Transcriptomic Responses to Coaggregation between Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus oralis.

Cell-cell adhesion between oral bacteria plays a key role in the development of polymicrobial communities such as dental plaque. Oral streptococci such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus oralis are important early colonizers of dental plaque and bind to a wide range of different oral microorganisms, forming multispecies clumps or "coaggregates." S. gordonii actively responds to coaggregation by regulating gene expression. To further understand these responses, we assessed gene regulation in S. gordonii and S. oralis following coaggregation in 25% human saliva. Coaggregates were formed by mixing, and after 30 min, RNA was extracted for dual transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis. In S. oralis, 18 genes (6 upregulated and 12 downregulated) were regulated by coaggregation. Significantly downregulated genes encoded functions such as amino acid and antibiotic biosynthesis, ribosome, and central carbon metabolism. In total, 28 genes were differentially regulated in Streptococcus gordonii (25 upregulated and 3 downregulated). Many genes associated with transporters and a two-component (NisK/SpaK) regulatory system were upregulated following coaggregation. Our comparative analyses of S. gordonii-S. oralis with different previously published S. gordonii pairings (S. gordonii-Fusobacterium nucleatum and S. gordonii-Veillonella parvula) suggest that the gene regulation is specific to each pairing, and responses do not appear to be conserved. This ability to distinguish between neighboring bacteria may be important for S. gordonii to adapt appropriately during the development of complex biofilms such as dental plaque. IMPORTANCE Dental plaque is responsible for two of the most prevalent diseases in humans, dental caries and periodontitis. Controlling the formation of dental plaque and preventing the transition from oral health to disease requires a detailed understanding of microbial colonization and biofilm development. Streptococci are among the most common colonizers of dental plaque. This study identifies key genes that are regulated when oral streptococci bind to one another, as they do in the early stages of dental plaque formation. We show that specific genes are regulated in two different oral streptococci following the formation of mixed-species aggregates. The specific responses of S. gordonii to coaggregation with S. oralis are different from those to coaggregation with other oral bacteria. Targeting the key genes that are upregulated during interspecies interactions may be a powerful approach to control the development of biofilm and maintain oral health.

Pathogenic and antimicrobial resistance genes in Streptococcus oralis strains revealed by comparative genome analysis.

Streptococcus oralis is an early colonizer bacterium in dental plaques and is considered a potential pathogen of infective endocarditis (IE) disease. In this study, we built a complete genome map of Streptococcus oralis strain SOT, Streptococcus oralis strain SOD and Streptococcus infantis strain SO and performed comparative genomic analysis among these three strains. The results showed that there are five genomic islands (GIs) in strain SOT and one CRISPR in strain SOD. Each genome harbors various pathogenic genes related to diseases and drug resistance, while the antibiotic resistance genes in strains SOT and SOD were quite similar but different from those in strain SO. In addition, we identified 17 main virulence factors and capsule-related genes in three strains. These results suggest the pathogenic potential of Streptococcus strains, which lay a foundation for the prevention and treatment of a Streptococcus oralis infection.

Streptococcus oralis subsp. dentisani Produces Monolateral Serine-Rich Repeat Protein Fibrils, One of Which Contributes to Saliva Binding via Sialic Acid.

Our studies reveal that the oral colonizer and cause of infective endocarditis Streptococcus oralis subsp. dentisani displays a striking monolateral distribution of surface fibrils. Furthermore, our data suggest that these fibrils impact the structure of adherent bacterial chains. Mutagenesis studies indicate that these fibrils are dependent on three serine-rich repeat proteins (SRRPs), here named fibril-associated protein A (FapA), FapB, and FapC, and that each SRRP forms a different fibril with a distinct distribution. SRRPs are a family of bacterial adhesins that have diverse roles in adhesion and that can bind to different receptors through modular nonrepeat region domains. Amino acid sequence and predicted structural similarity searches using the nonrepeat regions suggested that FapA may contribute to interspecies interactions, that FapA and FapB may contribute to intraspecies interactions, and that FapC may contribute to sialic acid binding. We demonstrate that a fapC mutant was significantly reduced in binding to saliva. We confirmed a role for FapC in sialic acid binding by demonstrating that the parental strain was significantly reduced in adhesion upon addition of a recombinantly expressed, sialic acid-specific, carbohydrate binding module, while the fapC mutant was not reduced. However, mutation of a residue previously shown to be essential for sialic acid binding did not decrease bacterial adhesion, leaving the precise mechanism of FapC-mediated adhesion to sialic acid to be defined. We also demonstrate that the presence of any one of the SRRPs is sufficient for efficient biofilm formation. Similar structures were observed on all infective endocarditis isolates examined, suggesting that this distribution is a conserved feature of this S. oralis subspecies.

Arthritis-induced alveolar bone loss is associated with changes in the composition of oral microbiota.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis (PD) are chronic inflammatory disorders that cause bone loss. PD tends to be more prevalent and severe in RA patients. Previous experimental studies demonstrated that RA triggers alveolar bone loss similarly to PD. The aim of this study was to investigate if arthritis-induced alveolar bone loss is associated with modification in the oral microbiota. Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization was employed to analyze forty oral bacterial species in 3 groups of C57BL/6 mice: control (n = 12; without any challenge); Y4 (n = 8; received oral inoculation of Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans strain FDC Y4) and AIA group (n = 12; chronic antigen-induced arthritis). The results showed that AIA and Y4 group exhibited similar patterns of bone loss. The AIA group exhibited higher counts of most bacterial species analyzed with predominance of Gram-negative species similarly to infection-induced PD. Prevotella nigrescens and Treponema denticola were detected only in the Y4 group whereas Campylobacter showae, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus oralis were only found in the AIA group. Counts of Parvimonas micra, Selenomonas Noxia and Veillonella parvula were greater in the AIA group whereas Actinomyces viscosus and Neisseira mucosa were in large proportion in Y4 group. In conclusion, AIA is associated with changes in the composition of the oral microbiota, which might account for the alveolar bone loss observed in AIA mice.

Bacterial DNA findings in ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic inflammation has earlier been detected in ruptured intracranial aneurysms. A previous study detected both dental bacterial DNA and bacterial-driven inflammation in ruptured intracranial aneurysm walls. The aim of this study was to compare the presence of oral and pharyngeal bacterial DNA in ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The hypothesis was that oral bacterial DNA findings would be more common and the amount of bacterial DNA would be higher in ruptured aneurysm walls than in unruptured aneurysm walls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 ruptured (n = 42) and unruptured (n = 28) intracranial aneurysm specimens were obtained perioperatively in aneurysm clipping operations. Aneurysmal sac tissue was analysed using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect bacterial DNA from several oral species. Both histologically non-atherosclerotic healthy vessel wall obtained from cardiac by-pass operations (LITA) and arterial blood samples obtained from each aneurysm patient were used as control samples. RESULTS: Bacterial DNA was detected in 49/70 (70%) of the specimens. A total of 29/42 (69%) of the ruptured and 20/28 (71%) of the unruptured aneurysm samples contained bacterial DNA of oral origin. Both ruptured and unruptured aneurysm tissue samples contained significantly more bacterial DNA than the LITA control samples (p-values 0.003 and 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the amount of bacterial DNA between the ruptured and unruptured samples. CONCLUSION: Dental bacterial DNA can be found using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both ruptured and unruptured aneurysm walls, suggesting that bacterial DNA plays a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms in general, rather than only in ruptured aneurysms.

Proteomic and transcriptional analysis of interaction between oral microbiota Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus oralis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, forms biofilm with other oral bacteria such as streptococci. Here, by using shotgun proteomics, we examined the molecular basis of mixed-biofilm formation by P. gingivalis with Streptococcus oralis. We identified a total of 593 bacterial proteins in the biofilm. Compared to the expression profile in the P. gingivalis monobiofilm, the expression of three proteins was induced and that of 31 proteins was suppressed in the mixed biofilm. Additionally, the expression of two S. oralis proteins was increased, while that of two proteins was decreased in the mixed biofilm, as compared to its monotypic profile. mRNA expression analysis of selected genes using a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the proteomics data, which included overexpression of P. gingivalis FimA and S. oralis glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in association with the biofilm. The results also indicated that S. oralis regulates the transcriptional activity of P. gingivalis luxS to influence autoinducer-2-dependent signaling. These findings suggest that several functional molecules are involved in biofilm formation between P. gingivalis and S. oralis.

Two autonomous structural modules in the fimbrial shaft adhesin FimA mediate Actinomyces interactions with streptococci and host cells during oral biofilm development.

By combining X-ray crystallography and modelling, we describe here the atomic structure of distinct adhesive moieties of FimA, the shaft fimbrillin of Actinomyces type 2 fimbriae, which uniquely mediates the receptor-dependent intercellular interactions between Actinomyces and oral streptococci as well as host cells during the development of oral biofilms. The FimA adhesin is built with three IgG-like domains, each of which harbours an intramolecular isopeptide bond, previously described in several Gram-positive pilins. Genetic and biochemical studies demonstrate that although these isopeptide bonds are dispensable for fimbrial assembly, cell-cell interactions and biofilm formation, they contribute significantly to the proteolytic stability of FimA. Remarkably, FimA harbours two autonomous adhesive modules, which structurally resemble the Staphylococcus aureus Cna B domain. Each isolated module can bind the plasma glycoprotein asialofetuin as well as the polysaccharide receptors present on the surface of oral streptococci and epithelial cells. Thus, FimA should serve as an excellent paradigm for the development of therapeutic strategies and elucidating the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between cellular receptors and Gram-positive fimbriae.

Effects of saliva or serum coating on adherence of Streptococcus oralis strains to titanium.

The use of dental implants to treat tooth loss has increased rapidly over recent years. 'Smooth' implants showing high long-term success rates have successively been replaced by implants with rougher surfaces, designed to stimulate rapid osseointegration and promote tissue healing. If exposed in the oral cavity, rougher surfaces may promote bacterial adhesion leading to formation of microbial biofilms which can induce peri-implant inflammation. Streptococcus oralis is an early colonizer of oral surfaces and has been recovered from titanium surfaces in vivo. The purpose of this study was to examine the adherence of clinical strains of S. oralis to titanium with smooth or moderately rough surface topography and to determine the effect of a saliva- or serum-derived coating on this process. Adherence was studied using a flow-cell system with confocal laser scanning microscopy, while putative adhesins were analysed using proteomics of bacterial cell wall proteins. This showed that adherence to moderately rough surfaces was greater than to smooth surfaces. Serum did not promote binding of any of the studied S. oralis strains to titanium, whereas a saliva coating increased adherence in two of three strains tested. The higher level of adherence to the moderately rough surfaces was maintained even in the presence of a saliva coating. The S. oralis strains that bound to saliva expressed an LPXTG-linked protein which was not present in the non-adherent strain. Thus strains of S. oralis differ in their capacity to bind to saliva-coated titanium and we propose that this is due to differential expression of a novel adhesin.

Analysis of phylogenetic markers for classification of a hydrogen peroxide producing Streptococcus oralis isolated from saliva by a newly devised differential medium.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is produced by alpha-hemolytic streptococci in aerobic conditions. However, the suitable method for detection of H2O2-producing streptococci in oral microbiota has not been setup. Here we show that o-dianisidine dye and horseradish peroxidase were useful in tryptic soy agar medium to detect and isolate H2O2-producing bacteria with the detection limit of one target colony in > 106 colony-forming units. As a proof, we isolated the strain HP01 (KCTC 21190) from a saliva sample using the medium and analyzed its characteristics. Further tests showed that the strain HP01 belongs to Streptococcus oralis in the Mitis group and characteristically forms short-chain streptococcal cells with a high capacity of acid tolerance and biofilm formation. The genome analysis revealed divergence of the strain HP01 from the type strains of S. oralis. They showed distinctive phylogenetic distances in their ROS-scavenging proteins, including superoxide dismutase SodA, thioredoxin TrxA, thioredoxin reductase TrxB, thioredoxin-like protein YtpP, and glutaredoxin-like protein NrdH, as well as a large number of antimicrobial resistance genes and horizontally transferred genes. The concatenated ROS-scavenging protein sequence can be used to identify and evaluate Streptococcus species and subspecies based on phylogenetic analysis.

Prevalence of five biofilm-related oral streptococci species from plaque.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of five oral streptococci species of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) and caries-free (CF) groups. STUDY DESIGN: Supra gingival plaque samples were obtainedfrom 198 Thai children with ages ranging from one to six years old Eighty-seven subjects had no caries (dmft=0), and 111 had S-ECC. After DNA extraction, S. mutans, S. sobrinus, S. sanguinis, S. oralis, and S. gordonii were identified by standard PCR using species-specific primers. Statistical analysis determined the differences among prevalence rates of each species using Pearson chi-square test. The relationship among dmft score, age, sex and caries status within each group was analyzed by logistical regression (p < or = 0.05). RESULTS: Sex was not correlated with any of the species detected in both groups (mean age =3.09, mean +/- SD of dmft = 11.04 +/- 7.89). S. mutans was found at greatest prevalence in both groups followed by S. oralis. S. gordonii was detected at a high prevalence, but S. sobrinus and S. sanguinis were lower in S-ECC when compared with those from the CF group. CONCLUSION: S. mutans was associated significantly with S-ECC (p < or = 0.05). Caries prevalence was highest (56.5%) in subjects infected by S. mutans alone. S. sanguinis prevalence was higher in the CF group, but not statiscally different. Infection with MS did not show higher caries prevalence.

Bacterial diversity and functional analysis of severe early childhood caries and recurrence in India.

Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease affecting nearly 70% of children in India and elsewhere. Micro-ecological niche based acidification due to dysbiosis in oral microbiome are crucial for caries onset and progression. Here we report the tooth bacteriome diversity compared in Indian children with caries free (CF), severe early childhood caries (SC) and recurrent caries (RC). High quality V3-V4 amplicon sequencing revealed that SC exhibited high bacterial diversity with unique combination and interrelationship. Gracillibacteria_GN02 and TM7 were unique in CF and SC respectively, while Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria were significantly high in RC. Interestingly, we found Streptococcus oralis subsp. tigurinus clade 071 in all groups with significant abundance in SC and RC. Positive correlation between low and high abundant bacteria as well as with TCS, PTS and ABC transporters were seen from co-occurrence network analysis. This could lead to persistence of SC niche resulting in RC. Comparative in vitro assessment of biofilm formation showed that the standard culture of S. oralis and its phylogenetically similar clinical isolates showed profound biofilm formation and augmented the growth and enhanced biofilm formation in S. mutans in both dual and multispecies cultures.

Comparative structural and molecular characterization of ribitol-5-phosphate-containing Streptococcus oralis coaggregation receptor polysaccharides.

The antigenically related coaggregation receptor polysaccharides (RPS) of Streptococcus oralis strains C104 and SK144 mediate recognition of these bacteria by other members of the dental plaque biofilm community. In the present study, the structure of strain SK144 RPS was established by high resolution NMR spectroscopy as [6Galfbeta1-6GalNAcbeta1-3Galalpha1-2ribitol-5-PO(4)(-)-6Galfbeta1-3Galbeta1](n), thereby indicating that this polysaccharide and the previously characterized RPS of strain C104 are identical, except for the linkage between Gal and ribitol-5-phosphate, which is alpha1-2 in strain SK144 versus alpha1-1 in strain C104. Studies to define the molecular basis of RPS structure revealed comparable genes for six putative transferases and a polymerase in the rps loci of these streptococci. Cell surface RPS production was abolished by disrupting the gene for the first transferase of strain C104 with a nonpolar erm cassette. It was restored in the resulting mutant by plasmid-based expression of either wcjG, the corresponding gene of S. pneumoniae for serotype 10A capsular polysaccharide (CPS) biosynthesis or wbaP for the transferase of Salmonella enterica that initiates O-polysaccharide biosynthesis. Thus, WcjG, like WbaP, appears to initiate polysaccharide biosynthesis by transferring galactose-1-phosphate to a lipid carrier. In further studies, the structure of strain C104 RPS was converted to that of strain SK144 by replacing the gene (wefM) for the fourth transferase in the rps locus of strain C104 with the corresponding gene (wcrC) of strain SK144 or Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 10A. These findings identify genetic markers for the different ribitol-5-phosphate-containing types of RPS present in S. oralis and establish a close relationship between these polysaccharides and serogroup 10 CPSs of S. pneumoniae.

Gene expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 when growing in an in vitro multispecies biofilm.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Porphyromonas gingivalis, an oral microorganism residing in the subgingival biofilm, may exert diverse pathogenicity depending on the presence of specific virulence factors, but its gene expression has not been completely established. This investigation aims to compare the transcriptomic profile of this pathogen when growing within an in vitro multispecies biofilm or in a planktonic state. MATERIALS AND METHODS: P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 was grown in anaerobiosis within multi-well culture plates at 37°C under two conditions: (a) planktonic samples (no hydroxyapatite discs) or (b) within a multispecies-biofilm containing Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Veillonella parvula, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans deposited on hydroxyapatite discs. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) combined with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) were used to verify the formation of the biofilm and the presence of P. gingivalis. Total RNA was extracted from both the multispecies biofilm and planktonic samples, then purified and, with the use of a microarray, its differential gene expression was analyzed. A linear model was used for determining the differentially expressed genes using a filtering criterion of two-fold change (up or down) and a significance p-value of <0.05. Differential expression was confirmed by Reverse Transcription-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: SEM verified the development of the multispecies biofilm and FISH confirmed the incorporation of P. gingivalis. The microarray demonstrated that, when growing within the multispecies biofilm, 19.1% of P. gingivalis genes were significantly and differentially expressed (165 genes were up-regulated and 200 down-regulated), compared with planktonic growth. These genes were mainly involved in functions related to the oxidative stress, cell envelope, transposons and metabolism. The results of the microarray were confirmed by RT-qPCR. CONCLUSION: Significant transcriptional changes occurred in P. gingivalis when growing in a multispecies biofilm compared to planktonic state.

