title: The Biofilm Community-Rebels with a Cause.
abstract: Oral Biofilms are one of the most complex and diverse ecosystem developed by successive colonization of more than 600 bacterial taxa. Development starts with the attachment of early colonizers such asActinomycesspecies and oral streptococci on the acquired pellicle and tooth enamel. These bacteria not only adhere to tooth surface but also interact with each other and lay foundation for attachment of bridging colonizer such asFusobacterium nucleatumfollowed by late colonizers including the red complex species:Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythiaandTreponema denticola-the founders of periodontal disease. As the biofilm progresses from supragingival sites to subgingival sites, the environment changes from aerobic to anaerobic thus favoring the growth of mainly Gram-negative obligate anaerobes while restricting the growth of the early Gram-positive facultative aerobes. Microbes present at supragingival level are mainly related to gingivitis and root-caries whereas subgingival species advance the destruction of teeth supporting tissues and thus causing periodontitis. This review summarizes our present understanding and recent developments on the characteristic features of supra- and subgingival biofilms, interaction between different genera and species of bacteria constituting these biofilms and draws our attention to the role of some of the recently discovered members of the oral community.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA-92354.
authors.forename: A Wilson
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Aruni
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA-92354.
authors.forename: Yuetan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA-92354.
authors.forename: Arunima
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA-92354 ; Institute of Oral Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hansel M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Fletcher
keywords: Biofilms; Non-bacterial microbiota; microbial; periodontal disease