Characterization of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens Isolates From Periodontic and Endodontic Infections

Abstract

The occurrence and surface properties of Prevotella intermedia and P. nigrescens in healthy sites and in periodontic and endodontic infections were studied among 73 strains, tentatively identified as P. intermedia. Fifteen strains were from necrotic root canal infections, 41 were from periodontal samples, and 17 isolates were obtained from healthy gingival sites. Identification of isolates as either P. intermedia or P. nigrescens was based on differences in malate and glutamate dehydrogenase electrophoretic mobilities which allowed unambiguous separation of P. intermedia and P. nigrescens. The majority of strains from periodontal samples were P. intermedia (29 of 41 strains). In endodontic samples only 4 out of 15 isolates were P. intermedia, while all except 1 of 17 strains from healthy gingival sites were identified as P. nigrescens. SDS‐PAGE of whole cell proteins revealed 31 and 38 kDa proteins in P. nigrescens which were not detected in P. intermedia. Surface biotinylation of cells, followed by Western blotting and detection by alkaline phosphatase conjugated extravidin, showed strong staining of the 31 kDa protein in P. nigrescens indicating that this protein is located on the surface of the cell. Corresponding staining was not seen in P. intermedia. Fimbria‐like projections were observed using electron microscopy of negatively‐stained cells of P. nigrescens. The results show that P. intermedia and P. nigrescens may have different site specificities and surface properties and thus emphasize the need for accurate identification of these two species for the evaluation of their role in the pathogenesis of oral infections. J Periodontol 1994;65:56–61.

Incidence of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens in Periodontal Health and Disease

“…The majority of Prevotella species in periodontally healthy subjects was P nigrescens, although those of the periodontally diseased patients in both active and healthy sites were mainly P intermedia. These results were almost consistent with the findings obtained by both Matto et al (15) and Gharbia et al (4). Matto et al concluded that the colonization of P. intermedia seemed to be more stable in periodontally diseased sites than in periodontally healthy sites, although P. intermedia and P nigrescens might occur simultaneously in the oral cavity.…”

“…Porphyromonas gingivalis is well known as a putative etiologic pathogen in the progression of periodontal disease, because this bacterium particularly has been associated with periodontally active diseased sites and loss of periodontal attachment (23,25,30), while black-pigmented Prevotella intermedia has been found in both periodontally diseased patients and healthy subjects (4,9,15,27,33). P. intermedia has also been reported to be associated with periapical abscess (7), pregnancy gingivitis (10), acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (13) and HIV associated periodontal lesions (19).…”

Biofilms of black tooth stains: PCR analysis reveals presence of Streptococcus mutans

“…The four analyzed bacteria (P. nigrescens, P. intermedia, S. mutans and Actinomyces spp) were detected in a similar prevalence in samples from patients with or without black tooth stains, suggesting a similar bacterial colonization of dental biofilms of these patients. According to the literature (5,20,21), among the 13 species of Prevotella, P. nigrescens and P. intermedia are the ones most frequently found in the oral cavity. P. nigrescens is indigenous microbiota of oral cavity whereas P. intermedia is related to periodontal disease.…”

Cytotoxic effects ofprevotella nigrescenson cultured cells

“…nigrescens, using biochemical methods and SDS-PAGE of whole cell protein analysis tentatively identified as P. intermedia in endodontic infection 11) . Baumgartner et al 12) used conventional biochemical methods and molecular biologic methods, using polymerase chain reaction of specific primers for 16S rRNA, to differentiate P.…”