Age-dependent changes in Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella species/phylotypes in healthy gingiva and inflamed/diseased sub-gingival sites.

OBJECTIVES: Early colonisation of oral surfaces by periodontal pathogens presents a significant risk factor for subsequent development of destructive disease affecting tissues that support the dentition. The aims of the present study were to establish the age-dependent relationship between sub-gingival profiles of 22 Prevotella species/phylotypes in children, adolescents and adults from an isolated Aboriginal community and, further, to use this information to identify Prevotella species that could serve as microbial risk indicators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA isolated from sub-gingival plaque samples (three healthy sites and three inflamed/diseased sites) from adults, adolescents and children was screened for Porphyromonas gingivalis load and 22 Prevotella species/phylotypes by species-specific PCR. RESULTS: A noticeable feature in adolescents was the marked increase in colonisation by P. gingivalis across all test sites. The mean number of Prevotella species/phylotypes colonising inflamed/diseased sub-gingival sites increased with age. Progressive partitioning of selected Prevotella species/phylotypes to healthy or inflamed/diseased sites was evident. Prevalence of Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella oral clone P4PB_24 and Prevotella oris increased significantly with age in diseased sites. Similarly, significant age-dependent increase in colonisation of healthy as well as inflamed/diseased sub-gingival sites was apparent for Prevotella oralis, Prevotella multiformis, Prevotella denticola, Prevotella strain P4P_53 and Prevotella oral clone BR014. CONCLUSION: Early colonisation of children by P. gingivalis, P. intermedia and Prevotella oral clone P4PB_24 provides indication of risk for subsequent development of periodontal disease. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In the present study, the complexity of Prevotella species within gingival sites is explored as a basis for evaluating contribution of Prevotella species to disease.

Natural medicine HLXL targets multiple pathways of amyloid-mediated neuroinflammation and immune response in treating alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Based on the complex pathology of AD, a single chemical approach may not be sufficient to deal simultaneously with multiple pathways of amyloid-tau neuroinflammation. A polydrug approach which contains multiple bioactive components targeting multiple pathways in AD would be more appropriate. Here we focused on a Chinese medicine (HLXL), which contains 56 bioactive natural products identified in 11 medicinal plants and displays potent anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activity. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: We investigated the neuroimmune and neuroinflammation mechanisms by which HLXL may attenuate AD neuropathology. Specifically, we investigated the effects of HLXL on the neuropathology of AD using both transgenic mouse models as well as microglial cell-based models. STUDY DESIGN: The 5XFAD transgenic animals and microglial cell models were respectively treated with HLXL and Aß42, and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and then analyzed focusing on microglia mediated Aß uptake and clearance, as well as pathway changes. METHODS: We showed that HLXL significantly reduced amyloid neuropathology by upregulation of microglia-mediated phagocytosis of Aß both in vivo and in vitro. HLXL displayed multi-modal mechanisms regulating pathways of phagocytosis and energy metabolism. RESULTS: Our results may not only open a new avenue to support pharmacologic modulation of neuroinflammation and the neuroimmune system for AD intervention, but also identify HLXL as a promising natural medicine for AD. CONCLUSION: It is conceivable that the traditional wisdom of natural medicine in combination with modern science and technology would be the best strategy in developing effective therapeutics for AD.

An observational study of the microbiome of the maternal pouch and saliva of the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, and of the gastrointestinal tract of the pouch young.

