Isolation, Molecular Characterization and Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern of Methylotrophic Bacteria Occuring in the Human Mouth

Abstract

Methylotrophic bacteria are ubiquitous bacteria that are capable of using one carbon compounds such as methane, methanol, halogenated methane, and methylated amine as sources of carbon and energy for their diverse metabolic activities. Methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the tongue, and supra-and subgingival plaque in the mouths of volunteers and patients with periodontitis. The isolation, identification, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and molecular characterization of methylotrophic bacteria from 150 volunteers and patients with periodontitis were done using standard method. Nutrient agar fortified with methylamine as a growth factor was used to aid the growth of these bacteria. The result show that a total of twelve (12) bacteria were identified. These are Bacillus licheniformis, Neisseria flava, Neisseria meningitis, Micrococcus flava, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Methylobacteria radiotolerance, Methylotrophic thiocynatum, Methylococcus capsulatum, Methylotrophic rubra and Branhamella catarhalis. The antibiotics susceptibility test showed that B. licheniformis, N. meningitis and P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest resistance against the antibiotics. The 12 bacteria were characterized molecularly with Polymerase chain reaction PCR amplified method using primers for the virulence genes of Methylotroph. The mxaF gene of methanol dehy-drogenase MxaF was detected in 3 bacteria: pilc of pilin gene in 3 bacteria, stx1 of shiga toxin nana of neuraminidase and pila of pilin gene was detected in all the bacteria. The results obtained in this research showed that methylotrophs may be responsible for periodontitis and that healthy people are carriers.