Selective bacterial degradation of the extracellular matrix attaching the gingiva to the tooth

The junctional epithelium (JE) is a specialized portion of the gingiva that seals off the tooth‐supporting tissues from the oral environment. This relationship is achieved via a unique adhesive extracellular matrix that is, in fact, a specialized basal lamina (sBL). Three unique proteins – amelotin (AMTN), odontogenic ameloblast‐associated (ODAM), and secretory calcium‐binding phosphoprotein proline‐glutamine rich 1 (SCPPPQ1) – together with laminin‐332 structure the supramolecular organization of this sBL and determine its adhesive capacity. Despite the constant challenge of the JE by the oral microbiome, little is known of the susceptibility of the sBL to bacterial degradation. Assays with trypsin‐like proteases, as well as incubation with Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Treponema denticola, revealed that all constituents, except SCPPPQ1, were rapidly degraded. Porphyromonas gingivalis was also shown to alter the supramolecular network of reconstituted and native sBLs. These results provide evidence that proteolytic enzymes and selected gram‐negative periodontopathogenic bacteria can attack this adhesive extracellular matrix, intimating that its degradation could contribute to progression of periodontal diseases.