Characterization of a Streptococcus sp.-Veillonella sp. community micromanipulated from dental plaque.

Streptococci and veillonellae occur in mixed-species colonies during formation of early dental plaque. One factor hypothesized to be important in assembly of these initial communities is coaggregation (cell-cell recognition by genetically distinct bacteria). Intrageneric coaggregation of streptococci occurs when a lectin-like adhesin on one streptococcal species recognizes a receptor polysaccharide (RPS) on the partner species. Veillonellae also coaggregate with streptococci. These genera interact metabolically; lactic acid produced by streptococci is a carbon source for veillonellae. To transpose these interactions from undisturbed dental plaque to an experimentally tractable in vitro biofilm model, a community consisting of RPS-bearing streptococci juxtaposed with veillonellae was targeted by quantum dot-based immunofluorescence and then micromanipulated off the enamel surface and cultured. Besides the expected antibody-reactive cell types, a non-antibody-reactive streptococcus invisible during micromanipulation was obtained. The streptococci were identified as Streptococcus oralis (RPS bearing) and Streptococcus gordonii (adhesin bearing). The veillonellae could not be cultivated; however, a veillonella 16S rRNA gene sequence was amplified from the original isolation mixture, and this sequence was identical to the sequence of the previously studied organism Veillonella sp. strain PK1910, an oral isolate in our culture collection. S. oralis coaggregated with S. gordonii by an RPS-dependent mechanism, and both streptococci coaggregated with PK1910, which was used as a surrogate during in vitro community reconstruction. The streptococci and strain PK1910 formed interdigitated three-species clusters when grown as a biofilm using saliva as the nutritional source. PK1910 grew only when streptococci were present. This study confirms that RPS-mediated intrageneric coaggregation occurs in the earliest stages of plaque formation by bringing bacteria together to create a functional community.

Engineering the glucansucrase GTFR enzyme reaction and glycosidic bond specificity: toward tailor-made polymer and oligosaccharide products.

Two long-standing questions about glucansucrases (EC 2.4.1.5) are how they control oligosaccharide versus polysaccharide synthesis and how they direct their glycosidic linkage specificity. This information is required for the production of tailor-made saccharides. Mutagenesis promises to be an effective tool for enzyme engineering approaches for altering the regioselectivity and acceptor substrate specificity. Therefore, we chose the most conserved motif around the transition state stabilizer in glucansucrases for a random mutagenesis of the glucansucrase GTFR of Streptococcus oralis, yielding different variants with altered reaction specificity. Modifications at position S628 achieved by saturation mutagenesis guided the reaction toward the synthesis of short chain oligosaccharides with a drastically increased yield of isomaltose (47%) or leucrose (64%). Alternatively, GTFR variant R624G/V630I/D717A exhibited a drastic switch in regioselectivity from a dextran type with mainly alpha-1,6-glucosidic linkages to a mutan type polymer with predominantly alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages. Targeted modifications demonstrated that both mutations near the transition state stabilizer, R624G and V630I, are contributing to this alteration. It is thus shown that mutagenesis can guide the transglycosylation reaction of glucansucrase enzymes toward the synthesis of (a) various short chain oligosaccharides or (b) novel polymers with completely altered linkages, without compromising their high transglycosylation activity and efficiency.

Detection and quantification of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus oralis in blood samples with different microbiological identification methods: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Culture-based methods (culture broth bottles or lysis methods) have been the standard for detecting bacteremia. More recently, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was proposed as a more sensitive and specific test although none of them has been validated for the identification of periodontal pathogens (fastidious growing bacteria) in blood samples. OBJECTIVE: To compare the ability to detect and quantify Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus oralis (alone or in combination) in blood samples with three culture techniques [direct anaerobic culturing (DAC), haemo-culture (BACTEC), and lysis-centrifugation (LC)] and a non-culture dependent approach (qPCR) in an in vitro study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Blood samples from 12 periodontally healthy volunteers were contaminated with three concentrations [104,102 and 101 colony forming units (CFU)/mL] of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and S. oralis, alone or in combination. Samples were analysed by DAC, BACTEC, LC and qPCR. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, kappa index and Lins correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: DAC, LC and qPCR were able to detect the three target species at all concentrations. An excellent concordance (correlation coefficient r: 0.92-1) was observed between DAC and the reference standard (sensitivity raging 93.33-100% and specificity 88.89-100%) values. BACTEC was not able to identify P. gingivalis in any of the performed experiments. qPCR provided false negative results for S.oralis. CONCLUSIONS: DAC showed the best results for the proper identification and quantification of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and S. oralis, alone or in combination, in blood samples.

