TY - JOUR
T1 - Composition of the bacterial flora in tonsilloliths
AU - Tsuneishi, Midori
AU - Yamamoto, Tatsuo
AU - Kokeguchi, Susumu
AU - Tamaki, Naofumi
AU - Fukui, Kazuhiro
AU - Watanabe, Tatsuo
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Mr. Haruo Urata, Central Research Laboratory, Okayama University Medical School, for his technical assistance in scanning electron microscopic analysis. This work was supported by a grant-in-aid for scientific research (17390502, 17659591, 18791614) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan.
PY - 2006/8
Y1 - 2006/8
N2 - Tonsilloliths are a potential cause of oral malodor. In this study, microbial profiles and composition of tonsilloliths were determined using culture-independent molecular methods and scanning electron microscopy. 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial genes (16S rDNAs) isolated from tonsilloliths of 6 individuals were amplified by PCR and cloned into Escherichia coli. Partial 16S rDNA sequences of approximately 600 bases of cloned inserts were used to determine species identity by comparison with sequences of known species. Characteristics of bacteria on the surface and inside the tonsillolith were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Anaerobic bacteria detected in tonsilloliths belonged to the genera Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Megasphaera, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Selenomonas and Tannerella, all of which appear to be associated with production of volatile sulfur compounds. Electron microscopy revealed cocci and rods on the surface and rods predominating inside the tonsilloliths. These results support the tonsillolith as an origin of oral malodor.
AB - Tonsilloliths are a potential cause of oral malodor. In this study, microbial profiles and composition of tonsilloliths were determined using culture-independent molecular methods and scanning electron microscopy. 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial genes (16S rDNAs) isolated from tonsilloliths of 6 individuals were amplified by PCR and cloned into Escherichia coli. Partial 16S rDNA sequences of approximately 600 bases of cloned inserts were used to determine species identity by comparison with sequences of known species. Characteristics of bacteria on the surface and inside the tonsillolith were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Anaerobic bacteria detected in tonsilloliths belonged to the genera Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Megasphaera, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Selenomonas and Tannerella, all of which appear to be associated with production of volatile sulfur compounds. Electron microscopy revealed cocci and rods on the surface and rods predominating inside the tonsilloliths. These results support the tonsillolith as an origin of oral malodor.
KW - Bacteria
KW - Oral malodor
KW - Tonsillolith
KW - Volatile sulfur compound
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U2 - 10.1016/j.micinf.2006.04.023
DO - 10.1016/j.micinf.2006.04.023
M3 - Article
C2 - 16859950
AN - SCOPUS:33749352053
SN - 1286-4579
VL - 8
SP - 2384
EP - 2389
JO - Microbes and Infection
JF - Microbes and Infection
IS - 9-10
ER -