Fig. 6.

Potential roles of gingival SCCs in oral microbiome regulation. a Taste-like gSCCs in mouse gingival tissue may detect bacterial signals (e.g., acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs)) via bitter taste receptors (Tas2rs), thus triggering host innate immune responses (e.g., antimicrobial peptide (AMP) secretion) to prevent the overgrowth of oral bacteria and also regulate the microbial composition. b The dysfunction of gSCCs may cause insufficient AMP secretion, rendering a dysbiotic microbiota characterized with increased bacterial load, diminished diversity, and increased levels of pathogens (e.g. NI1060). GEC gingival epithelial cells