Peptostreptococcus micros coaggregates with Fusobacterium nucleatum and non-encapsulated Porphyromonas gingivalis

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 182; no. 1; pp. 57 - 61
• Main Authors: Kremer, Bas H.A., van Steenbergen, T.J.Martijn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2000; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Amino Acids - pharmacology; Bacterial Adhesion - drug effects; Bacterial Adhesion - physiology; Bacterial Capsules - physiology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carbohydrates; Carbohydrates - pharmacology; Coaggregation; Colonization; Edetic Acid - pharmacology; Encapsulation; Endopeptidases - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Fusobacterium nucleatum - physiology; Genotypes; Gum disease; Hot Temperature; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Peptostreptococcus - physiology; Peptostreptococcus micros; Periodic Acid - pharmacology; Periodontitis; Pleurophorus micros; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Porphyromonas gingivalis - physiology; Strains (organisms); Thermal stability; Periodontitis; Coaggregation; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Eubacteriales; Smooth form; Microorganism interrelationships; Rough form; Genotype; Peptococcaceae; Cell surface; Mechanism; Protein; Bacteroidaceae; Aggregation; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Bacteria; Peptostreptococcus
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb08873.x

Abstract Coaggregation is one of the potential colonization strategies of oral microorganisms, often involving fimbrial structures in the interactions. In this study, the coaggregation characteristics of the rough and smooth genotypes of the periodontal pathogen Peptostreptococcus micros were compared to investigate the role of the fibril-like structures of the rough genotype in coaggregation. Of the 11 oral species tested, only Fusobacterium nucleatum strains and non-encapsulated Porphyromonas gingivalis strains coaggregated with P. micros. No differences in coaggregation between the smooth type (Sm), the rough type (Rg) and the smooth variant of the Rg type (RgSm) of P. micros were observed. Heat-stable, periodate-sensitive structures on P. micros appeared to interact with heat- and protease-sensitive structures on F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis. These data indicate that these unimodal coaggregations are not mediated by the proteinaceous fibril-like structures of the Rg genotype, but by carbohydrates present on both genotypes of P. micros.