Our focus is on contact-induced gene expression in oral streptococci and the spatial organization of these bacteria, oral actinomyces and other oral bacteria in biofilm communities. Dental plaque is a biofilm community, which is characterized by a complex and highly organized set of interactions among oral bacteria as well as between bacteria and human oral tissue. This initiative is centered on the bacteria known to be early colonizers of a freshly cleaned tooth surface. They represent a significant portion of the bacterial activity in biofilms formed in the first four to eight hours in vitro on saliva-coated glass surfaces and in vivo on removable human enamel chips. We are also investigating the oral fusobacteria because they interact with the broadest variety of oral bacteria including early colonizers, late colonizers and potential periodontal pathogens and, therefore, are thought to be major contributors to dental plaque organization. The overall focus of this project is to investigate cell adherence molecules, cell signaling molecules, gene expression and gene transfer among bacteria within human oral biofilms and to relate these events to bacterial community architecture. Our long-range goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms of cellular communication and their relationship to the development and establishment of dental plaque and colonization of the host epithelial cells.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01DE000273-22
Application #
6432000
Study Section
(OIIB)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
22
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Dental & Craniofacial Research
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Periasamy, Saravanan; Kolenbrander, Paul E (2009) Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans builds mutualistic biofilm communities with Fusobacterium nucleatum and Veillonella species in saliva. Infect Immun 77:3542-51
Periasamy, Saravanan; Chalmers, Natalia I; Du-Thumm, Laurence et al. (2009) Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 10953 requires Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC 43146 for growth on saliva in a three-species community that includes Streptococcus oralis 34. Appl Environ Microbiol 75:3250-7
Jakubovics, Nicholas S; Gill, Steven R; Iobst, Stacey E et al. (2008) Regulation of gene expression in a mixed-genus community: stabilized arginine biosynthesis in Streptococcus gordonii by coaggregation with Actinomyces naeslundii. J Bacteriol 190:3646-57
Bachrach, Gilad; Altman, Hamutal; Kolenbrander, Paul E et al. (2008) Resistance of Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 to direct killing by antimicrobial peptides is protease independent. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 52:638-42
Yoshida, Yasuo; Palmer, Robert J; Yang, Jinghua et al. (2006) Streptococcal receptor polysaccharides: recognition molecules for oral biofilm formation. BMC Oral Health 6 Suppl 1:S12
Palmer Jr, Robert J; Diaz, Patricia I; Kolenbrander, Paul E (2006) Rapid succession within the Veillonella population of a developing human oral biofilm in situ. J Bacteriol 188:4117-24
Diaz, Patricia I; Chalmers, Natalia I; Rickard, Alexander H et al. (2006) Molecular characterization of subject-specific oral microflora during initial colonization of enamel. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:2837-48
Kolenbrander, Paul E; Palmer Jr, Robert J; Rickard, Alexander H et al. (2006) Bacterial interactions and successions during plaque development. Periodontol 2000 42:47-79
Rickard, Alexander H; Palmer Jr, Robert J; Blehert, David S et al. (2006) Autoinducer 2: a concentration-dependent signal for mutualistic bacterial biofilm growth. Mol Microbiol 60:1446-56
Diaz, Patricia I; Slakeski, Nada; Reynolds, Eric C et al. (2006) Role of oxyR in the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Bacteriol 188:2454-62

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