RNA seqeuncing of Fusobacterium polymorphum strains from patients with leukoplakia

To explore potential functional differences among isolates, we performed transcriptomic profiling of F. polymorphum strains obtained from across the oral epithelial disease spectrum.

Despite being genetically indistinguishable, isolates derived from dysplastic lesions exhibited distinct transcriptional signatures, including significant upregulation of genes involved in heme uptake compared with isolates from healthy sites. These findings suggest that transcriptional heterogeneity among clinical isolates may contribute to functional differences that could influence their pathogenic potential.