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  • Bacterial multispecies interaction mechanisms dictate biogeographic arrangement between the oral commensals Corynebacterium matruchotii and Streptococcus mitis
Title: Bacterial multispecies interaction mechanisms dictate biogeographic arrangement between the oral commensals Corynebacterium matruchotii and Streptococcus mitis
ABSTRACT Polymicrobial biofilms are present in many environments particularly in the human oral cavity where they can prevent or facilitate the onset of disease. While recent advances have provided a clear picture of both the constituents and their biogeographic arrangement, it is still unclear what mechanisms of interaction occur between individual species in close proximity within these communities. In this study, we investigated two mechanisms of interaction between the highly abundant supragingival plaque (SUPP) commensalCorynebacterium matruchotiiandStreptococcus mitiswhich are directly adjacent/attachedin vivo. We discovered thatC. matruchotiienhanced the fitness of streptococci dependent on its ability to detoxify streptococcal-produced hydrogen peroxide and its ability to oxidize lactate also produced by streptococci. We demonstrate that the fitness of adjacent streptococci was linked to that ofC. matruchotiiand that these mechanisms support the previously described “corncob” arrangement between these species but that this is favorable only in aerobic conditions. Furthermore, we utilized scanning electrochemical microscopy to quantify lactate production and consumption between individual bacterial cells for the first time, revealing that lactate oxidation provides a fitness benefit toS. mitisnot due to pH mitigation. This study describes mechanistic interactions between two highly abundant human commensals that can explain their observedin vivospatial arrangements and suggest a way by which they may help preserve a healthy oral bacterial community. IMPORTANCEAs the microbiome era matures, the need for mechanistic interaction data between species is crucial to understand how stable microbiomes are preserved, especially in healthy conditions where the microbiota could help resist opportunistic or exogenous pathogens. Here we reveal multiple mechanisms of interaction between two commensals that dictate their biogeographic relationship to each other in previously described structures in human supragingival plaque. Using a novel variation for chemical detection, we observed metabolite exchange between individual bacterial cells in real time validating the ability of these organisms to carry out metabolic crossfeeding at distal and temporal scales observedin vivo. These findings reveal one way by which these interactions are both favorable to the interacting commensals and potentially the host.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2046363
PAR ID:
10495066
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Traxler, Matthew F.
Publisher / Repository:
Msystems
Date Published:
Journal Name:
mSystems
Volume:
8
Issue:
5
ISSN:
2379-5077
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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