''Bifidobacterium dentium'' is a species of bacteria in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Bifidobacterium ''Bifidobacterium'' is a genus of gram-positive, nonmotile, often branched anaerobic bacteria. They are ubiquitous inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract though strains have been isolated from the vagina and mouth ('' B. dentium'') of mammal ...

'',

branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk (botany), trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' ...

anaerobic bacteria An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require molecular oxygen for growth. It may react negatively or even die if free oxygen is present. In contrast, an aerobic organism (aerobe) is an organism that requires an oxygenate ...

from the

Bifidobacteriaceae The Bifidobacteriaceae are the only family of bacteria in the order ''Bifidobacteriales''. According to the 16S rRNA-based LTP release 106 published by 'The All-Species Living Tree' Project, the order Bifidobacteriales is a clade nested within th ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

. ''B. dentium'' is a source of

anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: * Anaerobic adhesive, a bonding a ...

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

s, and is also tracked in polluted water to trace the source of fecal contamination. Scientists have shown that ''B. dentium'' can cause tooth decay in humans. Due to its high tolerance of the acidic environments reached by the human mouth (pH 4.5), ''B. dentium'' can sustain growth in the oral cavities, cause harm to the teeth, and break down sugars. ''B. dentium'' has been identified by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital as producing a neurotransmitter that may play a role in preventing or treating inflammatory bowel diseases such as

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...

. ''B. dentium'' colonizes the intestinal mucus layer, where it has been found to produce

acetate An acetate is a salt (chemistry), salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. Alkali metal, alkaline, Alkaline earth metal, earthy, Transition metal, metallic, nonmetallic or radical Radical (chemistry), base). "Acetate" als ...

. In addition, ''B. dentium'' produces the

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a synapse. The cell receiving the signal, any main body part or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neuro ...

GABA and other products which regulate intestinal

goblet cells Goblet cells are simple columnar epithelial cells that secrete gel-forming mucins, like mucin 5AC. The goblet cells mainly use the merocrine method of secretion, secreting vesicles into a duct, but may use apocrine methods, budding off their secre ...

. In addition, ''B. dentium'' may be involved in the development of

mucin Mucins () are a family of high molecular weight, heavily glycosylated proteins (glycoconjugates) produced by epithelial tissues in most animals. Mucins' key characteristic is their ability to form gels; therefore they are a key component in most ...

References

External links

Type strain of ''Bifidobacterium dentium'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Bifidobacteriales Bacteria described in 1974 {{actinobacteria-stub