COLONIZATION OF THE MURINE ORAL CAVITY BY STREPTOCOCCUS-GORDONII

Streptococcus gordonii DL1 (Challis) colonized the oral cavities of BA LB/c mice that lacked streptococci, enterococci, and lactobacilli (LF mice) as members of an otherwise complex digestive tract microflora. C onventional mice, in comparison, were refractory to colonization by S. gordonii. Mice that harbored lactobacilli but were free of streptococ ci and enterococci (EF mice) had a lower incidence of colonization by S. gordonii than LF animals. The LF mouse system should be useful in t he study of the molecular mechanisms that enable S. gordonii to inhabi t the oral cavity.