Quorum sensing of Streptococcus mutans is activated by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and by the periodontal microbiome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The oral cavity is inhabited by complex microbial communities forming biofilms that can cause caries and periodontitis. Cell-cell communication might play an important role in modulating the physiologies of individual species, but evidence so far is limited.

Results

Here we demonstrate that a pathogen of the oral cavity, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. act.), triggers expression of the quorum sensing (QS) regulon of Streptococcus mutans, a well-studied model organism for cariogenic streptococci, in dual-species biofilms grown on artificial saliva. The gene for the synthesis of the QS signal XIP is essential for this interaction. Transcriptome sequencing of biofilms revealed that S. mutans up-regulated the complete QS regulon (transformasome and mutacins)

SUBMITTER: Szafranski SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359896 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature