Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Establishing Stable Binary Cultures of Symbiotic Saccharibacteria from the Oral Cavity
Published on: April 13, 2021
The repertoire of archaea cultivated from severe periodontitis
Hong T T Huynh1, Marion Pignoly2, Vanessa D Nkamga3
1Faculty of Dentistry, Aix Marseille University, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin-Cedex 5, Marseille, France; Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095. Faculté de Médecine, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin-Cedex 5, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
In previous studies, the abundance and diversity of methanogenic archaea in the dental microbiota have been analysed by the detection of specific DNA sequences by PCR-based investigations and metagenomic studies. Few data issued regarding methanogens actually living in dental plaque. We collected dental plaque specimens in 15 control individuals and 65 periodontitis patients. Dental plaque specimens were cultured in an anoxic liquid medium for methanogens in the presence of negative control tubes. Dental plaque methanogens were cultured from 1/15 (6.67%) control and 36/65 (55.38%) periodontitis patient samples (p<0.001). The cultures yielded Methanobrevibacter oralis in one control and thirty-one patients, Methanobrevibacter smithii in two patients and a potential new species named Methanobrevibacter sp. strain N13 in three patients with severe periodontitis. Our observations of living methanogens, strengthen previous observations made on DNA-based studies regarding the role of methanogens, in periodontitis.
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Archaea III
Diversity of Archaea I
Diversity of Archaea II
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Diversity of Archaea IV
Overview of Archaea

