Identification of stress-responsive genes in Streptococcus mutans by differential display reverse transcription-PCR.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus mutans, which causes dental caries in the human oral cavity and occasionally causes infective endocarditis in the heart, withstands adverse environmental stress through diverse alterations in protein synthesis. Differential gene expression in response to environmental stress was analyzed by RNA fingerprinting using arbitrarily primed PCR with a panel of 11mer primers designed for differential display in Enterobacteriaceae. Dot and Northern blot hybridization confirmed that the transcription of several genes was up- or down-regulated following exposure to acid shock from pH 7.5 to 5.5. RNA of a gene designated AP-185 (acid-stress protein) was induced specifically by acid treatment, while RNA of GSP-781 (general-stress protein) was up-regulated significantly when bacteria were

SUBMITTER: Chia JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC98184 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature