gingipains
Type: molecule Aliases: gingipain protease enzymes
Systems Analogy
Acidic shears secreted by invasive bacteria that slice through structural support cables and dissolve tissue scaffolding.
Toxic cysteine protease enzymes secreted by Porphyromonas gingivalis that degrade neuronal proteins, trigger microglia activation, and drive tau phosphorylation.
Mentioned In
Scientific Sources & Verbatim Definitions
- Empirical StudyDominy SS, et al. Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer's disease brains: Evidence for disease causation and treatment with small-molecule inhibitors. Sci Adv. 2019;5(1):eaau3333. ↗
"Gingipains are cysteine proteases that mediate P. gingivalis virulence and toxicity."