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Review
. 2018 Jan 25;14(1):e1006719.
doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006719. eCollection 2018 Jan.

The oral microbiome: A Lesson in coexistence

Ahmed S Sultan  1 , Eric F Kong  1   2   3 , Alexandra M Rizk  1 , Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The oral microbiome: A Lesson in coexistence

Ahmed S Sultan et al. PLoS Pathog. .
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Complexity of the oral microbial flora and host immune responses.
(A) A false-colored scanning electron image demonstrating the diversity of the microbial population residing in the deep subgingival pockets where the environment is anaerobic. (B) A schematic illustrating the complexity of the host immune responses involved in maintaining homeostasis in the oral cavity. Under tolerogenic conditions, resident DCs sample the microbial species in the millieu. In the absence of damage and infection, this recognition of microbial antigens or PAMPs results in the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines and growth factors by the DC. This cytokine profile induces the differentiation of T-regs, which release a series of cytokines to further maintain the tolerogenic state. B cells, which mature into plasma cells, produce sIga, which neutralizes microorganisms in a noninflammatory manner to limit colonization, a process termed “immune exclusion.” Additionally, T-regs also induce a tolerogenic state in resident MΦs and neutrophils, triggering the release of AMPs into the microenvironment. AMP, antimicrobial peptide; DC, dendritic cell; IL, interleukin; MΦ, macrophage; PAMP, pathogen-associated molecular pattern; PGE2, Prostaglandin E2; sIga, secretory immunoglobulin A; T-regs, T regulatory cells; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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