Exploring difference in subgingival microbial communities in dog and human periodontal diseases using DGGE technique

Periodontal diseases are the most common infectious diseases of dogs. Up to now, the knowledge about periodontopathic bacteria in dogs remains sparse. The objectives of this study were to apply the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique, cloning and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to the investigation into subgingival plaque bacteria from healthy and periodontitis dogs; and compare DGGE patterns from the subgingival plaque of dogs and humans. Sixty-eight bacterial species were detected from subgingival plaque of 12 Poodles in Thailand and the predominant genus was Porphyromonas (n=11). Porphyromonas gulae and Treponema denticola were the most common microflora in the periodontitis dog group. In addition, DGGE band patterns from the dogs' subgingival plaque were compared with those of humans' subgingival plaque. The DGGE results showed different bacterial community structures between the two species, which may influence pathogenesis. Therefore, because the pathogenesis of periodontal disease in dogs may not be the same as in human, employing dog as an animal model for studying this disease in human should be carefully analyzed.