Search for bacteriophages of black‐pigmented Gram‐negative anaerobes from dental plaque

Bacteriophages are widely distributed among the bacterial phyla and may be present in black-pigmented Porphyromonas and Prevotella spp. We initiated a search for bacteriophages of black-pigmented Gram-negative anaerobes from periodontal pockets for several reasons: (1) it is known from other bacteria-host systems that phages and other episomes may carry virulence factors; (2) bacteriophages may have an impact on plaque ecology and could thereby contribute to the development of periodontal disease and (3) bacteriophages and plasmids are invaluable tools for the genetic analysis of bacteria. In this study, we aimed to detect temperate phages by a plating assay.