Influence of temperature on the co-adhesion of oral microbial pairs in saliva.
Coaggregation (interactions between two planktonic microorganisms) and co-adhesion (interactions between sessile and planktonic microorganisms) are believed to be important factors in the formation of dental plaque by many investigators, although others doubt whether coaggregation and co-adhesion occur in vivo. It is known that coaggregation and co-adhesion generally occur equally well in buffer as in saliva, but the influence of temperature on the co-adhesion of coaggregating oral microbial pairs in saliva is unknown. Therefore, co-adhesion of streptococci suspended in saliva to glass with adhering actinomyces present (1.0 x 10(6) cells cm-2) was studied in a parallel plate flow chamber in the temperature range from 22 degrees C to 40 degrees C. In the range from 22 degrees C up to 35 degrees C both pairs studied, Streptococcus oralis 34 with Actinomyces naeslundii 5951 and Streptococcus oralis J22 with A. naeslundii 5951, displayed similar co-adhesion kinetics and co-adhesion in a stationary end-point, but around and above 37 degrees C co-adhesion almost disappeared. Hence, we conclude that co-adhesion of coaggregating oral microbial pairs in saliva may be critically influenced by temperature, especially around the temperatures prevailing in the oral cavity.
Bos
R
R
Laboratory for Materia Technica, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. R.Bos@med.rug.nl
van der Mei
H C
HC
Busscher
H J
HJ
D000190:Actinomyces / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001831:Body Temperature; D002021:Buffers; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005898:Glass; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D019533:Streptococcus oralis / Q000502:physiology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
D002021:Buffers