Richard J. Lamont
Oral Biology
Professor
Phone: 352.273.8861
E-Mail: rlamont@dental.ufl.edu
Main Interests
The oral cavity harbors a complex and dynamic microbial community. Bacteria accumulate on both the hard and soft oral tissues in a sessile biofilm. Oral bacteria can also penetrate gingival tissues and cells. These communities possess sophisticated communication mechanisms that mediate a molecular dialogue both among the bacterial cells and between the bacteria and host cells. It is this dialogue that directs colonization, biofilm formation and the ultimate transition of the plaque biofilm from a commensal accumulation to a pathogenic entity. And, it is this dialogue that orchestrates the responses of epithelial cells to encroachment by bacteria, determining whether the bacteria will be constrained or will evade host innate defenses and cause tissue destruction. In order to better understand the molecular basis of these ecological interactions the following research areas are under investigation:
- Adherence and signaling mechanisms in the development of mixed P. gingivalis - S. gordonii biofilms
- Molecular basis of P. gingivalis invasion of gingival epithelial cells and host cell responses to internalized bacterial cells
- Role of LuxS based signaling in the pathophysiology of P. gingivalis and in communication with other oral bacteria
- Proteomic analysis of P. gingivalis
- Application of microarrays to detect the expression of genes involved in microbial community structure and virulence in vivo
Lab Members
Recent Publications
- Maeda K, Tribble GT, Tucker CM, Anaya C, Shizukuishi S, Lewis JP, Demuth DR, Lamont RJ. 2008. A Porphyromonas gingivalis tyrosine phosphatase is a multifunctional regulator of virulence attributes. Mol Microbiol 69:1153-1164.
- Capestany CA, Tribble GD, Maeda K, Demuth DR, Lamont RJ. 2008. Role of the Clp system in stress tolerance, biofilm formation, and intracellular invasion in Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Bacteriol 190:1436-1446.
- Tribble GD, Lamont GJ, Progulske-Fox A, Lamont RJ. 2007. Conjugal transfer of chromosomal DNA contributes to genetic variation in the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Bacteriol 189:6382-6388.
- Mao S, Park Y, Hasegawa Y, Tribble GD, James CE, Handfield M., Stavropoulos MF, Yilmaz O, Lamont RJ. 2007. Intrinsic apoptotic pathways of gingival epithelial cells modulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Cell Microbiol 9:1997-2007.
- Hasegawa Y, Mans JJ, Mao S, Lopez MC, Baker HV, Handfield M, Lamont RJ. 2007. Gingival epithelial cell transcriptional responses to commensal and opportunistic oral microbial species. Infect Immun 75:2540-2547.
- Tribble GD, Mao S, James CE, Lamont RJ. 2006. A Porphyromonas gingivalis haloacid dehalogenase family phosphatase interacts with human phosphoproteins and is important for invasion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:11027-11032.
- James CE, Hasegawa Y, Park Y, Yeung V, Tribble GD, Kuboniwa M, Demuth DR, Lamont RJ. 2006. LuxS involvement in the regulation of genes coding for hemin and iron acquisition systems in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Infect Immun 74:3834-3844.
- Kuboniwa M, Tribble GD, James CE, Kilic AO, Tao L, Herzberg MC, Shizukuishi S, Lamont RJ. 2006. Streptococcus gordonii utilizes several distinct gene functions to recruit Porphyromonas gingivalis into a mixed community. Mol Microbiol 60:121-139.
