Coaggregation-mediated interactions of streptococci and actinomyces detected in initial XXXX dental plaque.

@entity1 @entity9858 @entity2413 @entity16290 @entity9190 @entity15974 @entity37899
Streptococci and actinomyces that initiate colonization of the tooth surface frequently coaggregate with each other as well as with other oral bacteria. These observations have led to the hypothesis that interbacterial adhesion influences spatiotemporal development of plaque. To assess the role of such interactions in oral biofilm formation in vivo, antibodies directed against bacterial surface components that mediate coaggregation interactions were used as direct immunofluorescent probes in conjunction with laser confocal microscopy to determine the distribution and spatial arrangement of bacteria within intact @entity1 plaque formed on retrievable enamel chips. In intrageneric coaggregation, streptococci such as @entity9190 @entity15974 recognize @entity16290 ( @entity16290 ) borne on other streptococci such as @entity9858 34. To define potentially interactive subsets of streptococci in the developing plaque, an antibody against @entity16290 (anti- @entity16290 ) was used together with an antibody against S. gordonii @entity15974 ( @entity15974 ). These antibodies reacted primarily with single cells in 4-h-old plaque and with mixed-species microcolonies in 8-h-old plaque. Anti- @entity16290 -reactive bacteria frequently formed microcolonies with anti- @entity15974 -reactive bacteria and with other bacteria distinguished by general nucleic acid stains. In intergeneric coaggregation between streptococci and actinomyces, type 2 fimbriae of actinomyces recognize @entity16290 on the streptococci. Cells reactive with antibody against type 2 fimbriae of Actinomyces naeslundii @entity37899 (anti-type-2) were much less frequent than either subset of streptococci. However, bacteria reactive with anti-type-2 were seen in intimate association with anti- @entity16290 -reactive cells. These results are the first direct demonstration of coaggregation-mediated interactions during initial plaque accumulation in vivo. Further, these results demonstrate the spatiotemporal development and prevalence of mixed-species communities in @entity2413 .