PCR detection and identification of oral streptococci in saliva samples using gtf genes.

Oral streptococci are major constituents of dental plaque, and their prevalence is implicated in various pathologies. Therefore, accurate identification of oral streptococci would be valuable for studies of cariogenic plaque and for diagnostic use in infective endocarditis. Many oral streptococci possess glucosyltransferase enzymes that synthesize glucan, which is an obligate component of dental plaque. We established a rapid and precise method to identify oral streptococci by PCR using the species-specific region from the glucosyltransferase gene. With the species-specific primers, Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, S. salivarius, S. sanguinis, S. oralis, and S. gordonii could be successfully distinguished. Further, we developed a simple method to extract the bacterial DNA from saliva. Using the resultant DNA as a template, the proposed PCR detection was performed. Their distribution was in accord with results of conventional biochemical tests. These findings indicate that the present PCR method is useful for the analysis of oral streptococci and can be successfully used in clinical applications to identify pathogenic bacteria associated with oral infectious disease and/or endocarditis.

Mercuric resistance genes in gram-positive oral bacteria.

Mercury-resistant bacteria isolated from the oral cavities of children carried one of two types of merA gene that appear to have evolved from a common ancestor. Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis and a few other species had merA genes that were very similar to merA of Bacillus cereus strain RC607. Unlike the B. cereus RC607 merA gene, however, the streptococcal merA genes were not carried on Tn5084-like transposons. Instead, comparisons with microbial genomic sequences suggest the merA gene is located on a novel type II transposon. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Streptococcus parasanguis had identical merA genes that represent a new merA variant.

Origins of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus oralis causing bacteraemia in a bone marrow transplant patient.

Coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteraemia in immunocompromised patients is often associated with the use of central venous catheters, while the proposed origin of viridans streptococci causing bacteraemia in this patient group is the oral cavity. This report describes an episode of polymicrobial bacteraemia caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus oralis followed by several further episodes of S. epidermidis bacteraemia in a 15-year-old boy after bone marrow transplantation. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI chromosomal DNA digests was used to compare blood culture and oral isolates of S. epidermidis and Str. oralis. The results indicated that the mouth was the source of both S. epidermidis and Str. oralis causing the first episode of bacteraemia. PFGE further demonstrated that the central venous catheter was the origin of a second strain of S. epidermidis responsible for subsequent episodes of staphylococcal bacteraemia. Both the oral mucosa and central venous lines should be considered as potential sources of organisms, including coagulase-negative staphylococci, associated with bacteraemia in immunocompromised patients.

Genetic basis of coaggregation receptor polysaccharide biosynthesis in Streptococcus sanguinis and related species.

Interbacterial adhesion between streptococci and actinomyces promotes early dental plaque biofilm development. Recognition of coaggregation receptor polysaccharides (RPS) on strains of Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus oralis by Actinomyces spp. type 2 fimbriae is the principal mechanism of these interactions. Previous studies of genetic loci for synthesis of RPS (rps) and RPS precursors (rml, galE1 and galE2) in S. gordonii 38 and S. oralis 34 revealed differences between these strains. To determine whether these differences are strain-specific or species-specific, we identified and compared loci for polysaccharide biosynthesis in additional strains of these species and in several strains of the previously unstudied species, S. sanguinis. Genes for synthesis of RPS precursors distinguished the rps loci of different streptococci. Hence, rml genes for synthesis of TDP-L-Rha were in rps loci of S. oralis strains but at other loci in S. gordonii and S. sanguinis. Genes for two distinct galactose epimerases were also distributed differently. Hence, galE1 for epimerization of UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal was in galactose operons of S. gordonii and S. sanguinis strains but surprisingly, this gene was not present in S. oralis. Moreover, galE2 for epimerization of both UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal and UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-GalNAc was at a different locus in each species, including rps operons of S. sanguinis. The findings provide insight into cell surface properties that distinguish different RPS-producing streptococci and open an approach for identifying these bacteria based on the arrangement of genes for synthesis of polysaccharide precursors.