Oral Biofilms: Pathogens, Matrix and Polymicrobial Interactions in Microenvironments

By W. Bowen, R. Burne, Hui Wu, H. Koo. Trends in Microbiology, 2017

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Biofilms are microbial communities embedded within an extracellular matrix, forming a highly organized structure that causes many human infections. Dental caries (tooth-decay) is a polymicrobial biofilm disease driven by the diet and microbiota-matrix interactions that occur on a solid surface. Sugars fuel the emergence of pathogens, the assembly of the matrix, and the acidification of the biofilm microenvironment, promoting ecological changes and concerted multispecies efforts that are conducive for acid damage of the mineralized tooth tissue. Here, we discuss recent advances on the role of the biofilm matrix and interactions between opportunistic pathogens and commensals in the pathogenesis of dental caries. In addition, we highlight the importance of matrix-producing organisms in fostering a pathogenic habitat where inter-species competition and synergies occur to drive the disease process, which could have implications to other infections associated with polymicrobial biofilms

Subfields: Molecular Biology, Periodontics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5c38851f2ab70143f9b3ea8bc8bfb989ff7a134e