Center for Biofilm Engineering
Abstract:
"Intergeneric Communication in Dental Plaque Biofilms"
00-037 Dental plaque is a complex biofilm that accretes in a
series of discrete steps proceeding from a gram-positive streptococcus-rich
biofilm to a structure rich in gram-negative anaerobes. This study
investigated information flow between two unrelated plaque bacteria, Streptococcus
cristatus and Porphyromonas gingivalis. A surface protein of S.
cristatus caused repression of the P. gingivalis fimbrial gene (fimA),
as determined by a chromosomal fimA promoter-lacZ reporter
construct and by reverse transcription-PCR. Signaling activity was
associated with a 59-kDa surface protein of S. cristatus and showed
specificity for the fimA gene. Furthermore, P. gingivalis
was unable to form biofilm microcolonies with S. cristatus. Thus, S.
cristatus is capable of modulating virulence gene expression in P.
gingivalis, consequently influencing the development of pathogenic plaque.
Xie, H., G.S. Cook, J.W. Costerton, G. Bruce, T.M. Rose, and R.J. Lamont,
"Intergeneric Communication in Dental Plaque Biofilms," J. Bacteriol.,
182(24):7067-7069 (2000).
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