PMID:12450853

Citation	Yoshida, A and Kuramitsu, HK (2002) Multiple Streptococcus mutans Genes Are Involved in Biofilm Formation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68:6283-91
Abstract	Streptococcus mutans has been strongly implicated as the principal etiological agent in dental caries. One of the important virulence properties of these organisms is their ability to form biofilms known as dental plaque on tooth surfaces. Since the roles of sucrose and glucosyltransferases in S. mutans biofilm formation have been well documented, we focused our attention on sucrose-independent factors. We have initially identified several mutants that appear to be defective in biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces by an insertional inactivation mutagenesis strategy applied to S. mutans. A total of 27 biofilm-defective mutants were isolated and analyzed in this study. From these mutants, three genes were identified. One of the mutants was defective in the Bacillus subtilis lytR homologue. Another of the biofilm-defective mutants isolated was a yulF homologue, which encodes a hypothetical protein of B. subtilis whose function in biofilm formation is unknown. The vast majority of the mutants were defective in the comB gene required for competence. We therefore have constructed and examined comACDE null mutants. These mutants were also found to be attenuated in biofilm formation. Biofilm formation by several other regulatory gene mutants were also characterized using an in vitro biofilm-forming assay. These results suggest that competence genes as well as the sgp and dgk genes may play important roles in S. mutans biofilm formation.
Links	PubMed PMC134449
Keywords	Biofilms/growth & development; Genes, Bacterial/physiology; Mutation; Streptococcus mutans/genetics; Streptococcus mutans/growth & development
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Annotations

Gene product	Qualifier	GO Term	Evidence Code	with/from	Aspect	Extension	Notes	Status
STRMU:Q8DW05		GO:0090609: single-species submerged biofilm formation	ECO:0000315:		P		Figure 3. shows decreased biofilm formation in comA deletion mutant in comparison to wild-type GS-5 strain.	complete CACAO 6027
STRMG:I6T5X7		GO:0090609: single-species submerged biofilm formation	IMP: Inferred from Mutant Phenotype:	P	Figure 2. lytR deletion mutant showed significantly reduced biofilm formation.	complete CACAO 6025
STRMU:Q8DW04		GO:0090609: single-species submerged biofilm formation	ECO:0000315:		P		Figure 2. shows significantly reduced biofilm formation of comB deletion mutant.	complete CACAO 6023
STRMU:Q8DS94		GO:0090609: single-species submerged biofilm formation	ECO:0000315:		P		Figure 3. shows reduced biofilm formation in comD deletion mutant.	complete CACAO 6028

References

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