Findings from Virginia Commonwealth University Provide New Insights into Porphyromonas gingivalis (High-throughput Characterization of the Influence of streptococcus Sanguinis Genes On the Interaction Between streptococcus...).

A recent study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University explored the interaction between Porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen associated with periodontitis, and Streptococcus sanguinis, a commensal bacterium associated with periodontal health. The researchers developed a high-throughput strategy to measure the cell number of P. gingivalis in co-culture with S. sanguinis and identified several genes in S. sanguinis that influenced the interaction. They found that exogenous L-cysteine and compromised cysteine metabolism in S. sanguinis enhanced the growth of P. gingivalis. The study also examined the interaction between P. gingivalis and other Streptococcus species, finding that only S. pneumoniae did not inhibit the growth of P. gingivalis. Further investigation is needed to understand the influence of exogenous L-cysteine on the interaction between these bacteria in the oral cavity. [Extracted from the article]