SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Oral Health
Sec. Preventive Dentistry
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1573863
This article is part of the Research TopicPeriodontal Disease and Systemic Health: Preventive Strategies and ManagementView all 4 articles
Quorum Sensing in Porphyromonas gingivalis and Oral Microbial Interactions: A scoping review
Provisionally accepted
- 1The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
- 2Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
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Objective: Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, interacts with other oral microbes through quorum sensing, enhancing its growth and virulence, which contributes to periodontitis. This scoping review aims to examine the role of quorum sensing in the interactions between P. gingivalis and other oral microbial species. Methods: Two independent researchers conducted a systematic search using the keywords [((quorum sensing) OR QS) AND ((Porphyromonas gingivalis) OR P. gingivalis)] for English publications prior to 2025 from Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. They screened titles and abstracts, retrieving full texts of original studies to identify key concepts and findings regarding the quorum sensing of P. gingivalis in oral microbial ecosystems. Results: A total of 205 publications were identified, of which 26 were included in the review. These studies demonstrated quorum sensing of P. gingivalis and other bacteria through signal molecules Autoinducer-1 and Autoinducer-2. Autoinducer-1 enhances the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis, facilitating its integration into complex oral microbial communities. Autoinducer-2 fosters cooperative or competitive relationships between P. gingivalis and other periodontal pathogens, modifying the structure of oral biofilms. Additionally, researchers are studying the use of quorum sensing inhibitors to reduce the virulence of P. gingivalis for managing periodontitis and restoring microbial balance in the oral cavity. Conclusion: Quorum sensing enhances the pathogenicity of P. gingivalis in the oral environment. Through the modulation of Autoinducer-1 and Autoinducer-2, quorum sensing regulates interactions between P. gingivalis and other oral microbes. This study demonstrates the need for further research into quorum sensing-targeted interventions in periodontal therapy.
Keywords: Quorum Sensing, microbial interaction, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Biofilms, periodontal disease Date of submission: 25/04/2025 quorum sensing, Periodontal disease
Received: 10 Feb 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Shan, Guo, Chu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jing Zhang, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui Province, China
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