The virulence factor GroEL directs the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells through the involvement of JNK/MAPK and NF-κB signaling.

In the current study, we revealed a potential interaction between bacteria and host cells by showing that GroEL directs the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs by the involvement of JNK/MAPK and NF-κB signaling. This study provides evidence that bacterial products can influence the differentiation of stem cells and reveals potential effect of GroEL on the context of tissue regeneration.