Deciphering the role of SMU.1147 in peptide-mediated signaling and competence in <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus mutans is a primary cariogenic pathogen involved in dental biofilm formation, a major virulence factor in the development of dental caries. In S. mutans, the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP), encoded by comC, plays a critical role in environmental stress response, growth regulation, and virulence expression. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis to investigate the role of SMU.1147, a unique core gene in S. mutans, in biological pathways related to transport, defense responses, and environmental sensing. The deletion of SMU.1147 led to the upregulation of genes involved in carbohydrate uptake and metabolism, particularly phosphotransferase system (PTS) transporters, thereby enhancing the sugar transport capacity. However, despite in

SUBMITTER: Kim JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11960140 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature