title: The oral microbial community of gingivitis and lumpy jaw in captive macropods.
abstract: Gingivitis and lumpy jaw are diseases of polymicrobial aetiology. Although Fusobacterium necrophorum has been associated with these diseases in macropods, little is known about other organisms associated with these diseases in this animal species. PCR-DGGE analysis revealed the potential pathogens associated with gingivitis and lumpy jaw in macropods. PCR-DGGE profile comparison between the healthy and disease groups indicated a shift in the oral bacterial community structures with similarity coefficients of 48% and 35% for gingivitis and lumpy jaw respectively. Moreover, gingivitis was associated with increase in bacterial diversity (Shannon index = 2.87; PL curve = 45%) while lumpy jaw resulted in a decline in bacterial diversity (Shannon index = 2.47; PL curve = 74%). This study suggest that the establishment of gingivitis and lumpy jaw diseases follows the ecological plaque hypothesis. This forms the basis for an expanded investigation in an epidemiological scale and suggests the need for the appropriate choice of antimicrobial agent(s) and for the effective management and control of polymicrobial diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042, Australia; School of Applied Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia. Electronic address: john.antiabong@flinders.edu.au.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Antiabong
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boardman
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Melissa H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis / Q000662:veterinary; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007571:Jaw Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Bacterial pathogens; Gingivitis; Lumpy jaw; Macropods; Oral diseases; Polymicrobial diseases