Dental plaque biofilm transforms host-derived β₂-microglobulin into polymorphic fibrils for integration into the biofilm matrix.

ABSTRACT: Dental plaque is a polymicrobial biofilm formed on tooth surfaces despite continuous exposure to variable host-derived antimicrobial factors. To date, the underlying mechanisms remain nebulous. This study aimed to determine whether dental plaque biofilms affect the major salivary antimicrobial protein β₂-microglobulin (B2M). Immunostaining of human dental plaque specimens with an anti-B2M antibody revealed that B2M exists as elongated fibers, punctate structures, and amorphous aggregates. Fractionation of dental plaque suspensions revealed that B2M was present in both the soluble and insoluble fractions. B2M, which forms insoluble fibrils associated with dialysis-related amyloidosis, exhibited comparable fibril-forming properties in dental plaque. Immunostaining with a developed

SUBMITTER: Mori T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12666850 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature