Proteolytic activities of gram-negative bacteria isolated from human periodontal lesions.

Enzymatic activity of gram-negative bacteria isolated from human periodontal lesions were examined in this study. The cells of Bacteroides gingivalis showed caseinolytic, trypsin-like, collagenase and immunoglobulin-degradating activities. The caseinolytic activity of black-pigmented Bacteroides species was found both in the culture supernatant and membraneous component of cells. No strains tested possessed strong mucopolysaccharidase activity. Capnocytophaga strains showed lipase (C14) and trypsin-like activities. No other strains of Bacteroides, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum or Eikenella corrodens exhibited any proteolytic activity.