Genetic Mutations That Confer Fluoride Resistance Modify Gene Expression and Virulence Traits of Streptococcus mutans.

ABSTRACT: Fluoride is an inorganic monatomic anion that is widely used as an anti-cariogenic agent for the control of caries development. The aims of this study were to identify the mutated genes that give rise to fluoride-resistant (FR) strains of the cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans and explore how genetic alterations in the genome of an S. mutans FR strain optimize the metabolism(s) implicated in the expression of virulence-associated traits. Here, we derived an S. mutans FR strain from a wild-type UA159 strain by continuous shifts to a medium supplemented with increasing concentrations of fluoride. The FR strain exhibited a slow growth rate and low yield under aerobic and oxidative stress conditions and was highly sensitive to acid stress. Notably, microscopy observation displayed morpho

SUBMITTER: Lee HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8071458 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature