AEM
Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Li, H.
Right arrow Articles by Leifert, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Li, H.
Right arrow Articles by Leifert, C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Li, H.
Right arrow Articles by Leifert, C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 03 1997, 924-930, Vol 63, No. 3
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Nitrate-reducing bacteria on rat tongues

H Li, C Duncan, J Townend, K Killham, LM Smith, P Johnston, R Dykhuizen, D Kelly, M Golden, N Benjamin and C Leifert
Department of Plant & Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Nitrite-producing bacteria (NPB) were isolated from tongues of laboratory rats. The most commonly found nitrite-producing organism was Staphylococcus sciuri, followed by Staphylococcus intermedius, Pasteurella spp., and finally Streptococcus spp. Both morphometric quantification of bacteria on tongue sections and enumeration of culturable bacteria (CFU) showed an increase in the density of bacteria towards the posterior tongue. Up to 65% of bacteria were located in the deep clefts on the posterior tongue. The proportion of culturable NPB in the total culturable microbial population increased from 6% (10(5) CFU cm-2) on the anterior tongue to 65% (10(7) CFU cm-2) on the posterior tongue. Different species compositions of NPB were found on different tongue sections with S. intermedius populations decreasing and S. sciuri and Pasteurella populations increasing towards the posterior tongue. Nitrite production was sensitive to oxygen, and significant nitrite production was only detected on the posterior tongue where the majority of bacteria are situated in deep clefts in the tongue surface. This study suggests the importance of bacteria in nitrite production, from nitrate, on the tongue. Nitrite produced on the tongue may subsequently form nitric oxide in the acidic environment of the stomach. Because of the antimicrobial properties of nitric oxide, a key role for nitrate-reducing tongue bacteria in host animal defense against food-borne pathogens in proposed.


This article has been cited by other articles:



Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
J. Bacteriol. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. Eukaryot. Cell All ASM Journals

Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.