scholarly journals The dental calculus metabolome in modern and historic samples

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina M. Velsko ◽  
Katherine A. Overmyer ◽  
Camilla Speller ◽  
Matthew Collins ◽  
Louise Loe ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionDental calculus is a mineralized microbial dental plaque biofilm that forms throughout life by precipitation of salivary calcium salts. Successive cycles of dental plaque growth and calcification make it an unusually well-preserved, long-term record of host-microbial interaction in the archaeological record. Recent studies have confirmed the survival of authentic ancient DNA and proteins within historic and prehistoric dental calculus, making it a promising substrate for investigating oral microbiome evolution via direct measurement and comparison of modern and ancient specimens.ObjectiveWe present the first comprehensive characterization of the human dental calculus metabolome using a multi-platform approach.MethodsUltra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) quantified 285 metabolites in modern and historic (200 years old) dental calculus, including metabolites of drug and dietary origin. A subset of historic samples was additionally analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography-MS (GC-MS) and UPLC- MS/MS for further characterization of polar metabolites and lipids, respectively. Metabolite profiles of modern and historic calculus were compared to identify patterns of persistence and loss.ResultsDipeptides, free amino acids, free nucleotides, and carbohydrates substantially decrease in abundance and ubiquity in archaeological samples, with some exceptions. Lipids generally persist, and saturated and mono-unsaturated medium and long chain fatty acids appear to be well-preserved, while metabolic derivatives related to oxidation and chemical degradation are found at higher levels in archaeological dental calculus than fresh samples.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that certain metabolite classes have higher potential for recovery over long time scales and may serve as appropriate targets for oral microbiome evolutionary studies.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Alisa Kazarina ◽  
Elina Petersone-Gordina ◽  
Janis Kimsis ◽  
Jevgenija Kuzmicka ◽  
Pawel Zayakin ◽  
...  

Recent advantages in paleomicrobiology have provided an opportunity to investigate the composition of ancient microbial ecologies. Here, using metagenome analysis, we investigated the microbial profiles of historic dental calculus retrieved from archaeological human remains from postmedieval Latvia dated 16–17th century AD and examined the associations of oral taxa and microbial diversity with specific characteristics. We evaluated the preservation of human oral microbiome patterns in historic samples and compared the microbial composition of historic dental calculus, modern human dental plaque, modern human dental calculus samples and burial soil microbiota. Overall, the results showed that the majority of microbial DNA in historic dental calculus originated from the oral microbiome with little impact of the burial environment. Good preservation of ancient DNA in historical dental calculus samples has provided reliable insight into the composition of the oral microbiome of postmedieval Latvian individuals. The relative stability of the classifiable oral microbiome composition was observed. Significant differences between the microbiome profiles of dental calculus and dental plaque samples were identified, suggesting microbial adaptation to a specific human body environment.



Author(s):  
Takahiko Shiba ◽  
Keiji Komatsu ◽  
Takeaki Sudo ◽  
Rikai Sawafuji ◽  
Aiko Saso ◽  
...  

Ancient dental calculus, formed from dental plaque, is a rich source of ancient DNA and can provide information regarding the food and oral microbiology at that time. Genomic analysis of dental calculus from Neanderthals has revealed the difference in bacterial composition of oral microbiome between Neanderthals and modern humans. There are few reports investigating whether the pathogenic bacteria of periodontitis, a polymicrobial disease induced in response to the accumulation of dental plaque, were different between ancient and modern humans. This study aimed to compare the bacterial composition of the oral microbiome in ancient and modern human samples and to investigate whether lifestyle differences depending on the era have altered the bacterial composition of the oral microbiome and the causative bacteria of periodontitis. Additionally, we introduce a novel diagnostic approach for periodontitis in ancient skeletons using micro-computed tomography. Ancient 16S rDNA sequences were obtained from 12 samples at the Unko-in site (18th-19th century) of the Edo era (1603–1867), a characteristic period in Japan when immigrants were not accepted. Furthermore, modern 16S rDNA data from 53 samples were obtained from a database to compare the modern and ancient microbiome. The microbial co-occurrence network was analyzed based on 16S rDNA read abundance. Eubacterium species, Mollicutes species, and Treponema socranskii were the core species in the Edo co-occurrence network. The co-occurrence relationship between Actinomyces oricola and Eggerthella lenta appeared to have played a key role in causing periodontitis in the Edo era. However, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. vincentii, and Prevotella pleuritidis were the core and highly abundant species in the co-occurrence network of modern samples. These results suggest the possibility of differences in the pathogens causing periodontitis during different eras in history.



Author(s):  
Tian Lu ◽  
Qinxue Chen ◽  
Zeyu Liu

Although cyclo[18]carbon has been theoretically and experimentally investigated since long time ago, only very recently it was prepared and directly observed by means of STM/AFM in condensed phase (Kaiser et al., <i>Science</i>, <b>365</b>, 1299 (2019)). The unique ring structure and dual 18-center π delocalization feature bring a variety of unusual characteristics and properties to the cyclo[18]carbon, which are quite worth to be explored. In this work, we present an extremely comprehensive and detailed investigation on almost all aspects of the cyclo[18]carbon, including (1) Geometric characteristics (2) Bonding nature (3) Electron delocalization and aromaticity (4) Intermolecular interaction (5) Reactivity (6) Electronic excitation and UV/Vis spectrum (7) Molecular vibration and IR/Raman spectrum (8) Molecular dynamics (9) Response to external field (10) Electron ionization, affinity and accompanied process (11) Various molecular properties. We believe that our full characterization of the cyclo[18]carbon will greatly deepen researchers' understanding of this system, and thereby help them to utilize it in practice and design its various valuable derivatives.



Author(s):  
Tian Lu ◽  
Qinxue Chen ◽  
Zeyu Liu

Although cyclo[18]carbon has been theoretically and experimentally investigated since long time ago, only very recently it was prepared and directly observed by means of STM/AFM in condensed phase (Kaiser et al., <i>Science</i>, <b>365</b>, 1299 (2019)). The unique ring structure and dual 18-center π delocalization feature bring a variety of unusual characteristics and properties to the cyclo[18]carbon, which are quite worth to be explored. In this work, we present an extremely comprehensive and detailed investigation on almost all aspects of the cyclo[18]carbon, including (1) Geometric characteristics (2) Bonding nature (3) Electron delocalization and aromaticity (4) Intermolecular interaction (5) Reactivity (6) Electronic excitation and UV/Vis spectrum (7) Molecular vibration and IR/Raman spectrum (8) Molecular dynamics (9) Response to external field (10) Electron ionization, affinity and accompanied process (11) Various molecular properties. We believe that our full characterization of the cyclo[18]carbon will greatly deepen researchers' understanding of this system, and thereby help them to utilize it in practice and design its various valuable derivatives.



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