Table 1.

Virulence factors of Fusobacterium nucleatum in periodontal diseases.

Virulence factors			Actions
Adhesions		RadD	Interspecies coaggregation and multispecies biofilm formation Combats the human immune system and kill lymphocytes
		FomA	Mediates coaggregation with Porphyromonas gingivalis
		CmpA	Provides additional adhesion with Streptococcus gordonii
		FadA	Binds to oral mucosal cells and cadherins
Outer membrane lectin			Enhances interspecific aggregation of Treponema denticulatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis
Promoter characteristic			Enhances the attachment and/or internalization of colonizers
FAD-I			Promotes the expression of human beta-defensin-2
Fap2			Combats the human immune system and kill lymphocytes