Researchers discover cellular messengers communicate with bacteria in the mouth

This study establishes that there is a clear channel of communication between RNA messengers and bacteria in our mouth,” said Wong, who holds the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair in Dentistry. “Furthermore, we have shown that these messengers may play an important role in mediating interac tions between bacteria and their host.”Another significant study finding was the majority of tRNA bacteria sequences that show high sequence similarity with salivary tsRNAs came from antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. This observation could lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the growth of oral bacteria, resistance to antibiotics, and in-turn oral diseases, Wong said.“Our findings could lead to new therapies to treat diseases caused by harmful bacteria,” said Shi, a former professor of oral biology at the UCLA School of Dentistry. “As a convener for oral health and biotech experts, Forsyth is thrilled about collaborating with UCLA on this exciting research .”For example, one of the hallmarks of periodontitis is a shift from mostly Gram-positive bacteria to mostly Gram-negative bacteria. With a better understanding of how Gram-negative bacteria grow, perhaps there is potential to reverse the growth or even kill Gram-negative bacteria.“Our finding could potentially open a new door for prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases” said Dr. Xuesong He, a researcher at the Forsyth Institute and the co-first author on this study.Additional co...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news