Oral Bacterial Ecology: The Molecular Basis Book Reviews

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Review by
Professor Brian Henderson Microbiology Research Group, Division of Surgical Science, Eastman Institute, University College, London, UK.

The Biochemist 22(6): 45. December 2000

In the morning, sometimes at noon, and certainly last thing at night, the human race fights to prevent the two most prevalent of the diseases afflicting Homo sapiens - caries and the periodontal diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis). This daily use of a mechanical debridement tool (a toothbrush) is designed to upset the bacterial ecology of our mouths, and prevent the binding and association of many of the 500-1000 (or more) bacterial species that can colonize this habitat. In this context it has to be remembered that 90 percent of the cells in the average human body are bacteria. Although much of bacteriology has concentrated on individual pathogens, it is now becoming clear that complex interactions between different bacterial species, and between bacterial communities and host cells/tissues, form the basis of much bacterial pathology. Much of our understanding of this 'bacterial ecology' has come from the work of oral microbiologists.

This book is edited by two experts in the study of oral molecular microbiology, and the contributors are the international leaders in the study of oral microbial ecology. Philip Marsh, who proposed the 'ecological plaque hypothesis' to explain the genesis of caries and periodontitis, is uniquely placed to introduce this volume and does a marvellous job in ushering in the difficult concept of bacterial ecology with its many specialized terms and myriad of bacterial species. If you have ever wondered why your teeth feel different after a day or so without brushing, then the second chapter by Carlsson, on the kinetics of bacterial growth, explains all. Here we are introduced to the tooth as a non-shedding surface (thus bacteria are not normally removed) and the role of multiple factors, including quorum-sensing molecules, which control the life and death of oral bacteria. As all good microbiologists know, bacteria have to adhere to infect. In the oral cavity, cohesion is king. Bacteria adhere to the dental pellicle, an adherent coating on the teeth, and this can then give rise to homotypic and heterotypic adhesion events, to build up multispecies communities on the tooth surface, and on the gums. Richard Lamont and Howard Jenkinson explain the molecular, cellular and pathological basis of adhesion in the many microhabitats in the mouth. Chapter 3 forms a watershed and moves the discussion from the bacteria to bacteria-host interactions

In Chapter 4, Rich Darveau introduces the reader to the world of innate host defences against oral bacteria. This is a marvellous exposition that welds together diverse strands of discussion, such as bacterial shedding, pattern recognition receptors, Toll-like receptors, genetic impairment of innate immunity and cigarette smoking, into an enjoyable 'whodunit'.

This volume ends with two chapters on the ecological basis of the major dental diseases. Chapter 5 deals with dental caries, and is a lucid account of past, present and future research into the disease we all fear, because it makes us need the dentist. The final chapter by Grenier and Denis Mayrand discusses a disease that is extremely common but little understood gum disease. The periodontal diseases are probably mankind's most complex group of bacterial diseases. In this chapter the interactions between the many bacteria implicated, their virulence factors and the host responses, are detailed. Oral Bacterial Ecology is not a book for bedtime. Your intellect and senses have to be at full capacity to take in the wealth of information presented. However, it is well worth the effort.

Review by
Rod McNab Eastman Dental Institute, University College, London, UK.

Microbiology Today 27: 210. November 2000

A central theme of this book is that the oral cavity provides an ideal model system for the application of molecular techniques to investigate the complex interactions between bacteria and their environment in health and disease. What better place indeed? The mouth provides numerous different environments for growth and supports some 100 taxa. Considerable information is already available on many aspects of oral microbial physiology and ecology and this is reviewed comprehensively here. The chapter on oral innate immune responses provides a welcome host perspective. The application of molecular techniques, such as in vivo expression technology and differential-display PCR to study oral bacterial ecology is still in its infancy, although the potential was highlighted in several chapters. Some of the subjects have been reviewed elsewhere recently; however, the book does provide a coherent collection of chapters that workers in the oral field as well as newcomers will find very useful.

Review by
CAB International

CAB International. December 2000

This book reviews in depth the molecular basis of oral bacterial pathogenesis and ecology, with particular emphasis on recent advances in molecular microbiology and genomics. The 6 chapters cover oral ecology and its impact on oral microbial diversity; growth and nutrition as ecological factors; adhesion as an ecological determinant in the oral cavity; oral innate host defence responses; ecological basis for dental caries; and periodontitis as an ecological imbalance. A subject index is included.