Marsupial mammals, born in an extremely atricial state with no functional immune system, offer a unique opportunity to investigate both the developing microbiome and its relationship to that of the mother and the potential influence of this microbiome upon the development of the immune system. In this study we used a well-established marsupial model animal, Macropus eugenii, the tammar wallaby, to document the microbiome of three related sites: the maternal pouch and saliva, and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the young animal. We used molecular-based methods, targeting the 16S rDNA gene to determine the bacterial diversity at these study sites. In the maternal pouch, 41 unique phylotypes, predominantly belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria, were detected, while in the saliva, 48 unique phylotypes were found that predominantly belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria. The GIT of the pouch young had a complex microbiome of 53 unique phylotypes, even though the pouch young were still permanently attached to the teat and had only been exposed to the external environment for a few minutes immediately after birth while making their way from the birth canal to the maternal pouch. Of these 53 phylotypes, only nine were detected at maternal sites. Overall, the majority of bacteria isolated were novel species (<97 % identity to known 16S rDNA sequences), and each study site (i.e. maternal pouch and saliva, and the GIT of the pouch young) possessed its own unique microbiome.

Lactobacilli are prominent in the initial stages of polymicrobial infection of dental pulp.

In earlier studies we used molecular methods to identify the major bacterial consortia associated with advanced dentin caries. These consortia are dominated by bacteria from the families Lactobacillaceae, Streptococcaceae, Veillonellaceae (formerly Acidaminococcaceae), Eubacteriaceae, and Lachnospiraceae from the phylum Firmicutes; Coriobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Propionibacteriaceae from the phylum Actinobacteria; and Prevotellaceae from the phylum Bacteroidetes, as well as fusobacteria. The phases of infection of vital pulp tissue by dentin microorganisms remain obscure. In the present study, fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed on sections of tissue embedded in resin. Probes for 16S rRNA corresponding to the major taxa of bacteria in carious dentin were used to provide information on the characteristics of pulp infection. Lactobacilli were prominent in 7 of 8 pulps determined to be at a limited stage of infection. Established infection (6 pulps) showed a more complex profile, with lactobacilli persisting in all of the lesions and with invasion of the necrotic regions of tissue by Bacteroidetes, fusobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, and Coriobacteriaceae in particular. Advanced infections (7 pulps) were characterized by mixed anaerobic species, with a strong representation by Coriobacteriaceae and Lachnospiraceae. Lactobacilli were not represented at this stage. Typically, groups of organisms were spatially isolated within the pulp tissue. Analysis indicated that lactobacilli could invade vital pulp tissue to achieve a very high biomass that was not associated with a detectable local inflammatory infiltrate. The findings establish that invasion of the dental pulp can be associated with a pronounced selection from the complex microbial populations within carious dentin, suggesting specific pathogenicity.

Lysine gingipain (kgp) biovars of Porphyromonas gingivalis exhibit differential distribution on oral mucosal sites.

A predominant kgp biovar colonized subgingival sites and buccal and tongue mucosa in 45 of 56 adults in an isolated community. The presence of biovars 381, W83, and W83v, but not HG66, correlated with the Porphyromonas gingivalis load at diseased sites. Biovars W83 and W83v poorly colonized tongue and buccal mucosa.

Identification and expression of a novel marsupial cathelicidin from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).

Cathelicidins are important components of the innate immune system and have been identified in skin and epithelia of a range of mammals. In this study molecular techniques, including RACE-PCR, were used to identify the full cDNA sequence of a cathelicidin gene, MaeuCath8, from the Australian marsupial, the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii. This cathelicidin was not homologous to other such genes previously isolated from a tammar wallaby mammary gland EST library, however, it did contain 4 conserved cysteine residues which characterise the pre-propeptide and had 80% identity with a previously isolated bandicoot cathelicidin. Reverse transcriptase-PCR established the expression profile of MaeuCath8 in a range of tissues, including spleen, thymus, gastrointestinal tract, skin and liver, of the tammar wallaby from birth to adulthood. Expression of MaeuCath8 was observed in spleen and gastrointestinal tract of newborn animals and was observed in most tissues by 7 days post-partum. The results indicate that pouch young could synthesize their own antimicrobial peptides from an early age suggesting that this ability most likely plays a role in protecting the pouch young from infection prior to the development of immunocompetence.

Immunohistochemistry using antibodies to the cathelicidin LL37/hCAP18 in the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii.

Antibodies to the human cathelicidin, hCAP18 have been used to examine epithelial tissues of adult and pouch young marsupials. Immunoreactivity was observed in skin, gastrointestinal tract, lung and mammary node of adults as well as skin, gastrointestinal tract, lung and bone marrow of pouch young. The locations of expression were similar to that reported in human tissues. Although the antibody to hCAP18 is primarily directed at the C-terminal antimicrobial peptide LL37, our observations suggest recognition of a common conserved element of this cathelicidin and lead us to conclude that the epithelial tissues of marsupials are sites of production of cathelicidin. This is consistent with observations in other mammals but is the first report of expression of these compounds in marsupials.

Interventions for prevention of otitis media may be most effective if implemented in the first weeks of life.

OBJECTIVE: For Indigenous Australian children living in remote communities, onset of otitis media commences within weeks of birth and is associated with early nasopharyngeal colonisation with multiple respiratory bacterial pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The high prevalence of eardrum perforation and the failure of standard therapies to cure or prevent OM in this population require urgent attention. The objective of this study was to measure the changes in nasopharyngeal bacterial flora between birth and first episode of otitis media. METHODS: For 10 randomly selected Indigenous children with early onset otitis media, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus, and total bacterial load were enumerated in serial nasopharyngeal swabs using real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Between 0 and 3 weeks of age, all 10 infants had bilaterally normal ears. At 3-6 weeks of age, seven of eight infants examined had otitis media. By 6-13 weeks of age, all 10 infants had otitis media. The relative density of respiratory pathogens among total nasopharyngeal flora increased significantly with onset of otitis media, and the majority of children became colonised with the three respiratory pathogens. There was no association between OM onset and S. aureus load. CONCLUSIONS: Onset of otitis media between 3 and 6 weeks of life was associated with a significant increase in all major bacterial OM pathogens (S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis), as well as total bacterial load in the nasopharynx. Interventions to prevent acquisition of multiple OM pathogens in the first weeks of life are needed.

Measuring nasal bacterial load and its association with otitis media.

BACKGROUND: Nasal colonisation with otitis media (OM) pathogens, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis, is a precursor to the onset of OM. Many children experience asymptomatic nasal carriage of these pathogens whereas others will progress to otitis media with effusion (OME) or suppurative OM. We observed a disparity in the prevalence of suppurative OM between Aboriginal children living in remote communities and non-Aboriginal children attending child-care centres; up to 60% and <1%, respectively. This could not be explained by the less dramatic difference in rates of carriage of respiratory bacterial pathogens (80% vs 50%, respectively). In this study, we measured nasal bacterial load to help explain the different propensity for suppurative OM in these two populations. METHODS: Quantitative measures (colony counts and real-time quantitative PCR) of the respiratory pathogens S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, and total bacterial load were analysed in nasal swabs from Aboriginal children from remote communities, and non-Aboriginal children attending urban child-care centres. RESULTS: In both populations nearly all swabs were positive for at least one of these respiratory pathogens. Using either quantification method, positive correlations between bacterial load and ear state (no OM, OME, or suppurative OM) were observed. This relationship held for single and combined bacterial respiratory pathogens, total bacterial load, and the proportion of respiratory pathogens to total bacterial load. Comparison of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, all with a diagnosis of OME, demonstrated significantly higher loads of S. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis in the Aboriginal group. The increased bacterial load despite similar clinical condition may predict persistence of middle ear effusions and progression to suppurative OM in the Aboriginal population. Our data also demonstrated the presence of PCR-detectable non-cultivable respiratory pathogens in 36% of nasal swabs. This may have implications for the pathogenesis of OM including persistence of infection despite aggressive therapies. CONCLUSION: Nasal bacterial load was significantly higher among Aboriginal children and may explain their increased risk of suppurative OM. It was also positively correlated with ear state. We believe that a reduction in bacterial load in high-risk populations may be required before dramatic reductions in OM can be achieved.

The fructosyltransferase of Streptococcus salivarius.

The nature of the fructans produced by oral streptococci and the ß-D-fructosyltransferases (FTFs) that synthesize them from sucrose are considered in this review. Models for the apparent unique surface expression and secretion of the FTF produced by Streptococcus salivarius are discussed in light of recent evidence obtained from the cloning and sequencing of the ftf from this organism.

Expression of a streptococcal glucosyltransferase as a fusion to a solute-binding protein in Lactobacillus fermentum BR11.

BspA is a non-covalently anchored cystine-binding protein from Lactobacillus fermentum BR11. It has previously been used to present antigens derived from infectious organisms on the L. fermentum BR11 cell surface. In this study, the capacity of BspA to present a very large polypeptide was tested. A temperature sensitive plasmid was constructed that encodes a 175-kDa chimeric protein consisting of a fusion between BspA and an N-terminally truncated derivative of the Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 glucosyltransferase GtfJ. This plasmid was introduced into the L. fermentum genome. Integrants were able to incorporate 20-40 nmol sucrose derived glucose into glucan per ml culture per optical density unit. The glucosyltransferase activity was external to the cytoplasmic membrane and bound to the cell. Unlike native BspA, the BspA-GtfJ fusion could not be removed from the cell by 5 M LiCl wash.

Methods for optimizing DNA extraction before quantifying oral bacterial numbers by real-time PCR.

Methods for the optimal extraction of genomic DNA for real-time PCR enumeration of oral bacteria using the muramidase, mutanolysin, were developed using a simple in vitro oral flora model comprised of the facultative anaerobic gram-positive bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus mutans, the gram-positive anaerobe, Parvimonas micra, and the gram-negative anaerobes, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella melaninogenica and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Traditional, as well as more elaborate, methods of quantifying bacterial numbers, including colony counting and estimation of DNA content using 4',6-diamino-2-phenylindole were compared in order to validate the real-time PCR approach. Evidence was obtained that P. gingivalis nuclease activity adversely affected the extraction of double-stranded DNA from this bacterium either alone or when it formed part of a consortium with the other bacteria. This nuclease activity could be overcome by treatment of the bacteria with either 20 mM diethyl pyrocarbonate or 70% ethanol at 4 degrees C overnight. A final purification of the DNA to remove any potential PCR inhibitors was added to the protocol in order to accurately quantify the amount of DNA by real-time PCR and hence the number of bacteria in a sample.

Structure of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (GcnA) from the endocarditis pathogen Streptococcus gordonii and its complex with the mechanism-based inhibitor NAG-thiazoline.

The crystal structure of GcnA, an N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase from Streptococcus gordonii, was solved by multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing using crystals of selenomethionine-substituted protein. GcnA is a homodimer with subunits each comprised of three domains. The structure of the C-terminal alpha-helical domain has not been observed previously and forms a large dimerisation interface. The fold of the N-terminal domain is observed in all structurally related glycosidases although its function is unknown. The central domain has a canonical (beta/alpha)(8) TIM-barrel fold which harbours the active site. The primary sequence and structure of this central domain identifies the enzyme as a family 20 glycosidase. Key residues implicated in catalysis have different conformations in two different crystal forms, which probably represent active and inactive conformations of the enzyme. The catalytic mechanism for this class of glycoside hydrolase, where the substrate rather than the enzyme provides the cleavage-inducing nucleophile, has been confirmed by the structure of GcnA complexed with a putative reaction intermediate analogue, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine-thiazoline. The catalytic mechanism is discussed in light of these and other family 20 structures.

The microbiome of the cloacal openings of the urogenital and anal tracts of the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii.

The bacterial diversity of the openings of the urogenital and anal tracts of the adult female tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, was determined in order to ascertain whether the physical proximity of the openings of these tracts within the cloaca affected the two populations of bacteria. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses of 42 wallabies identified 81 different terminal fragments, indicative of diverse and complex microbiomes at these anatomical locations. Subsequent amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) identified 72 phylotypes from the urogenital tract and 50 from the anal tract. Twenty-two of these phylotypes were common to both tracts. Phylogenetic analysis of sequenced 16S rDNA showed that 83 % of the phylotypes were unidentified species based on the premise that any sequence possessing <97 % homology to a known bacterial species or phylotype was novel. Thus, despite the close proximity of the openings of the urogenital and anal tracts within the cloaca, the two sites retained a diverse range of distinct bacteria, with only a small percentage of overlapping species.

Veillonella denticariosi sp. nov., isolated from human carious dentine.

Selective culture of human carious dentine for Veillonella strains resulted in the isolation of two strains of a Gram-negative, coccus-shaped bacterium that has not been described previously. Comparative 16S rRNA and dnaK gene sequence analysis indicated that the two strains were homogeneous and comprised a distinct lineage within the genus Veillonella, phylogenetically most closely related to Veillonella rodentium. This was supported by DNA-DNA hybridization, which showed clearly that the two strains were similar and distinct from other Veillonella species, and the production of major cellular fatty acids (C(13 : 0) and C(17 : 1)omega8), which is consistent with other members of the genus Veillonella. Based on these observations, strains RBV81 and RBV106(T) represent a novel species, for which the name Veillonella denticariosi sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain RBV106(T) (=CIP 109448(T) =CCUG 54362(T) =DSM 19009(T)).

Molecular analysis of microbial diversity in advanced caries.

Real-time PCR analysis of the total bacterial load in advanced carious lesions has shown that the total load exceeds the number of cultivable bacteria. This suggests that an unresolved complexity exists in bacteria associated with advanced caries. In this report, the profile of the microflora of carious dentine was explored by using DNA extracted from 10 lesions selected on the basis of comparable total microbial load and on the relative abundance of Prevotella spp. Using universal primers for the 16S rRNA gene, PCR amplicons were cloned, and approximately 100 transformants were processed for each lesion. Phylogenetic analysis of 942 edited sequences demonstrated the presence of 75 species or phylotypes in the 10 carious lesions. Up to 31 taxa were represented in each sample. A diverse array of lactobacilli were found to comprise 50% of the species, with prevotellae also abundant, comprising 15% of the species. Other taxa present in a number of lesions or occurring with high abundance included Selenomonas spp., Dialister spp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, Eubacterium spp., members of the Lachnospiraceae family, Olsenella spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Propionibacterium sp., and Pseudoramibacter alactolyticus. The mechanisms by which such diverse patterns of bacteria extend carious lesions, including the aspect of infection of the vital dental pulp, remain unclear.

Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoretic analysis of Streptococcus mutans biofilms.

Compared with traditional two-dimensional (2D) proteome analysis of Streptococcus mutans grown as a biofilm from a planktonic culture at steady state (Rathsam et al., Microbiol. 2005, 151, 1823-1837), the use of 2D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) led to a 3-fold increase in the number of identified protein spots that were significantly altered in their level of expression (P < 0.050). Of the 73 identified proteins, only nine were up-regulated in biofilm grown cells. The results supported the previously surmised hypothesis that general metabolic functions were down-regulated in response to a reduction in growth rate in mature S. mutans biofilms. Up-regulation of competence proteins without any concomitant increase in stress-responsive proteins was confirmed, while the levels of glucosyltransferase C (GtfC), involved in glucan formation, O-acetylserine sulfhyrylase (cysteine synthetase A; CsyK), implicated in the formation of [Fe-S] clusters, and a hypothetical protein encoded by the open reading frame, SMu0188, were also up-regulated.

Role of the C-terminal YG repeats of the primer-dependent streptococcal glucosyltransferase, GtfJ, in binding to dextran and mutan.

