On the ecosystemic network of saliva in healthy young adults

• Published in: The ISME Journal Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 1218 - 1231
• Main Authors: Zaura, Egija, Brandt, Bernd W, Prodan, Andrei, Teixeira de Mattos, Maarten Joost, Imangaliyev, Sultan, Kool, Jolanda, Buijs, Mark J, Jagers, Ferry LPW, Hennequin-Hoenderdos, Nienke L, Slot, Dagmar E, Nicu, Elena A, Lagerweij, Maxim D, Janus, Marleen M, Fernandez-Gutierrez, Marcela M, Levin, Evgeni, Krom, Bastiaan P, Brand, Henk S, Veerman, Enno CI, Kleerebezem, Michiel, Loos, Bruno G, van der Weijden, G A, Crielaard, Wim, Keijser, Bart JF
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-05-2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/45/320; Adolescent; Adult; Amino acids; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Degradation products; Dysbiosis; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Ecotypes; Evolutionary Biology; Female; Fermentation; Gender; Health risks; Heterogeneity; Host Microbe Interactomics; Humans; Leerstoelgroep Host Microbe Interactomics; Life Sciences; Male; Metabolome; Microbial Ecology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microbiota; Original; original-article; Prevotella; Saliva - metabolism; Saliva - microbiology; Streptococcus; Veillonella; VLAG; WIAS; Young Adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 1751-7362; 1751-7370
• DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.199

A dysbiotic state is believed to be a key factor in the onset of oral disease. Although oral diseases have been studied for decades, our understanding of oral health, the boundaries of a healthy oral ecosystem and ecological shift toward dysbiosis is still limited. Here, we present the ecobiological heterogeneity of the salivary ecosystem and relations between the salivary microbiome, salivary metabolome and host-related biochemical salivary parameters in 268 healthy adults after overnight fasting. Gender-specific differences in the microbiome and metabolome were observed and were associated with salivary pH and dietary protein intake. Our analysis grouped the individuals into five microbiome and four metabolome-based clusters that significantly related to biochemical parameters of saliva. Low salivary pH and high lysozyme activity were associated with high proportions of streptococcal phylotypes and increased membrane-lipid degradation products. Samples with high salivary pH displayed increased chitinase activity, higher abundance of
Veillonella
and
Prevotella
species and higher levels of amino acid fermentation products, suggesting proteolytic adaptation. An over-specialization toward either a proteolytic or a saccharolytic ecotype may indicate a shift toward a dysbiotic state. Their prognostic value and the degree to which these ecotypes are related to increased disease risk remains to be determined.