Mechanisms of adhesion by oral bacteria

Adherence to a surface is a key element for colonization of the human oral cavity by the more than 500 bacterial taxa recorded from oral samples. Three surfaces are available: teeth, epithelial mucosa, and the nascent surface created as each new bacterial cell binds to existing dental plaque. Oral b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnual review of microbiology Vol. 50; p. 513
Main Authors Whittaker, C J, Klier, C M, Kolenbrander, P E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.1996
Subjects
Adhesins, Bacterial
Bacterial Adhesion - physiology
Carbohydrate Sequence
Dental Plaque - microbiology
Humans
Molecular Sequence Data
Mouth - microbiology
Mouth Mucosa - microbiology
Receptors, Immunologic
Tooth - microbiology
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Summary:Adherence to a surface is a key element for colonization of the human oral cavity by the more than 500 bacterial taxa recorded from oral samples. Three surfaces are available: teeth, epithelial mucosa, and the nascent surface created as each new bacterial cell binds to existing dental plaque. Oral bacteria exhibit specificity for their respective colonization sites. Such specificity is directed by adhesin-receptor cognate pairs on genetically distinct cells. Colonization is successful when adherent cells grow and metabolically participate in the oral bacterial community. The potential roles of adherence-relevant molecules are discussed in the context of the dynamic nature of the oral econiche.
ISSN:0066-4227
DOI:10.1146/annurev.micro.50.1.513