A proteomic approach to understanding the biofilm phenotype

Abstract

The current theory for dental decay, the ecological plaque hypothesis, states that the onset of disease follows unfavourable disruption of the dynamic balance between the host and the microbial biofilm community at local sites. Inherent in this theory is the concept that cariogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, can be present in health, but at levels that are not clinically relevant and that disease can be controlled not only by targeting pathogens but also by interfering with the factors responsible for driving the deleterious shifts. Such theories require an holistic or Systems Microbiological approach to study disease, as they are not tractable by traditional approaches alone. A 2004 report by the American Academy of Microbiology emphasised the technical bottlenecks associated with the systems? approach, including the need to obtain meaningful quantitative proteome data.