Premium
Effect of salivary proteins on calcification of oral bacteria
Author(s) -
LIE TRYGGVE,
SELVIG KNUT A.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1974.tb00375.x
Subject(s) - calcification , bacteria , microorganism , chemistry , in vitro , strain (injury) , matrix (chemical analysis) , phosphate , saliva , microbiology and biotechnology , intracellular , calcium , biochemistry , biology , anatomy , chromatography , pathology , medicine , genetics , organic chemistry
— The calcification of Bacterionema matruchotii (Strain 13 and Strain 14266 ATCC) in vitro was studied by electron microscopy. The microorganisms were incubated for 4 weeks in a medium consisting of an inorganic calcifying solution to which was added filter sterilized concentrated saliva. Calcification occurred in both strains, mainly in the extra‐cellular space. In some regions crystal formation occurred in close association with the surface of cell walls or vesicular particles derived from the cells. In other locations, crystals were deposited in a matrix of organic material separate from the bacteria. The latter pattern of calcification was seen also when the medium was incubated without bacteria. When the observations were compared with those of a previous study in which the same strains of B. matruchotii had been incubated in a calcifying solution, it appeared that the addition of salivary proteins to the in vitro system had two major effects: (1) reduced amounts of intra‐cellular calcification, as a consequence of the added nutrients which prevented cellular degeneration, and (2) increased intercellular calcification, due to the presence of increased amounts of organic material with affinity for calcium and phosphate. Thus, it appears that the pattern of calcification of oral microorganisms—either intracellularly or extracellularly ‐ is not exclusively a characteristic of each bacterial species or strain, but may be influenced by nutritional factors as well.