Bacteriocin-like activity of oral Fusobacterium nucleatum isolated from human and non-human primates

"Fusobacterium nucleatum" is indigenous of the human oral cavity and has been involved in different infectious processes. The production of bacteriocin-like substances may be important in regulation of bacterial microbiota in oral cavity. The ability to produce bacteriocin-like substances by 80 oral "F. nucleatum" isolates obtained from periodontal patients, healthy individuals and "Cebus apella" monkeys, was examinated. 17.5(per cent) of all tested isolates showed auto-antagonism and 78.8(per cent) iso- or hetero-antagonism. No isolate from monkey was capable to produce auto-inhibition. In this study, the antagonistic substances production was variable in all tested isolates. Most of the "F. nucleatum" showed antagonistic activity against tested reference strains. These data suggest a possible participation of these substances on the oral microbial ecology in humans and animals. However, the role of bacteriocins in regulating dental plaque microbiota "in vivo" is discussed

Meningitis por fusobacterium mortiferum / Meningitis by fusobacterium mortiferum

Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 33 años, que ingresó al Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas de Santiago de Chile, con una meningitis purulenta de origen ótico, cuyo agente etiológico, aislado del LCR y sangre, fue Fusobacterium mortiferum. Se comentan las complicaciones del SNC derivadas de estas patologías oto-sinuales crónicas, tan frecuentes en nuestro medio, recomendándose buscar microorganismos anaerobios en estos enfermos