title: Growth, incidence and activities of dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria in the human oral cavity.
abstract: Viable counts and activities of sulfate-reducing bacteria were determined in the oral cavities of 12 healthy volunteers. Of these, 10 harboured viable sulfate-reducing bacteria populations. Six separate sites were sampled: the posterior tongue, anterior tongue, mid buccal mucosa, vestibular mucosa, supragingival plaque and subgingival plaque. Sulfate-reducing bacteria occurred in all areas, with the highest incidence in supragingival plaque. Viable counts and sulfate-reducing activities in each of the regions varied from 0 to 10(8) cfu (g wet weight)-1 and from 0 to 50 nmol (g wet weight)-1 h-1, respectively. As sulfate-reducing bacteria can be detected in the oral cavity, they may potentially be involved in terminal oxidative processes carried out by the microflora of the mouth.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macfarlane
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Holt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*