Dental News - New study offers insights into development of complex microbial communities in oral cavity

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 15. May 2019

save

MINNEAPOLIS, U.S.: University of Minnesota researchers have studied how oral bacteria adhere to surfaces and develop biofilms in the oral cavity. In the course of the study, they discovered a previously unknown signaling pathway that regulates surface proteins on bacteria. The research team is hopeful that the results of the study could help identify new targets for antibiotics.

The aim of the study was to learn whether and how the bacterial cells might adjust their adhesive surface proteins. The researchers collected whole unstimulated saliva and supragingival plaque samples from five adult volunteers on at least two occasions. Volunteers were asked not to brush their teeth for 24 hours before each sample collection.

In the course of the study, the researchers discovered a previously unknown circuit that is embedded in the cell membrane and can signal for changes in the surface adhesive proteins. This circuit appears to be conserved among a subset of Gram-positive bacteria. According to the researchers, the intramembrane bacterial signaling system calls for different surface proteins to compensate in the absence of primary surface proteins and provides compensatory biofilm formation.

Such a mechanism appears to function both in microbial communities in vitro and in the human mouth. Genes encoding surface adhesive proteins differ when the bacteria are recovered from saliva versus dental plaque in the same person concurrently. When activated, this circuit rescued biofilm formation, helping bacteria to survive in dental plaque. “Discovering this previously unknown signaling pathway that regulates surface proteins on bacteria may help us to understand better how complex microbial communities develop and offer new targets for antibiotics,” said Dr. Mark Herzberg, a professor in the Department of Oral Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and a member of the Masonic Cancer Center at the university.

The study, titled “An intramembrane sensory circuit monitors sortase A–mediated processing of streptococcal adhesins,” was published on May 7, 2019, in Science Signaling.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Study offers new insights into dental caries development and prevention

HONG KONG, China/BERKELEY, Calif., US: A study led by researchers in China has recently examined the impact of the oral microbiota on overall health. The ...

Study offers new insights into periodontal disease and body’s protective response

SEATTLE, U.S.: Biofilm buildup can lead to many oral health issues, including gingivitis, periodontitis and tooth loss, as well as other serious health ...

Recent Scandinavian studies offer new insights into the oral health of adolescents

LEIPZIG, Germany: Statistical tracking has been a priority for the governments of Scandinavian countries in recent years, detailed records being kept on ...

Neutron tomography offers insights into interior of teeth

BERLIN, Germany: Imaging techniques based on neutron beams are rapidly developing and have become versatile non-destructive analysing tools in many fields ...

Early microbial determinants of peri-implant health discovered in a new study

ANN ARBOR, Mich., US: As the number of dental implants placed globally continues to rise, so too does the clinical significance of understanding ...

Study provides new guidelines for assessing severity of oral cavity cancers

LOS ANGELES, U.S.: Since current head and neck cancer staging systems include lymph node size and laterality, but focus less on the total number of positive...

New study provides important insights into digitisation of dentistry in low- and middle‑income countries

YEREVAN, Armenia: While the digitisation of dentistry continues to progress steadily throughout regions with highly advanced capitalist economies, a book ...

Walking speed provides insight into oral health, study finds

DURHAM, N.C., U.S.: In a recent study, researchers from Duke University in Durham have found that the walking speed of 45-year-olds can reveal a ...

Overview provides insight into new approaches into periodontal regeneration

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Conventional periodontal therapies, while effective to a degree, often fall short of fully restoring the complex architecture and function ...

ChatGPT limited in answering complex oral health questions, study finds

AMMAN, Jordan: As artificial intelligence continues to expand its role in healthcare, large language models such as ChatGPT are increasingly being used to ...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 23 September 2025
10:00 am EST (New York)