Effect of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 on multispecies oral communities

• The effect of a bacterial predator on oral microbial communities was evaluated.
• The efficiency of predation decreased when complexity of the models increased.
• Even in more complex models, B. bacteriovorus was still able to predate on F. nucleatum and A. actinomycetemcomitans.
• The effect of Bdellovibrio was not restricted to the target bacteria.
• Changes in the overall ecology of the different models were evident.

The predation of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus on different periodontal pathogens has already been described. However, it is necessary to consider the polymicrobial nature of periodontal disease. The current study explores the predation of Bdellovibrio on oral pathogens organized in multispecies communities. The effect of the predator was evaluated on in vitro six species communities with microbial culturing. Additionally, the effect on ex vivo subgingival plaque and saliva samples from periodontitis patients was assessed. In the latter experiment results were examined with microbial culturing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The latter technique was used to get an overview of the whole mixed microbial population. Results showed that even in more complex models, B. bacteriovorus was still able to predate on Fusobacterium nucleatum and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. However predation on Prevotella intermedia and Porphyromonas gingivalis could not be validated in multispecies models. The effect of Bdellovibrio was not restricted to the target bacteria. Changes in the overall ecology of the different models were evident. It could be concluded that the efficiency of predation decreased when complexity of the models increased. However, B. bacteriovorus was able to attack two important oral pathogens, F. nucleatum, and A. actinomycetemcomitans, even when present in ex vivo clinical samples. These effects still have to be validated in in vivo models to see the impact of Bdellovibrio on the whole bacterial ecology.