Open AccessNo evidence for colonization of oral bacteria in the distal gut in healthy adults
Author(s) -
Armin Rashidi,
Maryam Ebadi,
Daniel J. Weisdorf,
Massimo Costalonga,
Christopher Staley
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2114152118
Subject(s) - saliva , colonization , bacteria , gut flora , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , pathological , oral cavity , medicine , immunology , pathology , genetics , dentistry , biochemistry
The microbial communities in the mouth and colon are anatomically connected via the saliva. However, the extent to which oral microbes reach and successfully colonize the distal gut has been debated. To resolve this long-standing controversy, we used exact amplicon sequence variants generated from concurrently collected saliva/stool microbiota in 66 healthy adults from two countries to show that, with one exception ( Dialister invisus ), the two niches are completely distinct. Thus, there is no evidence for colonization of oral bacteria in the distal gut. This defines the healthy state to which pathological states could be compared. Finding the same bacteria in the mouth and stool may warrant clinical investigation for an underlying pathology.