Abstract
The genus Veillonella comprises 16 characterized species, among which eight are commonly found in the human oral cavity. The high abundance of Veillonella species in the microbiome of both supra- and sub-gingival biofilms, and their interdependent relationship with a multitude of other bacterial species, suggest veillonellae to play an important role in oral biofilm ecology. Development of oral biofilms relies on an incremental coaggregation process between early, bridging and later bacterial colonizers, ultimately forming multispecies communities. As early colonizer and bridging species, veillonellae are critical in guiding the development of multispecies communities in the human oral microenvironment. Their ability to establish mutualistic relationships with other members of the oral microbiome has emerged as a crucial factor that may contribute to health equilibrium. Here, we review the general characteristics, taxonomy, physiology, genomic and genetics of veillonellae, as well as their bridging role in the development of oral biofilms. We further discuss the role of Veillonella spp. as potential “accessory pathogens” in the human oral cavity, capable of supporting colonization by other, more pathogenic species. The relationship between Veillonella spp. and dental caries, periodontitis, and peri-implantitis is also recapitulated in this review. We finally highlight areas of future research required to better understand the intergeneric signaling employed by veillonellae during their bridging activities and interspecies mutualism. With the recent discoveries of large species and strain-specific variation within the genus in biological and virulence characteristics, the study of Veillonella as an example of highly adaptive microorganisms that indirectly participates in dysbiosis holds great promise for broadening our understanding of polymicrobial disease pathogenesis.
Highlights
The human oral cavity is home to one of the richest microbiotas of the human body, one primarily dominated by the domain Bacteria
Mutans streptococci were depicted as the main causal agents of dental caries [5], and species of the so-called “red complex”, i.e., Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia were described as major etiological drivers of periodontitis [6]
This unique metabolism endows Veillonella spp. with a highly specialized ability to thrive on intermediary/end metabolites produced by other bacterial members in their vicinity
Summary
The human oral cavity is home to one of the richest microbiotas of the human body, one primarily dominated by the domain Bacteria. Mutans streptococci (mainly Streptococcus mutans) were depicted as the main causal agents of dental caries [5], and species of the so-called “red complex”, i.e., Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia were described as major etiological drivers of periodontitis [6] These organisms have successfully served as models to enhance our understanding of the bacterial processes involved in oral diseases, the more recent advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has greatly expanded the catalog of taxa identified within oral communities and further broadened our understanding of their ecological function and contribution to these diseases [7]. An additional ecological pressure stems from the constant salivary flow that washes out floating (planktonic) microorganisms and coats surfaces with a proteinaceous layer of proteins and glycoproteins; the salivary pellicle To sustain their growth, oral microbial communities have evolved to behave as “site-specialists”, and to adhere onto tissues (mostly non-shedding dental tissues) at sites that best cover their physiological needs, i.e., their preferred ecological niche [17, 18]. In addition to shedding epithelia, dental tissues expose non-shedding hard surfaces that display both accessible
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