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Spatial Ecology of the Human Tongue Dorsum Microbiome

41 Pages Posted: 16 Aug 2019 Publication Status: Published

See all articles by Steven A. Wilbert

Steven A. Wilbert

The Forsyth Institute

Jessica L. Mark Welch

Marine Biological Laboratory

Gary G. Borisy

The Forsyth Institute

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Abstract

A fundamental question in microbial ecology is how microbes are spatially organized with respect to each other and their host. A test bed for examining this question is the tongue dorsum, which harbors a complex and important microbial community. We used multiplexed fluorescence spectral imaging to investigate the organization of the tongue microbiome at micron to hundred-micron scales. We designed oligonucleotide probes for taxa both abundant and prevalent as determined by sequence analysis. Imaging revealed a highly structured spatial organization of microbial consortia ranging in linear dimension from tens to hundreds of microns. The consortia appeared to develop from a core of epithelial cells, with taxa clustering in domains suggestive of clonal expansion. Quantitative proximity analysis provided the basis for a model of tongue dorsum microbiome organization and dynamics. Our work illustrates how high resolution analysis of micron-scale organization provides insights into physiological functions and microbiome-host interactions.

Keywords: oral microbiome, fluorescence imaging, microbial ecology, spatial organization

Suggested Citation

Wilbert, Steven A. and Mark Welch, Jessica L. and Borisy, Gary G., Spatial Ecology of the Human Tongue Dorsum Microbiome (August 16, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3438369 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3438369
This version of the paper has not been formally peer reviewed.

Steven A. Wilbert

The Forsyth Institute

245 First Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States

Jessica L. Mark Welch (Contact Author)

Marine Biological Laboratory

Woods Hole, MA
United States

Gary G. Borisy

The Forsyth Institute ( email )

245 First Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States

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