Bacteria can relocate junction proteins within hours and rapidly open epithelial barriers

Penn Dental Medicine and Georgetown researchers studied how oral bacteria breach epithelial barriers lining the mouth, gut and lungs. The two established routes were enzymes that degrade cellular junctions or suppression of genes that make junction proteins. The new work describes a faster non-canonical route: within hours of bacterial exposure, FOXO1 signaling relocates E-cadherin and beta-catenin away from cell junctions. The proteins remain present, but the barrier becomes leaky, and the sequence was reproduced in animals. The mechanism may explain part of how oral bacteria enter blood and connect with rheumatoid, glucose and cardiovascular risk, while suggesting intervention targets. It remains cell and animal mechanism research, however, and does not establish a treatment or the effectiveness of any consumer product.