Abstract.
Hemoglobin binding to chemostat-grown hemin-excess and hemin-limited cells of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50, and to cells of the avirulent, beige-pigmenting variant W50/BE1, was quantified. Hemin-excess W50 bound more hemoglobin than hemin-limited W50, mirroring the hemin-binding ability of these cells [Microb Ecol Health Dis 7:9–15, 1994]. In contrast to hemin, hemoglobin binding was not enhanced by sodium dithionite. The hemoglobin-binding capacity of hemin-excess W50/BE1 was below that of hemin-limited W50 and only observed under oxidizing conditions. Scatchard analysis revealed similar affinity constants for hemin-excess and hemin-limited W50, and confirmed a lower binding maximum for the latter. Hemin-excess W50/BE1 displayed cooperative binding of hemoglobin. These differences in binding were reflected in the binding of a horse radish peroxidase-conjugated hemoglobin (HHRPO) in a dot-blot assay. However, neither the 32-kDa hemin-binding protein, nor its 19-kDa heat-modified form, from either hemin-limited W50 or hemin-excess W50/BE1, bound this conjugate. These data indicate that hemoglobin binding by P. gingivalis is hemin-regulated and occurs via a mechanism different from hemin binding.
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Received: 2 June 1997 / Accepted: 4 August 1997
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Smalley, J., Birss, A., McKee, A. et al. Hemin Regulation of Hemoglobin Binding by Porphyromonas gingivalis . Curr Microbiol 36, 102–106 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002849900287
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002849900287