Oral Biofilm Communication Unit, OIIB
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| Laser confocal micrograph of multi-species microbial communities in situ within 8-hour-old human dental plaque |
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH/NIDCR
Bldg. 30, Room 310
30 CONVENT DR MSC 4350
BETHESDA MD 20892-4350
Phone: (301) 496-1497
Fax: (301) 402-1064
E-mail: pkolenbr@mail.nih.gov
Research Interests
Our laboratory investigates the role of bacterial communication in the development, evolution, and stability of oral microbial communities. We focus on mechanisms of communication between bacterial species in these communities. One known mechanism is coaggregation, the physical cell-to-cell interaction between genetically distinct bacteria. Coaggregations occur through highly specific partner-selection schemes and appear to be mediated by complementary adhesin-receptor molecules expressed on the respective partner cells. We have shown that coaggregation between certain species facilitates a symbiotic relationship. A current research focus in our laboratory is to identify genes that are induced by cell contact with coaggregation partners. To pursue our long term objectives, we:
- investigate bacterial gene regulation using differential display as a screen for genes regulated by cell-surface contact with salivary molecules and coaggregation partners.
- examine mutualistic interactions between oral bacteria grown in biofilms using saliva as the sole nutrient source.
- determine the spatial arrangement and physiology of cells within the developing biofilm community using GFP expression and confocal microscopy.
- ascertain the composition and surface component characteristics in situ of microbial community architecture formed in vivo on enamel surfaces using 16S rRNA probes and antibodies to oral bacterial surface components.
Collectively, these studies increase our understanding of early bacterial colonization events that contribute to maintenance of oral health and prevention of oral disease.
Education
B.A. Central College, Pella, Iowa, 1964
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1969
Recent publications
Kolenbrander, P. E. 2000. Oral microbial communities: biofilms, interactions, and genetic systems. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 54:413-437.
Palmer, R. J., Jr., Kazmerzak, K., Hansen, M. C. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2001. Mutualism versus independence: strategies of mixed-species oral biofilms in vitro using saliva as the sole nutrient source. Infect. Immun. 69:5794-5804.
Egland, P. G., Dû, L. D. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2001. Identification of independent Streptococcus gordonii SspA and SspB functions in coaggregation with Actinomyces naeslundii. Infect. Immun. 69:7512-7516.
Kolenbrander, P. E., Andersen, R. N., Blehert, D. S., Egland, P. G., Foster, J. S. and Palmer, R. J., Jr. 2002. Communication among oral bacteria. Microbiol. Molec. Biol. Rev. 66:486-505.
Rickard, A. H., Gilbert, P., High, N. J., Kolenbrander, P. E. and Handley, P. S. 2003. Bacterial coaggregation: an integral process in the development of multi-species biofilms. Trends Microbiol. 11:94-100.
Palmer, R. J., Jr., Gordon, S., Cisar, J. O. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2003. Coaggregation-mediated interactions of streptococci and actinomyces detected in initial human dental plaque. J. Bacteriol. 185:3400-3409.
Blehert, D. S., Palmer, R. J., Jr., Xavier, J. B., Almeida, J. S. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2003. Autoinducer-2 production by Streptococcus gordonii DL1 and the biofilm phenotype of a luxS mutant are influenced by nutritional conditions. J. Bacteriol. 185:4851-4860.
Kolenbrander, P. E., Lerud, R.F., Blehert, D.S., Egland, P.G., Foster, J.S. and Palmer, R.J., Jr. 2003. The role of coaggregation in oral biofilm formation. In: Biofilms in Medicine, Industry and Environmental Biotechnology. (V. O’Flaherty, A. Moran, P. Lens and P. Stoodley, eds.). IWA Publishing, London, UK. p. 32-46.
Kolenbrander, P. E. and Palmer, R. J., Jr. 2004. Human oral bacterial biofilms. In: Microbial Biofilms. (M. A. Ghannoum and G. A. O’Toole, eds.). American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, DC. p. 85-1170.
Foster, J.S. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2004. Development of a multi-species oral bacterial community in a saliva-conditioned flowcell. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4340-4348.
Foster, J. S., Pan, P. C. and Kolenbrander, P. E. 2004. Effects of antimicrobial agents on oral biofilms in a saliva-conditioned flowcell. Biofilms 1:5-12.