Abstract
The microbial composition of a specific oral niche could be influenced by initial bacterial adherence, nutrient and physiological property of the local surface. To investigate the influence of nutrient and surface properties on microbial composition, saliva-derived biofilms were grown in agar on three substrata: Reconstructed Human Gingiva (RHG), a hydroxyapatite (HAP) surface, and a titanium (TI) surface. Agar was mixed with either Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) or Thompson (TP) medium. After 1, 3, or 5 days, biofilm viability (by colony forming units) and microbiome profiles (by 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing) were determined. On RHG, biofilm viability and composition were similar between BHI and TP. However, on the abiotic substrata, biofilm properties greatly depended on the type of medium and substratum. In BHI, the viability of HAP-biofilm first decreased and then increased, whereas that of TI-biofilm decreased in time until a 6-log reduction. In TP, either no or a 2-log reduction in viability was observed for HAP- or TI-biofilms respectively. Furthermore, different bacterial genera (or higher level) were differentially abundant in the biofilms on 3 substrata: Haemophilus and Porphyromonas for RHG; Bacilli for HAP and Prevotella for TI. In conclusion, RHG, the biotic substratum, is able to support a highly viable and diverse microbiome. In contrast, the viability and diversity of the biofilms on the abiotic substrata were influenced by the substrata type, pH of the environment and the richness of the growth media. These results suggest that the host (oral mucosa) plays a vital role in the oral ecology.
Highlights
The human body is colonized by millions of microbes
With Brain Heart Infusion (BHI), the biofilm viability was clearly determined by the substrata type
Niche-specific community structures are important for the stability of microbial communities in the oral cavity and critical in maintaining healthy homeostasis[7,9]
Summary
The human body is colonized by millions of microbes. These microbes form diverse and dynamic microbial communities distributed over various body habitats, including the skin, gut and oral cavity. High-throughput sequencing technologies revealed that the microbial community of each niche has its own distinct biodiversity features[1,2,3,4]. Niche-specific structure maintains the ecological stability of the microbiome community and ensures a healthy balance between host and microbes. The loss of this structure can eventually lead to diseases[5,6]. Identification of major factors influencing the niche-specificity is critical for maintaining a healthy microbial ecology
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