ABSTRACT
Anaerobic bacteria live in environments with reduced oxygen levels and include both commensals microorganisms and microbial pathogens. Anaerobic bacteria that normally reside in the human oral cavity-members of the genera Porphyromonas and Prevotellacan be found in atherosclerotic plaques. Many species, including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, have been identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification of bacterial 16S rDNA and species-specific DNA probes. Carious lesions in the dental pulp can become infected with strict anaerobes such as Porphyromonas endodontalis, leading to odontogenic abscess. Thus, nucleic acid sequencing has greatly increased the number of bacterial species, including many previously never-cultured anaerobic bacteria among the Bacteroides and Fusobacteria. Specific bacteria implicated in bacterial vaginosis include Bacteroides ureolyticus, and Prevotella bivia.
