title: Microbial inhibition of oral epithelial wound recovery: potential role for quorum sensing molecules?
abstract: Awareness of the impact of microbiota in both health and disease is growing. Using a new in vitro oral mucosa co-culture model, we recently showed a clear inhibition of epithelial wound healing in the presence of an oral microbial community. In this paper, we have used the same model in combination with specific oral microbial species to obtain a better insight into the role of the oral microbiota in wound healing. Monocultures of Klebsiella oxytoca and Lactobacillus salivarius significantly inhibited wound healing with ~20%, whereas Streptococcus mitis and S. oralis enhanced the healing process with ~15% in 24 h. Yet, neither S. oralis or S. mitis were able to counteract the inhibitory effects from K. oxytoca on wound healing. Other tested microbial species had no effect on wound healing. Apart from this species-dependency, the inhibitory effect on wound healing depended on a microbial threshold concentration. Further mechanistic experiments with K. oxytoca excluded different microbial factors and hypothesized that quorum sensing molecules might play a role in the inter-kingdom signalling during wound healing. These results are important for the development of new strategies for the management of (infected) wounds and ulcerations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Ryck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium ; Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653 Building A, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanlancker
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grootaert
authors.affiliation: SynBioC, Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: SynBioC, Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurens M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: De Coen
authors.affiliation: L-Probe, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vandenberghe
authors.affiliation: SynBioC, Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christian V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bracke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653 Building A, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van de Wiele
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653 Building A, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vanhoecke
keywords: Co-culture model; Epithelial wound healing; Klebsiella oxytoca; Monocultures; Quorum sensing