Natural antigenic differences in the functionally equivalent extracellular DNABII proteins of bacterial biofilms provide a means for targeted biofilm therapeutics.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria that persist in the oral cavity exist within complex biofilm communities. A hallmark of biofilms is the presence of an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), which consists of polysaccharides, extracellular DNA (eDNA), and proteins, including the DNABII family of proteins. The removal of DNABII proteins from a biofilm results in the loss of structural integrity of the eDNA and the collapse of the biofilm structure. We examined the role of DNABII proteins in the biofilm structure of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and the oral commensal Streptococcus gordonii. Co-aggregation with oral streptococci is thought to facilitate the establishment of P. gingivalis within the biofilm community. We demonstrate that DNABII proteins are present in the EPS of both S. gordoni

SUBMITTER: Rocco CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5023461 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature