During the early stages of the periodontal disease, saccharolytic, aerobic Streptococcus spp. and other bacteria adhere to and colonize the tooth enamel and root surface. This sets the stage for Fusobacterium nucleatum to coaggregate with these early colonizers and to permit late colonizers, including dental pathogens, to eventually form a biofilm. These complex interactions result in the release of factors that lead to tooth decay. Physical interaction is very specific among various genera in this complex microbial community. Due to the unusual length, adhesive nature, and other cell surface properties of F. nucleatum, periodontal disease-causing bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Treponema denticola, and Streptococcus spp. aggregate and thrive; hence, F. nucleatum is thought of as a 'bridge bacterium'.
Category
Bacterial infectious disease
Brite
Human diseases in ICD-11 classification [BR:br08403]
13 Diseases of the digestive system
Diseases or disorders of orofacial complex
DA0C Periodontal disease
H01408 Periodontal disease
Genome-based classification of infectious diseases [BR:br08401]
Bacterial infections
Infections caused by bacteria
H01408 Periodontal disease
Kapatral V, Anderson I, Ivanova N, Reznik G, Los T, Lykidis A, Bhattacharyya A, Bartman A, Gardner W, Grechkin G, Zhu L, Vasieva O, Chu L, Kogan Y, Chaga O, Goltsman E, Bernal A, Larsen N, D'Souza M, Walunas T, Pusch G, Haselkorn R, Fonstein M, Kyrpides N, Overbeek R.
Title
Genome sequence and analysis of the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum strain ATCC 25586.
Naito M, Hirakawa H, Yamashita A, Ohara N, Shoji M, Yukitake H, Nakayama K, Toh H, Yoshimura F, Kuhara S, Hattori M, Hayashi T, Nakayama K.
Title
Determination of the genome sequence of Porphyromonas gingivalis strain ATCC 33277 and genomic comparison with strain W83 revealed extensive genome rearrangements in P. gingivalis.
