pH and the effect of NH4Cl on human gingival fibroblasts

Oral bacteria as potential probiotics for the pharyngeal mucosa

The research described here was aimed at the selection of oral bacteria that displayed properties compatible with their potential use as probiotics for the pharyngeal mucosa. We included in the study 56 bacteria newly isolated from the pharynges of healthy donors, which were identified at the intraspecies level and characterized in vitro for their probiotic potential. The experiments led us to select two potential probiotic bacterial strains (Streptococcus salivarius RS1 and ST3) and to compare them with the prototype oral probiotic S. salivarius strain K12. All three strains efficiently bound to FaDu human epithelial pharyngeal cells and thereby antagonized Streptococcus pyogenes adhesion and growth. All were sensitive to a variety of antibiotics routinely used for the control of upper respiratory tract infections. Immunological in vitro testing on a FaDu layer revealed different responses to RS1, ST3, and K12. RS1 and ST3 modulated NF-kappaB activation and biased proinflammatory cytokines at baseline and after interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) induction. In conclusion, we suggest that the selected commensal streptococci represent potential pharyngeal probiotic candidates. They could display a good degree of adaptation to the host and possess potential immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.

Regulation of urease gene of Actinomyces naeslundii in biofilms in response to environmental factors

The metabolism of urea by urease enzymes of oral bacteria has a profound influence on oral biofilm pH homeostasis and oral microbial ecology, and Actinomyces naeslundii is an important ureolytic organism in the oral cavity. To gain an insight into the regulation of urease gene expression in cells of A. naeslundii growing in biofilms under different environmental conditions, the behavior of A. naeslundii ATCC12104 was examined in in vitro biofilms. The strain was grown in a chemostat biofilm reactor, and at a quasi-steady state, the urease activity of biofilm cells was measured and transcription of ureC gene was detected with Taqman quantitative PCR. The effect of environmental changes on urease expression was examined by varying the environmental pH, dilution rate, carbohydrate and nitrogen availability of the fluid phase of the culture. The results showed that the conditions of neutral pH, fast dilution rate, increased carbohydrate supply or low nitrogen supply in the medium all resulted in enhancement of urease activity in biofilm cells. But only low nitrogen availability and a fast dilution rate were observed to lead to an increase in ureC mRNA levels. This suggests that nitrogen availability and dilution rate can influence the urease activity of A. naeslundii by modulating ureC gene transcription.

Genetic and physiologic characterization of urease of Actinomyces naeslundii

Ammonia production from urea by ureolytic oral bacteria is believed to have a significant impact on oral health and the ecological balance of oral microbial populations. In this study we cloned and characterized the urease gene cluster of Actinomyces naeslundii, which is one of the pioneer organisms in the oral cavity and a significant constituent of supragingival and subgingival dental plaque in children and adults. An internal fragment of the ureC gene of A. naeslundii WVU45 was initially amplified by PCR with degenerate primers derived from conserved amino acid sequences of the large catalytic subunit of urease in bacteria and plants. The PCR product was then used as a probe to identify recombinant bacteriophages carrying the A. naeslundii urease gene cluster and roughly 30 kbp of flanking DNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrated that the gene cluster was comprised of seven contiguously arranged open reading frames with significant homologies at the protein and nucleotide sequence levels to the ureABCEFGD genes from other organisms. By using primer extension, a putative transcription initiation site was mapped at 66 bases 5' to the start codon of ureA. A urease-deficient strain was constructed by insertion of a kanamycin resistance determinant within the ureC gene via allelic replacement. In contrast to the wild-type organism, the isogenic mutant was unable to grow in a semidefined medium supplemented with urea as the nitrogen source and was not protected by the addition of urea against killing in moderately acidic environments. These data indicated that urea can be effectively utilized as a nitrogen source by A. naeslundii via a urease-dependent pathway and that ureolysis can protect A. naeslundii against environmental acidification at physiologically relevant pH values. Therefore, urease could confer to A. naeslundii critical selective advantages over nonureolytic organisms in dental plaque, constituting an important determinant of plaque ecology.