Microbes of the Mouth

Zachary Lee

Streptococcus mutans
Streptococcus mutans is a gram positive cocci, which is involved in
the formation of dental caries, more commonly known as cavities.
The mechanism through which cavities occur is based heavily on the
formation of plaque on the teeth. S. mutans is able to attach to the
amorphous membranous layer that develops on teeth that is known
as the acquired enamel pellicle based on adhesins that interact with
components of the saliva in the mouth. Due to the wide spectrum of
environments that the bacteria is exposed to in the mouth, S. mutans
is able to withstand great variation in the environment within the
Introduction
The mouth is the opening of the alimentary canal, which Candida albicans
receives food and liquids. The oral cavity contains the tongue,
which is critical for communication, and teeth, which serve an
important role in mastication or chewing of food and the
initiation of digestion by the physical breakdown of materials.
The physical breakdown of foods is a critical component of Candida albicans is a fungus that is a member of the Saccharomycetaceae
digestion, as it serves to increase the surface area of foods for or yeast family. C. albicans is typically found in normal skin, oral,
chemical and enzymatic breakdown further along in the gastrointestinal, vaginal, and vascular system flora. The fungus is
digestive tract. The mouth itself is a generally moist responsible for an infection of the mouth known as Candidiasis or oral
environment, primarily due to the production of saliva via the
salivary glands. In addition, the oral mucosa composes the thrush. The virulence factors that allow for the fungus to infect the mouth is
mucous membrane in the mouth, which is the epithelial lining a slew of adhesins that recognize the host cells and the ability of the fungus
within the mouth. to morph into a filamentous growth form that is invasive from unicellular
yeast cells.
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/87/114987-004-88CFED38.jpg

oral cavity.

An infection by Candida albicans in the mouth causes oral

Streptococcus mutans has the ability to digest sugars, such as candidiasis or thrush an involves a filamentous growth pattern
sucrose, glucose, and fructose. The digestion of these sugars are the of the fungus on the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. The
main component of the decay of tooth surfaces. In the digestion of fungus leads to a white or cream colored growth on mucosal
sucrose, S. mutans is able to produce dextran, which promotes http://www.dragonfly75.com/eng/images/candida.jpg
membranes in the mouth, particularly in the back of the cavity
plaque formation. Additionally, the digestion of other sugars results near the throat and on the tongue. Typically, the infection
in the production of lactic acid, which works to cause decay of teeth occurs in times of compromise of the immune system. http://www.albicanscandida.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Candida-albicans-infections.jpg

by weakening the enamel of the teeth and ultimately result in dental

caries.
http://www.fluorideandfluorosis.com/Diagnosis/DentalCaries.jpg

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Leishmania parasites

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 is an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus

which causes cold sores in the case of oral herpes. The virus itself
attaches to cells of the epidermis or dermis and enters through viral Leishmania are protozoan parasites that cause a group of
integral membrane glycoproteins. The binding of these proteins with diseases known as leishmaniasis. Mucocutaneous
receptors on the cell surface allow for the fusion of cell and viral leishmaniasis is a type of the disease that affects the mouth
membranes, allowing for the migration of the nucleocapsid into the and causes the formation of lesions in the oral cavity. The
cytoplasm and ultimately into the nucleus of the cell via nuclear pores. parasite is transmitted from animals to humans or humans to
humans via a mosquito vector. The mosquito bites an
infected animal or individual and ingests the parasite.
Interestingly, the parasite is able to change forms between a
promastigote form, which is flagellated, and an amastigote
form that does not have a flagellum. The parasite transforms
http://textbookofbacteriology.net/themicrobialworld/hsv1struc.jpg
into the flagellated form when ingested by the mosquito,
allowing it to migrate from the intestine of the mosquito to
http://www.saber.ula.ve/tropical/contenido/capitulo1/capitulo5/figuras/5-0001.jpg the esophagus. Once inside a host, the parasite enters the
bloodstream and is transported to various tissues. Inside the http://discovermagazine.com/2002/sep/featvital/1.jpg

tissues, the parasite is phagocytosed by macrophages and

transforms into the amastigote form once again, replicates
Oral herpes causes cold sores of the mouth as well as herpetic and destroys the cells, and spreads throughout the body.
lesions on the lip. One of the most prominent features of Herpes
Simplex Virus 1 is that it becomes latent in neural cells once the http://content.revolutionhealth.com/contentimages/n2176.jpg

episome of the virus is incorporated into the host cell. While

References
there is no virus present in the host, it can be easily reactivated
and cause herpetic lesion outbreaks in times of immune What’s the bottom line? J.A. Garcia de Marcos, et al. “Localized Leishmaniasis of the oral mucosa. A report of three cases.” Medicina oral, patologia
suppression, excessive fatigue, or physical or emotion stress. The microbes of the mouth are similar either in their propagation or in the types of disease that oral y cirugia bucal. 2007 Aug 1; 12 (4): E281-6. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17664913>

they cause in the oral cavity. Both S. mutans and C. albicans cause infection primarily through Todar, Kenneth. “The Normal Bacterial Flora of Humans.” Todar’s Online Textbook of Bacteriology. 2011.
adhesins that allows for attachment to the wet environment and mucous membranes in the mouth. <http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora_5.html>

The viral and parasitic infections are both involved in infections that cause outbreaks of lesions in Loesche, Walter J. “Role of Streptococcus mutans in Human Dental Decay.” Microbiological Reviews. Dec. 1986, 50(4):353-
and around the oral cavity. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Leishmania parasites are both successful in 380. <http://mmbr.asm.org/cgi/reprint/50/4/353.pdf>

causing disease and evading the immune system. HSV 1 evades the immune response by Shors, Teri. Understanding Viruses. Jones and Bartlett Publishers: Sudbury, MA, 2009.
incorporating its episome in the genome of neural cells and causing latent infections. Leishmania Calderone, R.A. and W.A. Fonzi. “Virulence Factors of Candida albicans.” Trends in Microbiology. 2001 July; 9(7): 327-35.
parasites, on the other hand, infect macrophages, replicate, and destroy the cells in order to <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11435107>