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The Influence of Iron Availability on Human Salivary Microbial Community Composition

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

It is a well-recognized fact that the composition of human salivary microbial community is greatly affected by its nutritional environment. However, most studies are currently focused on major carbon or nitrogen sources with limited attention to trace elements like essential mineral ions. In this study, we examined the effect of iron availability on the bacterial profiles of an in vitro human salivary microbial community as iron is an essential trace element for the survival and proliferation of virtually all microorganisms. Analysis via a combination of PCR with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis demonstrated a drastic change in species composition of an in vitro human salivary microbiota when iron was scavenged from the culture medium by addition of the iron chelator 2,2′-bipyridyl. This shift in community profile was prevented by the presence of excessive ferrous iron (Fe2+). Most interestingly, under iron deficiency, the in vitro grown salivary microbial community became dominated by several hemolytic bacterial species, including Streptococcus spp., Gemella spp., and Granulicatella spp. all of which have been implicated in infective endocarditis. These data provide evidence that iron availability can modulate host-associated oral microbial communities, resulting in a microbiota with potential clinical impact.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants (DE020102 and DE021108) and International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China (2011DFA30940).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCLA School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 20-118, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1668, USA

    Aida Kaplan, Lihong Guo, Wenyuan Shi, Renate Lux & Xuesong He

  2. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Renke Wang & Xuedong Zhou

Authors
  1. Renke Wang
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  2. Aida Kaplan
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  3. Lihong Guo
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  4. Wenyuan Shi
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  6. Renate Lux
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  7. Xuesong He
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Correspondence to Xuesong He.

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Renke Wang and Aida Kaplan contributed equally to the work.

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Wang, R., Kaplan, A., Guo, L. et al. The Influence of Iron Availability on Human Salivary Microbial Community Composition. Microb Ecol 64, 152–161 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0013-2

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