# Metabolic modulation of Fusobacterium nucleatum virulence

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2024 · $114,772

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Fusobacterium nucleatum, a Gram-negative anaerobe that plays a key role in the development of oral biofilms,
or dental plaque, has the remarkable ability to escape host immunity and spread to extraoral sites, including
placenta and colon, where it is associated with significant diseases such as preterm birth and colorectal cancer.
To date, we have a poor understanding of the mechanisms of virulence and disease by F. nucleatum, and the
environmental factors in the extraoral sites that potentially affect the virulence potential of this pathogen.
Considering that ethanolamine (EA) – an important source of carbon/nitrogen and energy, and a signaling
molecule for some bacterial pathogens – is abundant in placenta during fetal development, we aim to test the
central hypothesis that regulated EA metabolism via a specialized organelle, bacterial microcompartment (BMC),
modulates the virulence potential of F. nucleatum. This hypothesis is based on our compelling preliminary data
showing that environmental EA stimulates BMC formation and expression of EA utilization genes, and that
blockage in EA catabolism alters the pathogenicity of F. nucleatum. The major goal of this application is to
examine how BMC-mediated EA utilization affects fusobacterial virulence (Aim 1) and how blockage in EA
catabolism modulates fusobacterial pathogenicity (Aim 2). The results generated from our studies will not only
provide important knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of F. nucleatum and promising therapeutic targets,
but also have potential to advance the broad field of host-pathogen interactions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11068180
- **Project number:** 3R21DE032906-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Hung Ton-That
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $114,772
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-01-01 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11068180

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11068180, Metabolic modulation of Fusobacterium nucleatum virulence (3R21DE032906-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11068180. Licensed CC0.

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