Fusobacterium Bridge Species — NDEB AFK MCQ

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HardBiomedical SciencesFusobacterium Bridge SpeciesNDEB AFK

Which organism is the principal bridge species in dental plaque biofilm, facilitating co-aggregation between early and late colonisers?

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Correct answer: D — Fusobacterium nucleatum

Fusobacterium nucleatum is the key 'bridge' organism in dental plaque biofilm development. It has the broadest range of co-aggregation partners, facilitating attachment of late colonisers (Gram-negative anaerobes: P. gingivalis, T. denticola, T. forsythia, A. actinomycetemcomitans) to the early coloniser framework (streptococci, Actinomyces). Without F. nucleatum bridging, the late pathogenic colonisers cannot establish themselves in the biofilm. This makes F. nucleatum a potential therapeutic target for disrupting pathogenic biofilm development.

Reference: Lamont – Oral Microbiology and Immunology, 3rd ed., 2019