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. 2022 Apr 29;12:864479. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.864479

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Oral microbiota guide epithelial-mesenchymal transition of normal epithelial cells. EMT-associated transcription factors (Zeb1, Zeb2, Slug, Snail, Jag1, Notch, Twist, OLFM4 and RGCC) can induce epithelial cells to undergo partial or complete mesenchymal transformation by downregulating epithelial markers (such as E-cadherin) and upregulating mesenchymal markers (MMP and Vimentin). P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum enhance the expression of EMT-associated transcription factors through diverse pathways: (1) the phosphorylation of GSK‐3β, EGF, TNF-α and TGF-β1; (2) the activation of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway; (3) the upregulation of NNMT, CCAT1 and GAS6;(4) the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and further activation TCF/LEF promoter elements; (5) the activation of PTEN; and (6) the upregulation of FOXO1 S. gordonii can resist EMT-associated factor induction by P. gingivalis by suppressing FOXO1 and activating the TAK1-NLK negative regulatory pathway.