Effects of Carbohydrate Source on Genetic Competence in Streptococcus mutans.

ABSTRACT:

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The capacity to internalize and catabolize carbohydrates is essential for dental caries pathogens to persist and cause disease. The expression of many virulence-related attributes by Streptococcus mutans, an organism strongly associated with human dental caries, is influenced by the peptide signaling pathways that control genetic competence. Here, we demonstrate a relationship between the efficiency of competence signaling and carbohydrate source. A significant increase in the activity of the promoters for comX, comS, and comYA after exposure to competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) was observed in cells growing on fructose, maltose, sucrose, or trehalose as the primary carbohydrate source, compared to cells growing on glucose. However, only cells grown in the presence of

SUBMITTER: Moye ZD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4984281 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature