Isolation and molecular detection of methylotrophic bacteria occurring in the human mouth.
Diverse methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the tongue, and supra- and subgingival plaque in the mouths of volunteers and patients with periodontitis. One-carbon compounds such as dimethylsulfide in the mouth are likely to be used as growth substrates for these organisms. Methylotrophic strains of Bacillus, Brevibacterium casei, Hyphomicrobium sulfonivorans, Methylobacterium, Micrococcus luteus and Variovorax paradoxus were characterized physiologically and by their 16S rRNA gene sequences. The type strain of B. casei was shown to be methylotrophic. Enzymes of methylotrophic metabolism were characterized in some strains, and activities consistent with growth using known pathways of C1-compound metabolism demonstrated. Genomic DNA from 18 tongue and dental plaque samples from nine volunteers was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using primers for the 16S rRNA gene of Methylobacterium and the mxaF gene of methanol dehydrogenase. MxaF was detected in all nine volunteers, and Methylobacterium was detected in seven. Methylotrophic activity is thus a feature of the oral bacterial community.
Anesti
Vasiliki
V
Department of Life Sciences, King's College London, Franklin Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
McDonald
Ian R
IR
Ramaswamy
Meghna
M
Wade
William G
WG
Kelly
Donovan P
DP
Wood
Ann P
AP
D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001951:Brevibacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D020582:Hyphomicrobium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D020580:Methylobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016982:Micrococcus luteus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C019641:alcohol dehydrogenase (acceptor); D000432:Methanol