Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, Vol 4, 309-314, Copyright © 1993 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Modulation of intergeneric adhesion of oral bacteria by human saliva
M. W. Stinson and M. J. Levine
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo 14214.
Porphyromonas gingivalis adheres in vitro to biofilms containing
Streptococcus and Actinomyces species. On initial entry to the mouth, this
interbacterial adhesion may enable P. gingivalis to colonize dental plaque
and to avoid clearance by saliva flow. Saliva may also interfere directly
with P. gingivalis colonization of dental plaque; a 43-kDa glycoprotein in
human submandibular-sublingual saliva binds to P. gingivalis surfaces and
diminishes interbacterial adhesion activity. To avoid fouling of its
surface by host components, P. gingivalis produces surface-localized
proteases that can degrade adsorbed proteins and may serve to unmask
bacterial adhesins. Successful management of P. gingivalis colonization
might be achieved in the future by devising artificial methods to block its
surface adhesins or to prevent bacterial proteolysis of native salivary
molecules that have protective functions.
