Affiliation:
1. Department of Oral Biology, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Streptococcus mutans
has been recognized as an important etiological agent in human dental caries. Some strains of
S. mutans
also produce bacteriocins. In this study, we sought to demonstrate that bacteriocin production by
S. mutans
strains GS5 and BM71 was mediated by quorum sensing, which is dependent on a competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) signaling system encoded by the
com
genes. We also demonstrated that interactions with some other oral streptococci interfered with
S. mutans
bacteriocin production both in broth and in biofilms. The inhibition of
S. mutans
bacteriocin production by oral bacteria was stronger in biofilms than in broth. Using transposon Tn
916
mutagenesis, we identified a gene (
sgc
; named for
Streptococcus gordonii
challisin) responsible for the inhibition of
S. mutans
bacteriocin production by
S. gordonii
Challis. Interruption of the
sgc
gene in
S. gordonii
Challis resulted in attenuated inhibition of
S. mutans
bacteriocin production. The supernatant fluids from the
sgc
mutant did not inactivate the exogenous
S. mutans
CSP as did those from the parent strain Challis.
S. gordonii
Challis did not inactivate bacteriocin produced by
S. mutans
GS5. Because
S. mutans
uses quorum sensing to regulate virulence, strategies designed to interfere with these signaling systems may have broad applicability for biological control of this caries-causing organism.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology
Cited by
115 articles.
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