Effect of salivary agglutination on oral streptococcal clearance by human polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes

Itzek, A.; Chen, Z.; Merritt, J.; Kreth, J.

doi:10.1111/omi.12164

Cited by 17Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchNeutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative MechanismsBacterial biofilms and quorum sensing

Effect of salivary agglutination on oral streptococcal clearance by human polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes

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Itzek, A., Chen, Z., Merritt, J., Kreth, J.·2017·Molecular Oral Microbiology

DOI 10.1111/omi.12164PMC PMC5116291

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Abstract

Summary: Salivary agglutination is an important host defense mechanism to aggregate oral commensal bacteria as well as invading pathogens. Saliva flow and subsequent swallowing more easily clear aggregated bacteria compared with single cells. Phagocytic clearance of bacteria through polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes also seems to increase to a certain extent with the size of bacterial aggregates. To determine a connection between salivary agglutination and the host innate immune response by phagocytosis, an in vitro agglutination assay was developed reproducing the average size of salivary bacterial aggregates. Using the oral commensal Streptococcus gordonii as a model organism, the effect of salivary agglutination on phagocytic clearance through polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes was investigated. Here we describe how salivary aggregates of S. gordonii are readily cleared through phagocytosis, whereas single bacterial cells showed a significant delay in being phagocytosed and killed. Furthermore, before phagocytosis the polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes were able to induce a specific de‐aggregation, which was dependent on serine protease activity. The data presented suggest that salivary agglutination of bacterial cells leads to an ideal size for recognition by polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes. As a first line of defense, these phagocytic cells are able to recognize the aggregates and de‐aggregate them via serine proteases to a more manageable size for efficient phagocytosis and subsequent killing in the phagolysosome. This observed mechanism not only prevents the rapid spreading of oral bacterial cells while entering the bloodstream but would also avoid degranulation of involved polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes, so preventing collateral damage to nearby tissue.

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The aggregated state primes oral bacteria for better clearance by the immune system.
“The aggregated state also primes oral bacteria for better clearance by the immune system [7].”
From Coaggregation of oral pathogens by postbiotic lactobacilli (2025) · cites this paper as [7]

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Coaggregation of oral pathogens by postbiotic lactobacilli
Golletz, P., Jensen, S. D., Collignon, M., Hall, C., Khamas, A. B., Møllebjerg, A., Schlafer, S., Meyer, R. L., & Tykwinska, K. (2025) · Journal of oral microbiology · doi:10.1080/20002297.2025.2508483 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“For example, studies in the oral cavity have shown that large coaggregates are removed more easily than smaller aggregates or planktonic cells [7], and saliva components can cause aggregation in the form of saliva-mediated agglutination [6].”

Neutrophilic granulocyte kinetics in normal man
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Authors: Itzek, A., Chen, Z., Merritt, J., & Kreth, J.
Affiliations: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
Oregon Health & Science University (US)
Corresponding author: Kreth, J.
ORCID: Itzek, A.
Merritt, J.
Kreth, J.
Venue: Molecular Oral Microbiology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2016-07-10
Volume: 32
Issue: 3
Pages: 197-210
ISSN: 2041-1006 (ISSN-L)
2041-1014
DOI: 10.1111/omi.12164
PMC: PMC5116291
OpenAlex: W2403271685
Cited by: 17
References: 55
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
FWCI: 0.99
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Molecular Oral Microbiology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institutes of Health (DE021726, DE018893, DE022083)
Topics: Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
Keywords: Streptococcus gordonii, phagocytosis, bacterial aggregates, serine protease, innate immune defense, oral commensal bacteria, neutrophil degranulation
MeSH terms: Agglutination, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Mouth, Neutrophils, Phagocytosis, Saliva, Streptococcus gordonii, Serine Proteases

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Effect of salivary agglutination on oral streptococcal clearance by human polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes

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