Differential response of Streptococcus mutans towards friend and foe in mixed-species cultures.

ABSTRACT: In the oral biofilm, the 'mitis' streptococci are among the first group of organisms to colonize the tooth surface. Their proliferation is thought to be an important factor required for antagonizing the growth of cariogenic species such as Streptococcus mutans. In this study, we used a three-species mixed culture to demonstrate that another ubiquitous early colonizing species, Veillonella parvula, can greatly affect the outcome of the competition between a pair of antagonists such as S. mutans and Streptococcus gordonii. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that S. mutans responds differentially to its friend (V. parvula) and foe (S. gordonii). In the mixed culture with S. gordonii, all but one of the S. mutans sugar uptake and metabolic genes were downregulated, while genes for alterna

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3352174 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature