Current culture-based bioaerosol monitoring fails to provide the species-specificity and real-time capabilities essential for indoor air quality and disease surveillance. We developed a culture-free electrochemical aptasensor for rapid, species-specific detection of airborne bacteria. Targeting Moraxella osloensis, a prevalent indoor species identified through next-generation sequencing, we generated a high-affinity aptamer (Kd = 118.9 nM) for M. osloensis and immobilized it on screen-printed gold electrodes. The label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-based sensor achieved near single-cell sensitivity (5.6 CFU/μL detection limit), log-linear quantification (R2 = 0.98), and robust selectivity against six nontarget species, maintaining stability under PM2.5-equivalent dust loads (15-75 μg/m3). In aerosol chamber tests, the sensor successfully quantified airborne M. osloensis with signals correlating to delivered cell numbers and plate counts, demonstrating specificity even in complex microbial and dust conditions. This platform reduces detection time from days to minutes, enabling multiplexed, field-deployable bioaerosol surveillance for indoor air quality and infectious disease monitoring.

Outbreaks of avian influenza virus (AIV) cause substantial economic losses in the poultry industry, highlighting the need for sensitive, reliable and field-adaptable detection platforms. In this study, we report a signal-on electrochemical aptasensor for avian influenza virus H5N2(K08-404) by translating a previously reported J3/JH4 cognate aptamer pair into an electrode-confined sandwich sensing format. The simultaneous binding capability of this aptamer pair enabled target-mediated recruitment of the HRP-labeled reporter aptamer and generated a signal-on amperometric response. This signal-on aptasensor was successfully fabricated by immobilizing the primary aptamer on the screen-printed gold electrode followed by the addition of a mixture of the target virus and the secondary aptamer labeled with horseradish peroxidase, thereby generating amplified signal-on electrochemical responses. The fabrication of the sandwich-type aptasensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Decreased peak currents and increased peak-to-peak separation supported the stepwise assembly of the electrochemical sensing interface. Analytical performance was evaluated at various virus concentrations using chronoamperometry, revealing a concentration-dependent increase in current response. The aptasensor achieved LODs of 2.00 × 104 EID50 per mL in a buffer and 2.76 × 104 EID50 per mL in a processed duck fecal matrix, with linear working ranges of 3.91 × 104-4.17 × 105 EID50 per mL and 1.95 × 104-1.25 × 106 EID50 per mL, respectively. These results support the feasibility of converting a previously validated H5N2 aptamer pair into a quantitative electrochemical platform for surveillance-oriented virus detection.

Beige adipocytes, crucial for thermogenesis, offer a potential therapeutic strategy for obesity. This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of nonanoic acid (NoA), medium-chain fatty acids, and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) on beige adipogenesis in C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells (C3H10T1/2 MSCs). We observed a significant increase in cholecystokinin B receptor expression in beige adipocytes compared to preadipocytes. The co-treatment with NoA and CCK-8 enhanced beige adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation. Moreover, the co-treatment with NoA and CCK-8 upregulated the mRNA expression of thermogenic genes and increased mitochondrial activity more effectively than individual treatment. Specifically, NoA and CCK-8 co-treatment also elevated the protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha. These findings suggest that the additive effect of NoA and CCK-8 promotes the beiging/browning of body fat in beige adipogenesis, potentially serving as an effective approach in the prevention and treatment of obesity and insulin resistance.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by high incidence and fatality rates worldwide. In our exploration of prognostic factors in HCC, the 26s proteasome subunit, non-ATPase 1 (PSMD1) protein emerged as a significant contributor, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic target in this aggressive cancer. PSMD1 is a subunit of the 19S regulatory particle in the 26S proteasome complex; the 19S particle controls the deubiquitination of ubiquitinated proteins, which are then degraded by the proteolytic activity of the complex. Proteasome-targeting in cancer therapy has received significant attention because of its practical application as an established anticancer agent. We investigated whether PSMD1 plays a critical role in cancer owing to its prognostic significance. PSMD1 depletion induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, DNA damage and apoptosis of cancer cells, irrespective of the p53 status. PSMD1 depletion-mediated cell death was accompanied by an increase in overall protein ubiquitination. These phenotypes occurred exclusively in cancer cells, with no effects observed in normal cells. These findings indicate that PSMD1 depletion-mediated ubiquitination of cellular proteins induces cell cycle arrest and eventual death in cancer cells, emphasizing PSMD1 as a potential therapeutic target in HCC.

Abnormal adipose tissue formation is associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and liver and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, identifying the novel factors that control adipogenesis is crucial for understanding these conditions and developing targeted treatments. In this study, we identified the melanosome-related factor MLPH as a novel adipogenic factor. MLPH was induced during the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. Although MLPH did not affect lipid metabolism, such as lipogenesis or lipolysis, adipogenesis was severely impaired by MLPH depletion. We observed that MLPH prevented excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lipid peroxidation during adipogenesis and in mature adipocytes. In addition, increased MLPH expression was observed under cirrhotic conditions in liver cancer cells and its overexpression also reduced ROS and lipid peroxidation. Our findings demonstrate that MLPH is a novel adipogenic factor that maintains redox homeostasis by preventing lipid peroxidation and ROS accumulation, which could lead to metabolic diseases.

Severe periodontitis affects nearly 1 billion individuals worldwide, highlighting the need for early diagnosis. Here, an integrated system consisting of a microfluidic chip and a portable point-of-care (POC) diagnostic device is developed using a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) chip fabrication and a three-dimensional printing technique, which is automatically controlled by a custom-designed smartphone application to routinely assess the presence of a specific periodontitis biomarker, odontogenic ameloblast-associated protein (ODAM). A sandwich-type fluorescence aptasensor is developed on a microfluidic chip, utilizing aptamer pair (MB@OD64 and OD35@FAM) selectively binding to target ODAM. Then this microfluidic chip is integrated into an automated Internet of Things (IoT)-based POC device, where fluorescence intensity, as a signal, from the secondary aptamer binding to ODAM in a sandwich-type binding reaction on the microfluidic chip is measured by a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera with a 488 nm light-emitting diode (LED) excitation source. Obtained signals are processed by a microprocessor and visualized on a wirelessly connected smartphone application. This integrated biosensor system allows the rapid and accurate detection of ODAM within 30 min with a remarkable limit of detection (LOD) of 0.011 nM under buffer conditions. Clinical application is demonstrated by successfully distinguishing between low-risk and high-risk individuals with 100 % specificity. A strong potential in the translation of this fluorescence-based microfluidic aptasensor integrated with an IoTbased POC system is expected to be employed for non-invasive, on-site, rapid, and accurate ODAM detection, facilitating periodontitis diagnosis.

To identify potential plasma biomarkers associated with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) and/or intraamniotic inflammation (IAI) in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). This retrospective cohort study included 182 singleton pregnant women with PPROM (23–33 weeks) who underwent amniocentesis. Plasma samples; all subjects were chosen from these participants and were analyzed using label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for proteome profiling using a nested case–control study design (cases with MIAC/IAI vs . non-MIAC/IAI controls [ n = 9 each]). Three identified target molecules for MIAC/IAI were further verified by ELISA in the study cohort ( n = 182). Shotgun proteomic analysis revealed 17 differentially expressed proteins ( P < 0.05) in the plasma of MIAC/IAI cases. In particular, the levels of FCGR3A and haptoglobin, but not LRP1, were found to be increased in the plasma of patients with MIAC, IAI, and both MIAC/IAI compared with those without these conditions. Moreover, these differences remained significant after adjusting for gestational age at sampling. The area under the curves of plasma FCGR3A and haptoglobin ranged within 0.59–0.65 with respect to each of the three outcome measures. Plasma FCGR3A and haptoglobin were identified as potential independent biomarkers for less-invasively detecting MIAC/IAI in women with PPROM.

In this study, we aimed to introduce a new electrochemical aptasensor based on the tyramide signal amplification (TSA) technology for a highly-sensitive detection of the pathogenic bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, as a model of foodborne pathogens. In this aptasensor, the primary aptamer, SA37, was used to specifically capture bacterial cells; the secondary aptamer, SA81@HRP, was used as the catalytic probe; and a TSA-based signal enhancement system comprising of biotinyl-tyramide and streptavidin-HRP as electrocatalytic signal tags was adopted to fabricate the sensor and improve the detection sensitivity. S. aureus cells were selected as the pathogenic bacteria to verify the analytical performance of this TSA-based signal-enhancement electrochemical aptasensor platform. After the simultaneous binding of SA37-S. aureus-SA81@HRP formed on the gold electrode, thousands of @HRP molecules could be bound onto the biotynyl tyramide (TB) displayed on the bacterial cell surface through a catalytic reaction between HRP and H2O2, resulting in the generation of the highly amplified signals mediated by HRP reactions. This developed aptasensor could detect S. aureus bacterial cells at an ultra-low concentration, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3 CFU/mL in buffer. Furthermore, this chronoamperometry aptasensor successfully detected target cells in both tap water and beef broth with LOD to be 8 CFU/mL, which are very high sensitivity and specificity. Overall, this electrochemical aptasensor using TSA-based signal-enhancement could be a very useful tool for the ultrasensitive detection of foodborne pathogens in food and water safety and environmental monitoring.

Aptamers are a versatile class of receptors with a high affinity and selectivity for specific targets. Although their ability to recognize individual targets has been extensively studied, some scenarios require the development of receptors capable of identifying all target groups. This study investigated the use of aptamers to achieve the broad-spectrum recognition of groups instead of individual targets. Aptamers were screened for selectively distinct groups of Cronobacter species associated with foodborne diseases. Seven Cronobacter spp. were divided into Group A (C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis, and C. muytjensii) and Group B (C. dublinensis, C. condimenti, and C. universalis). Aptamers with exclusive selectivity for each group were identified, allowing binding to the species within their designated group while excluding those from the other group. The screened aptamers demonstrated reliable affinity and specificity with dissociation constants ranging from 1.3 to 399.7 nM for Group A and 4.0-24.5 nM for Group B. These aptamers have also been successfully employed as receptors in an electrochemical biosensor platform, enabling the selective detection of each group based on the corresponding aptamer (limit of detection was 7.8 and 3.2 CFU for Group A and Group B, respectively). The electrochemical sensor effectively detected the extent of infection in each group in powdered infant formula samples. This study highlights the successful screening and application of group-selective aptamers as sensing receptors, emphasizing their potential for diverse applications in different fields such as food safety, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics, where the selective biosensing of target groups is crucial.

Biosensors are utilized in several different fields, including medicine, food, and the environment; in this review, we examine recent developments in biosensors for healthcare. These involve three distinct types of biosensor: biosensors for in vitro diagnosis with blood, saliva, or urine samples; continuous monitoring biosensors (CMBs); and wearable biosensors. Biosensors for in vitro diagnosis have seen a significant expansion recently, with newly reported clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas methodologies and improvements to many established integrated biosensor devices, including lateral flow assays (LFAs) and microfluidic/electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (μPADs/ePADs). We conclude with a discussion of two novel groups of biosensors that have drawn great attention recently, continuous monitoring and wearable biosensors, as well as with perspectives on the commercialization and future of biosensors.

Although biomarker candidates associated with psoriasis have been suggested, those for predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) early in patients with psoriasis are lacking. We aimed to identify candidate biomarkers that can predict the occurrence of CVD in psoriasis patients. We pursued quantitative proteomic analysis of serum samples composed of three groups: psoriasis patients with and those without CVD risk factors, and healthy controls. Age/Sex-matched serum samples were selected and labeled with 16-plex tandem mass tag (TMT) and analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and subsequent verification with ELISA. Of the 184 proteins that showed statistical significance (P-value < 0.05) among the three groups according to TMT-based quantitative analysis, 98 proteins showed significant differences (> 2.0-fold) between the psoriasis groups with and without CVD risk factors. Verification by ELISA revealed that caldesmon (CALD1), myeloid cell nuclear differentiation antigen (MNDA), and zyxin (ZYX) levels were significantly increased in the psoriasis group with CVD risk factors. Further network analysis identified pathways including integrin signaling, which could be related to platelet aggregation, and actin cytoskeleton signaling. Three novel candidates (MNDA, ZYX, and CALD1) could be potential biomarkers for predicting CVD risks in psoriasis patients. We expect these biomarker candidates can be used to predict CVD risk in psoriasis patients in clinical settings although further studies including large validation are needed.

Visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin (vaspin) is a biomarker associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which are prevalent and increasing in numbers worldwide. However, the sensitivity of existing aptasensors for vaspin detection does not yet match the reported serum levels. Aptamer sequences could contain nonessential nucleotides, which can be truncated out to potentially enhance their functionality and applicability. In this study, we developed a novel truncation method, a nonessentials-guided in situ truncation strategy to generate high -affinity aptamers by directly removing the nonessential portions of the aptamer sequences using exonucleases from the aptamer-protein complex kept stably. We applied this novel strategy to the original vaspin-binding aptamers, V1 and V49, resulting in two truncated aptamers, V1(3 '-5 ')-26 and V49(3 '-5 ')-30. These truncated aptamers showed enhanced binding affinity and specificity compared to their original aptamers. Confirmed to have different binding sites, this pair of truncated aptamers was successfully incorporated into a sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor. This aptasensor achieved 16-fold higher sensitivity than the one using untruncated aptamers and enabled specific detection of vaspin in a buffer and even sensitive detection in serum within the physiological range. The reduced size of the aptamers could potentially cover the surface of the sensing platform, blocking nonspecific binding, thereby lowering the blank value, and improving the signal-to-noise ratio and limit of detection. This approach highlights the potential of the nonessentials-guided in situ truncation strategy for developing improved truncated aptamers, examining aptamer binding sites, and enhancing the analytical per-formance of biosensing platforms.

Accurate, onsite detection of pathogenic bacteria from food matrices is required to rapidly respond to pathogen outbreaks. However, accurately detecting whole-cell bacteria in large sample volumes without an enrichment step remains a challenge. Therefore, bacterial samples must be concentrated, identified, and quantified. We developed a tunable magnetic capturing cartridge (TMCC) and combined it with a portable digital fluorescence reader for quick, onsite, quantitative detection of Staphylococcus aureus. The TMCC platform integrates an absorption pad impregnated with water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with an injection-molded polycarbonate (PC) plate that has a hard magnet on its back and an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene case. An S. aureus-specific antibody conjugated with magnetic nanoparticles was used to concentrate bacteria from a large-volume sample and capture bacteria within the TMCC. The retention time for capturing bacteria on the TMCC was adjusted by controlling the concentration and volume of the PVA solution. Concentrated bacterial samples bound to target-specific aptamer probes conjugated with quantum dots were loaded into the TMCC for a controlled time, followed by attachment of the bacteria to the PC plate and removal of unbound aptamer probes with wash buffer. The captured bacteria were quantified using a digital fluorescence reader equipped with an embedded program that automatically counts fluorescently tagged bacteria. The bacterial count made using the TMCC was comparable to a standard plate count (R2 = 0.9898), with assay sensitivity and specificity of 94.3 and 100%, respectively.

A novel bioprocess for treating high-strength food waste-recycling wastewater (FRW) by using endosporeforming bacteria was developed and evaluated under various hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and sequentially decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Four Bacillus species (i.e., B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. mycoides, and B. thuringiensis) were added to the laboratory-scale system operated for 200 days and fed with an influent of 30 g.BOD/L. The dominance of endospore-forming bacteria was achieved (> 65%) by adding Bacillus species, which decomposes macromolecular nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Longer HRT in the aerobic reactor led to a higher removal rate of organic matter, whereas endospore-forming bacteria were clearly identified in the anoxic reactor; the observed removal efficiency of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nitrogen, and phosphorus were 99.4%, 94.0%, 87.6%, 81.3%, and 91.4%, respectively, throughout the sequential aerobic-anaerobic reactors. The results show that the proposed system using endospore-forming Bacillus bacteria could be an effective alternative for high-strength FRW treatment.

Activation state of synovial macrophages is significantly correlated with disease activity and severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and provides valuable clues for RA treatment. Classically activated M1 macrophages in inflamed synovial joints secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, resulting in bone erosion and cartilage degradation. Herein, we propose extracellular vesicle (EV)-guided in situ macrophage reprogramming toward anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages as a novel RA treatment modality based on the immunotherapeutic concept of reestablishing M1-M2 macrophage equilibrium in synovial tissue. M2 macrophage-derived EVs (M2-EVs) were able to convert activated M1 into reprogrammed M2 (RM2) macrophages with extremely high efficiency (>90%), producing a distinct protein expression pattern characteristic of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. In particular, M2-EVs were enriched for proteins known to be involved in the generation and migration of M2 macrophages as well as macrophage reprogramming factors, allowing for rapid and efficient driving of macrophage polarization toward M2 phenotype. After administration of M2-EVs into the joint of a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model, the synovial macrophage polarization was significantly shifted from M1 to M2 phenotype, a process that benefited greatly from the long residence time (>3 days) of M2-EVs in the joint. This superb in situ macrophage-reprogramming ability of EVs resulted in decreased joint swelling, arthritic index score and synovial inflammation, with corresponding reductions in bone erosion and articular cartilage damage and no systemic toxicity. The anti-RA effects of M2-EVs were comparable to those of the conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, Methotrexate, which causes a range of toxic adverse effects, including gastrointestinal mucosal injury. Overall, our EV-guided reprogramming strategy for in situ tuning of macrophage responses holds great promise for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases in addition to RA.

A pair of aptamers for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is immensely needed for developing sandwich-type signal-on electrochemical aptasensors. In this study, we have successfully developed a cognate pair of aptamers that bind to S. aureus simultaneously, among many aptamer candidates screened out after a total of ten rounds of bacterial cell-based systemic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). The obtained aptamer candidates have been estimated by using flow cytometry and confocal microscope, to evaluate their binding affinity and specificity to the target cells. The screening for sandwich-type binding of cognate pair of aptamers with S. aureus was conducted by enzyme-based colorimetric assay and confirmed by circular dichroism (CD), two-color fluorescence imaging analysis, additionally. The cognate pair of two aptamers, named SA37 and SA81, showed very good affinity and specificity to S. aureus with their dissociation constants (Kd) of 16.5 ± 3.4 nM and 14.47 ± 8.18 nM, respectively. These newly discovered cognate pair of aptamers have been very successfully implemented to develop a sandwich-type signal-on electrochemical biosensor with the limit of detection (LOD) of 39 CFUs and 414 CFUs in buffer and spiked tap water samples, respectively. This study showed that this cognate pair of aptamers-based detection of S. aureus enables simple, rapid, and robust biosensors for food safety management.

1. Introduction In this study, we report an innovative electrochemical aptasensor based on the labeling aptamer with quasi-direct electron transfer (quasi-DET)-type redox-enzyme, by developing a breakthrough technological platform to prepare one-to-one complex of enzyme and aptamer. The chronoamperometric-based electrochemical aptasensor is an ideal sensor principle using aptamers for biomolecular recognition considering signal amplification by the labelled redox-enzyme. However, conventional methods to label aptamers with enzymes are chemical modification using cross-linking reagents, which often result in uncontrollable multimer-complexes. Therefore, the method to prepare enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complexes which yields in reproducible and designed enzyme-aptamer complex is technologically challenging. We here report the development of a novel technological platform to prepare enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex, based on biomolecular engineering concept. 2. Methods Enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex was constructed utilizing monomeric streptavidin (mSA) and biotin complex formation [1] [2]. We used FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Aspergillus flavus as an aptamer labelling enzyme, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) aptamer, as to proof of this conceptional study. VEGF is a biomarker for cancer diagnosis. We created the recombinant fusion protein of GDH and mSA (GDH-mSA). The combination of GDH-mSA with biotinylated anti-VEGF aptamer results in their one-to-one complex. To evaluate the formation of the complex and detect VEGF using GDH activity, we performed enzyme-linked aptamer assay (ELAA). Next, GDH-mSA was evaluated as a label enzyme for electrochemical aptasensor, by chronoamperometry analysis using one-to-one complex of GDH-mSA and thiolated and biotinylated aptamer on the gold electrode. Before the analysis, we modified GDH-mSA covalently with phenazine ethosulfate (PES) which was a redox probe enabling redox-enzymes to possess quasi-DET ability [3]. The formation of the enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex on the electrode and quasi-DET ability of PES-modified GDH-mSA was evaluated. 3. Results GDH-mSA showed dye-mediated GDH activity, indicating the fusion of mSA did not negatively affect the catalytic activity. As a result of ELAA, GDH-mSA showed remarkable GDH activity in the presence of VEGF and biotinylated anti-VEGF aptamer. This indicated one-to-one complex of GDH-mSA and biotinylated anti-VEGF aptamer was formed as we designed, and showed specific recognition and binding with VEGF. Chronoamperometry analysis was carried out, and the signal was increased strikingly upon the addition of glucose only with the gold electrode immobilizing PES-modified GDH-mSA with biotinylated aptamer. Unmodified GDH-mSA did not show quasi-DET. These results indicated our success in the construction of a novel technological platform to prepare enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex, based on biomolecular engineering concept. 4. Conclusions In this study, to circumvent the formation of uncontrollable multimer-complexes of enzymes and aptamers, we created enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex based on the mSA-biotin interaction. Thus designed enzyme-aptamer one-to-one complex was prepared without losing both characteristics and acknowledging both benefits. These results suggested that GDH-mSA and biotinylated aptamer complex can be applied for the development of quasi-DET-type aptasensor by simply modifying GDH-mSA with PES. These benefits of utilizing GDH-mSA combined with aptamer will lead to the further application of aptamer-based biosensing of various targets. 5. References [1] Lim, K. H., et al. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 110, 57 (2013) [2] Demonte, D., et al. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 98, 6285 (2014) [3] Hatada, M., et al. Bioelectrochemistry 121, 185 (2018)

PURPOSE:The aims of this study were to examine the salivary microbiota in conditions of periodontal health and disease and to explore microbial changes following nonsurgical periodontal treatment. METHODS:Non-stimulated saliva samples were collected from 4 periodontally healthy participants at baseline and from 8 patients with chronic periodontitis at baseline and 3 months following nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene from the DNA of saliva samples were amplified and sequenced. The salivary microbial compositions of the healthy participants and patients with periodontitis prior to and following nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis were compared based on the relative abundance of various taxa. RESULTS:On average, 299 operational taxonomic units were identified in each sample. The phylogenetic diversity in patients with periodontitis was higher than that in healthy participants and decreased following treatment. The abundance of the phylum Spirochaetes and the genus Treponema in patients with periodontitis was 143- and 134-fold higher than in the healthy control group, respectively, but decreased significantly following treatment. The species that were overabundant in the saliva of patients with periodontitis included the Peptostreptococcus stomatis group, Porphyromonas gingivalis, the Fusobacterium nucleatum group, Parvimonas micra, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Filifactor alocis, and Tannerella forsythia. The phylum Actinobacteria, the genus Streptococcaceae_uc, and the species Streptococcus salivarius group were more abundant in healthy participants than in those with periodontitis. There was a trend toward a decrease in disease-associated taxa and an increase in health-associated taxa following treatment. CONCLUSIONS:Our results revealed differences in the taxa of salivary microbiota between conditions of periodontal health and disease. The taxa found to be associated with health or disease have potential for use as salivary biomarkers for periodontal health or disease.