The recombinant primer-dependent glucosyltransferase GtfJ of Streptococcus salivarius possesses a C-terminal glucan-binding domain composed of eighteen 21 aa YG repeats. By engineering a series of C-terminal truncated proteins, the position at which truncation prevented further mutan synthesis was defined to a region of 43 aa, confirming that not all of the YG motifs were required for the formation of mutan by GtfJ. The role of the YG repeats in glucan binding was investigated in detail. Three proteins consisting of 3.8, 7.2 or 11.0 C-terminal YG repeats were expressed in Escherichia coli. Each of the three purified proteins bound to both the 1,6-alpha-linked glucose residues of dextran and the 1,3-alpha-linked glucose residues of mutan, indicating that a protein consisting of nothing but 3.8 YG repeats could attach to either substrate. Secondary structure predictions of the primary amino acid sequence suggested that 37% of the amino acids were capable of forming a structure such that five regions of beta-sheet were separated by regions capable of forming beta-turns and random coils. CD spectral analysis showed that the purified 3.8 YG protein possessed an unordered secondary structure with some evidence of possible beta-sheet formation and that the protein maintained this relatively unordered structure on binding to dextran.

Stress-responsive proteins are upregulated in Streptococcus mutans during acid tolerance.

Streptococcus mutans is an important pathogen in the initiation of dental caries as the bacterium remains metabolically active when the environment becomes acidic. The mechanisms underlying this ability to survive and proliferate at low pH remain an area of intense investigation. Differential two-dimensional electrophoretic proteome analysis of S. mutans grown at steady state in continuous culture at pH 7.0 or pH 5.0 enabled the resolution of 199 cellular and extracellular protein spots with altered levels of expression. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry identified 167 of these protein spots. Sixty-one were associated with stress-responsive pathways involved in DNA replication, transcription, translation, protein folding and proteolysis. The 61 protein spots represented isoforms or cleavage products of 30 different proteins, of which 25 were either upregulated or uniquely expressed during acid-tolerant growth at pH 5.0. Among the unique and upregulated proteins were five that have not been previously identified as being associated with acid tolerance in S. mutans and/or which have not been studied in any detail in oral streptococci. These were the single-stranded DNA-binding protein, Ssb, the transcription elongation factor, GreA, the RNA exonuclease, polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase (PnpA), and two proteinases, the ATP-binding subunit, ClpL, of the Clp family of proteinases and a proteinase encoded by the pep gene family with properties similar to the dipeptidase, PepD, of Lactobacillus helveticus. The identification of these and other differentially expressed proteins associated with an acid-tolerant-growth phenotype provides new information on targets for mutagenic studies that will allow the future assessment of their physiological significance in the survival and proliferation of S. mutans in low pH environments.

Proteome analysis of Streptococcus mutans metabolic phenotype during acid tolerance.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of the proteome of Streptococcus mutans grown at a steady state in a glucose-limited anaerobic continuous culture revealed a number of proteins that were differentially expressed when the growth pH was lowered from pH 7.0 to pH 5.0. Changes in the expression of metabolic proteins were generally limited to three biochemical pathways: glycolysis, alternative acid production and branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. The relative level of expression of protein spots representing all of the enzymes associated with the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway, and all but one of the enzymes involved in the major alternative acid fermentation pathways of S. mutans, was identified and measured. Proteome data, in conjunction with end-product and cell-yield analyses, were consistent with a phenotypic change that allowed S. mutans to proliferate at low pH by expending energy to extrude excess H(+) from the cell, while minimizing the detrimental effects that result from the uncoupling of carbon flux from catabolism and the consequent imbalance in NADH and pyruvate production. The changes in enzyme levels were consistent with a reduction in the formation of the strongest acid, formic acid, which was a consequence of the diversion of pyruvate to both lactate and branched-chain amino acid production when S. mutans was cultivated in an acidic environment.