes in peptidylarginine deiminase activity induced by the novel genetic variant may be a factor linking periodontitis to rheumatoid arthritis. The results from the work presented here provide the basis for continuing research into new genetic predictors of periodontitis.

The research was carried out under the direction of K. Gawron, MD, Prof. SUM, within the framework of 2 OPUS projects (UMO-2012/07/B/NZ6/03524, UMO-2018/29/B/NZ2/ 01930) funded by the National Science Centre in Krakow