Esoteric communiqué amid microbes in an oral biofilm

Abstract

Dental biofilms are complex and multispecies ecosystems, and its formation requires coordinated chemical signaling between different micro-organisms present in the oral cavity. During the initial stages of its formation, planktonic bacterial cells directly attach to surfaces of the oral cavity or indirectly bind to other bacterial cells. This binding occurs through co-aggregation, which is critical for the temporary retention of bacteria on dental surfaces as well as bacterial colonization. It is during this colonization that the micro-organisms are able to interact with each other. In general, interspecies interactions involve communication, typically via quorum sensing, and metabolic cooperation or competition. Interactions among species within a biofilm can be antagonistic, such as competition over nutrients and growth inhibition, or synergistic. In this review, we discuss these important interactions among oral bacteria within the dental biofilm communities and novel therapies that could inhibit pathogenic micro-organisms and disrupt biofilm.

The Effect of Curcuma Xanthorrhiza Ethanol Extract on the Viability of Streptococcus Mutans and Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans (Dental Biofilm Research: In Vitro Study)

“…This could explain why dual-species biofilm is more resistant than single-species S. mutans biofilm. Moreover, gene involved in resistance to antibacterial compounds could be transferred from one bacterial cell, such as A. actinomycetemcomitans, to another bacterial cell in the biofilm in this study, S. mutans so that the overall resistance of the biofilm was increased [24,25]. In addition, in dualspecies biofilm, the curcuma ethanol extract may have been able to hinder the growth of S. mutans but not A. actinomycetemcomitans due to differences in the composition of the membrane cells of the two bacteria.…”

“…Although sucrose can be used by A. actinomycetemcomitans as an energy source, lactic acid is the main source of energy for this bacteria. When the bacteria derives energy from lactic acid, it can become more competitive than when it derives energy from sucrose, such as when the bacteria is cultured in single-species biofilm so that it can grow over S. mutans [24]. Dual-species biofilm during the maturation phase was more resistant than dual-species during the adhesion and active accumulation phases.…”

“…Interactions between S. mutans and A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm are competitive in an attempt to obtain nutrition and other factors that are important for growing and developing the structure of biofilm [20]. However, S. mutans and A. actinomycetemcomitans bacteria are also known to have a synergistic relationship in which S. mutans produces lactic acid through metabolic activity that can be used by A. Actinomycetemcomitans as a main source of energy [24]. This could explain why dual-species biofilm is more resistant than single-species S. mutans biofilm.…”