INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON THE CO-ADHESION OF ORAL MICROBIAL PAIRS IN SALIVA

Coaggregation (interactions between two planktonic microorganisms) and co-adhesion (interactions between sessile and planktonic microorganis ms) are believed to be important factors in the formation of dental pl aque by many investigators, although others doubt whether coaggregatio n and co-adhesion occur in vivo. It is known that coaggregation and co -adhesion generally occur equally well in buffer as in saliva, but the influence of temperature on the co-adhesion of coaggregating oral mic robial pairs in saliva is unknown. Therefore, co-adhesion of streptoco cci suspended in saliva to glass with adhering actinomyces present (1. 0 x 10(6) cells cm(-2)) was studied in a parallel plate flow chamber i n the temperature range from 22 degrees C to 40 degrees C. In the rang e from 22 degrees C up to 35 degrees C both pairs studied, Streptococc us oralis 34 with Actinomyces naeslundii 5951 and Streptococcus oralis J22 with A. naeslundii 5951, displaced similar coadhesion kinetics an d co-adhesion in a stationary end-point, but around and above 37 degre es C co-adhesion almost disappeared. Hence, we conclude that co-adhesi on of coaggregating oral microbial pairs in saliva may be critically i nfluenced by temperature, especially around the temperatures prevailin g in the oral cavity.