biostudies-literatureHoare ANIDCR NIH HHSU.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial ResearchFONDECYT1490-1504https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8115154biostudies-literatureUnknown15(5)Recent studies describe in detail the shifts in composition of human-associated polymicrobial communities from health to disease. However, the specific processes that drive the colonization and overgrowth of pathogens within these communities remain incompletely understood. We used in vitro culture systems and a disease-relevant mouse model to show that population size, which determines the availability of an endogenous diffusible small molecule, limits the growth, colonization, and in vivo virulence of the human oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. This bacterial pathogen overcomes the requirement for an endogenous cue by utilizing a cell-density dependent, growth-promoting, soluble molecule provided by the symbiotic early colonizer Veillonella parvula, but not produced by other commenThe ISME journalA cross-species interaction with a symbiotic commensal enables cell-density-dependent growth and in vivo virulence of an oral pathogen.PMC8115154R01DE015254R21 DE023967R01 DE015254Abusleme LMarsh PDHoare ADiaz PIHajishengallis GWang HMeethil AHong BYMoutsopoulos NMfalseA cross-species interaction with a symbiotic commensal enables cell-density-dependent growth and in vivo virulence of an oral pathogen.Recent studies describe in detail the shifts in composition of human-associated polymicrobial communities from health to disease. However, the specific processes that drive the colonization and overgrowth of pathogens within these communities remain incompletely understood. We used in vitro culture systems and a disease-relevant mouse model to show that population size, which determines the availability of an endogenous diffusible small molecule, limits the growth, colonization, and in vivo virulence of the human oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. This bacterial pathogen overcomes the requirement for an endogenous cue by utilizing a cell-density dependent, growth-promoting, soluble molecule provided by the symbiotic early colonizer Veillonella parvula, but not produced by other commen2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 May2025-04-04T10:17:54.77Z2025-04-04T10:17:54.77ZS-EPMC81151543337219310.1038/s41396-020-00865-y