The mouth presents a multiplicity of local environments in communication with one another via saliva. The spatial organization of microbes within the mouth is shaped by opposing forces in dynamic equilibrium—salivary flow and adhesion, shedding and colonization—and by interactions among and between microbes and the host. Here we review recent evidence confirming that oral microbes are specialized for individual habitats within the mouth and that microbial habitats and niches are defined by micron-scale gradients in combination with short- and long-range interactions. Micron-scale structure illuminates the roles of individual taxa and provides insight into their community ecology and potential pathogenicity.

嘴巴呈现出多种通过唾液相互交流的局部环境。口腔内微生物的空间组织是由动态平衡中的相反力——唾液流动和粘附、脱落和定殖——以及微生物与宿主之间的相互作用形成的。在这里，我们回顾了最近的证据，这些证据证实口腔微生物专门针对口腔内的个体栖息地，微生物栖息地和生态位是由微米级梯度结合短程和长程相互作用定义的。微米级结构阐明了单个分类群的作用，并提供了对其群落生态学和潜在致病性的洞察。