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Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
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Saliva microbiota carry caries-specific functional gene signatures
Fang Yang1, Kang Ning2, Xingzhi Chang2
1Oral Research Center, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Plos One
|February 18, 2014
Summary
Human saliva microbiota functional gene profiles showed distinct patterns between healthy and caries-active individuals. These functional signatures could potentially aid in diagnosing dental caries.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oral Health
- Genomics
Background:
- The human saliva microbiota plays a role in health and disease, but its functions are not well understood.
- Understanding the functional capacity of saliva microbiota is crucial for identifying disease biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional gene profiles of human saliva microbiota in healthy and caries-active adults.
- To determine if functional gene structures can differentiate between healthy and caries-active individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the HuMiChip 1.0 microbial functional gene microarray.
- Analyzed saliva microbiota from ten healthy and ten caries-active adults.
- Performed co-presence network analysis of functional genes.
Main Results:
- Saliva microbiota exhibited a wide diversity of functional genes, with no significant difference in gene number or diversity between healthy and caries-active groups.
- Caries-active microbiota showed greater divergence in non-core genes compared to healthy microbiota.
- Specific microbial functions, including Diaminopimelate epimerase and Pyruvate-formate lyase, were significantly associated with caries.
Conclusions:
- Human saliva microbiota possesses disease-associated functional signatures.
- Functional gene profiles of saliva microbiota hold potential for caries diagnosis.
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