Competence Center for Periodontal Research, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, NanoGlycobiology Research Group, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Vienna, Austria.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Feb 22;14:1357631. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1357631. eCollection 2024.
Streptococci are primary colonizers of the oral cavity where they are ubiquitously present and an integral part of the commensal oral biofilm microflora. The role oral streptococci play in the interaction with the host is ambivalent. On the one hand, they function as gatekeepers of homeostasis and are a prerequisite for the maintenance of oral health - they shape the oral microbiota, modulate the immune system to enable bacterial survival, and antagonize pathogenic species. On the other hand, also recognized pathogens, such as oral and , which trigger the onset of dental caries belong to the genus . In the context of periodontitis, oral streptococci as excellent initial biofilm formers have an accessory function, enabling late biofilm colonizers to inhabit gingival pockets and cause disease. The pathogenic potential of oral streptococci fully unfolds when their dissemination into the bloodstream occurs; streptococcal infection can cause extra-oral diseases, such as infective endocarditis and hemorrhagic stroke. In this review, the taxonomic diversity of oral streptococci, their role and prevalence in the oral cavity and their contribution to oral health and disease will be discussed, focusing on the virulence factors these species employ for interactions at the host interface.
链球菌是口腔的主要定植菌，广泛存在于口腔，并成为共生口腔生物膜微生物群的一部分。口腔链球菌在与宿主相互作用中所起的作用是矛盾的。一方面，它们作为体内平衡的守门员，是维持口腔健康的前提条件——它们塑造口腔微生物群，调节免疫系统以促进细菌存活，并拮抗病原性物种。另一方面，一些公认的病原体，如口腔 和 ，它们引发龋齿的发生，也属于链球菌属。在牙周炎的情况下，口腔链球菌作为优秀的初始生物膜形成者具有辅助功能，使晚期生物膜定植者能够栖息在牙龈袋中并引起疾病。当链球菌传播到血液中时，其致病性潜能才完全显现出来；链球菌感染可引起口腔外疾病，如感染性心内膜炎和出血性中风。在这篇综述中，将讨论口腔链球菌的分类多样性、它们在口腔中的作用和流行程度以及它们对口腔健康和疾病的贡献，重点讨论这些物种在与宿主界面相互作用时所使用的毒力因子。
