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Microbial signatures in human periodontal disease: a metatranscriptome meta-analysis

A. Ovsepian, Filippos S. Kardaras, A. Skoulakis, A. Hatzigeorgiou

Frontiers in Microbiology, 2024

8 citations

Abstract

The characterization of oral microbial communities and their functional potential has been shaped by metagenomics and metatranscriptomics studies. Here, a meta-analysis of four geographically and technically diverse oral shotgun metatranscriptomics studies of human periodontitis was performed. In total, 54 subgingival plaque samples, 27 healthy and 27 periodontitis, were analyzed. The core microbiota of the healthy and periodontitis group encompassed 40 and 80 species, respectively, with 38 species being common to both microbiota. The differential abundance analysis identified 23 genera and 26 species, that were more abundant in periodontitis. Our results not only validated previously reported genera and species associated with periodontitis with heightened statistical significance, but also elucidated additional genera and species that were overlooked in the individual studies. Functional analysis revealed a significant up-regulation in the transcription of 50 gene families (UniRef-90) associated with transmembrane transport and secretion, amino acid metabolism, surface protein and flagella synthesis, energy metabolism, and DNA supercoiling in periodontitis samples. Notably, the overwhelming majority of the identified gene families did not exhibit differential abundance when examined across individual datasets. Additionally, 4 bacterial virulence factor genes, including TonB dependent receptor from P. gingivalis, surface antigen BspA from T. forsynthia, and adhesin A (PsaA)…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.

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