Metagenomic Characterisation of Microorganisms in the Dental Plaque- A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: Progression of dental plaque gives rise to periodontal disease. The oral cavity has a diverse flora of microorganisms and caries is often caused by members of the oral microbiome. Metagenomic techniques and next-generation sequencing technology have been used to analyse microbiomes. Aim: To analyse the components of the dental plaque by culture and metagenomics techniques. Materials and Methods: Present study was a pilot study in which analysis of the components of the dental plaque by bacteriological culture, 16s ribosomal Ribonucleic acid (rRNA) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with region specific primers and sequencing of V3-V4 regions using the Illumina platform was performed. Results: Ten different phyla were identified (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria, TM7, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes, SR1, GN02). Bacteriodetes was the most abundant phylum in the plaque samples. Firmicutes was less abundant in the plaque samples when compared to the control. Streptococci were more abundant in the control (57.93%) when compared to plaque samples (10.7%, 19.3%). Routine culture grew only Viridans Group streptococci (VGS). Conclusion: 16S rRNA gene sequencing is a useful method for studying the bacterial composition of the dental plaque.