Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1

Among the members of the large, diverse, and dynamic microbial community residing in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT), Bifidobacterium is a dominant genus considered beneficial to humans. The GIT of healthy newborns is typically colonized by bifidobacteria, especially in breast-fed infants, during the first few days of life. However among Bifidobacterium is also found Bifdobacterium dentium, an opportunistic cariogenic pathogen. The genetic basis for the ability of B. dentium to survive in the oral cavity and contribute to caries development is not understood. Annotation of the genome sequence revealed multiple ways in which B. dentium has adapted to the oral environment through specialized nutrient acquisition, defense against antimicrobial agents, and gene products that increase fitness and competitiveness within the oral niche. B. dentium Bd1 was shown to metabolize a wide variety of carbohydrates, while colonization and persistence factors implicated in tissue adhesion, acid tolerance, and the metabolism of human saliva-derived compounds were also identified. It has evolved through a very limited number of horizontal gene acquisition events (adapted from PMID 20041198). (EBI Integr8)