Prevotella intermedia e Prevotella nigrescens são espécies comumente associadas Porphyromonas gingivalis. os objetivos foram verificar a co-agregação entre cepas de P. intermedia, P. nigrescens e P. gingivalis; quantificar a biomassa, avaliar a proporção dos microrganismos nos biofilmes mistos; verificar a interferência do co-cultivo pela técnica de dois compartimentos, avaliar os biofilmes em ensaios de Hibridização In Situ (FISH) e verificar o papel dos genes PINA0102 e PIN0398 de P. intermedia no biofilme. Assim, 9 isolados clínicos de P. intermedia e 5 de P. nigrescens, as cepas padrão P. intermedia 17, P. intermedia 25611, P. nigrescens 33563, P. gingivalis W83, P. gingivalis 33277, os mutantes Pi17D0398 e Pi17D0102 foram avaliados em variados consórcios. Os resultados mostraram que as interações investigadas são cepa específicas.

Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens are commonly associated with periodontal diseases. The goals of this study were to determine the co-aggregation of strains of P. intermedia, P. nigrescens and P. gingivalis; to quantify the biomass of these associations, to evaluate the ratio of these microorganisms in heterotypic biofilms, to verify the modulation of biofilms in co-culture using a trans-well system; to evaluate the structure of the biofilms by Fluorescent Hybridization In Situ (FISH) and to determine the role of genes PINA0102 and PIN0398 of P. intermedia in the modulation of its biofilm. Therefore, 9 clinical isolates of P. intermedia, 5 of P. nigrescens, type strains P. intermedia 17, P. intermedia 25611, P. nigrescens 33563, P. gingivalis W83, P. gingivalis 33277 and mutant strains Pi17D0398 and Pi17D0102 were grown in consortia of two strains. Our data demonstrate that the associations of P. intermedia, P. nigrescens and P. gingivalis are strain-specific.