Nature Communications (Feb 2018)

A spatial gradient of bacterial diversity in the human oral cavity shaped by salivary flow

  • Diana M. Proctor,
  • Julia A. Fukuyama,
  • Peter M. Loomer,
  • Gary C. Armitage,
  • Stacey A. Lee,
  • Nicole M. Davis,
  • Mark I. Ryder,
  • Susan P. Holmes,
  • David A. Relman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-02900-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Oral microbial communities are excellent sites for examining the mechanisms of structural variation in the microbiota. Here, the authors use spatial and ecological analysis to examine over 9000 dental and mucosal microbiota samples. They find that saliva plays a key role in structuring bacterial communities in the mouth.