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Hyperosmotic response of streptococcus mutans: from microscopic physiology to transcriptomic profile.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Oral streptococci metabolize carbohydrate to produce organic acids, which not only decrease the environmental pH, but also increase osmolality of dental plaque fluid due to tooth demineralization and consequent calcium and phosphate accumulation. Despite these unfavorable environmental changes, the bacteria continue to thrive. The aim of this study was to obtain a global view on strategies taken by Streptococcus mutans to deal with physiologically relevant elevated osmolality, and perseveres within a cariogenic dental plaque. RESULTS: We investigated phenotypic change of S. mutans biofilm upon hyperosmotic challenge. We found that the hyperosmotic condition was able to initiate S. mutans biofilm dispersal by reducing both microbial content and extracellular polysaccharides matrix. We then used whole-genome microarray with quantitative RT-PCR validation to systemically investigate the underlying molecular machineries of this bacterium in response to the hyperosmotic stimuli. Among those identified 40 deferentially regulated genes, down-regulation of gtfB and comC were believed to be responsible for the observed biofilm dispersal. Further analysis of microarray data showed significant up-regulation of genes and pathways involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Specific genes involved in heat shock response and acid tolerance were also upregulated, indicating potential cross-talk between hyperosmotic and other environmental stress. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperosmotic condition induces significant stress response on S. mutans at both phenotypic and transcriptomic levels. In the meantime, it may take full advantage of these environmental stimuli to better fit the fluctuating environments within oral cavity, and thus emerges as numeric-predominant bacterium under cariogenic conditions.

SUBMITTER: Liu C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4219374 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Hyperosmotic response of streptococcus mutans: from microscopic physiology to transcriptomic profile.

Liu Chengcheng C Niu Yulong Y Zhou Xuedong X Zhang Keke K Cheng Lei L Li Mingyun M Li Yuqing Y Wang Renke R Yang Yi Y Xu Xin X

BMC microbiology 20131201

<h4>Background</h4>Oral streptococci metabolize carbohydrate to produce organic acids, which not only decrease the environmental pH, but also increase osmolality of dental plaque fluid due to tooth demineralization and consequent calcium and phosphate accumulation. Despite these unfavorable environmental changes, the bacteria continue to thrive. The aim of this study was to obtain a global view on strategies taken by Streptococcus mutans to deal with physiologically relevant elevated osmolality, ...[more]

PMID: 24289739

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Project description:Oral streptococci metabolize carbohydrate to produce organic acids, not only decrease the environmental pH, but also increase osmolality of dental plaque fluid due to tooth demineralization and consequent calcium and phosphate accumulation. Thus, to persevere in the dental plaque, acidogenic bacteria should evolve sophisticated molecular machineries to counter the detrimental effect of elevated osmolality. This study was aimed to obtain a global view on strategies taken by streptococcus mutans to deal with physiologically relevant elevated osmolality, and preserves within a cariogenic dental plaque. We investigated phenotypic change of S. mutans biofilm upon sub-lethal level of hyperosmotic challenge. We found that hyperosmotic condition was able to initiate S. mutans biofilm dispersal by reducing both microbial content and extracellular polysaccharides matrix. We then used DNA microarray with qPCR validation to systemically investigate the underlying molecular machinery of this bacteria in response to hyperosmotic stimuli. Among those identified 50 differentially regulated genes, down-regulation of gtfB and comC were believed to be responsible for the observed biofilm dispersal. Further analysis of microarray data showed significant up-regulation of genes and pathways involved in carbohydrates metabolism. Specific genes involved in heat shock response and acid tolerance were also upregulated, indicating potential cross-talk between hyperosmotic and other environmental stress. Based on the data obtained in this study, we believe that although hyperosmotic condition may induce significant stress response on S. mutans, this cariogenic bacterium has evolved sophisticated molecular machineries to counter those elicited detrimental effects. In the meantime, it will take full advantage of these environmental stimuli to better fit the fluctuating environments within oral cavity, and thus emerge as numeric-predominant bacteria under cariogenic conditions. A six-chip study using total RNA recovered from mid-logarithmic phase of S. mutans UA159 from three separate cultures of strains submitted for 15 minutes to hyperosmotic stimuli (0.4M NaCl) and three separate cultures of strains kept under no stress condition.

Project description:Dental caries is closely associated with the virulence of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). The stress adaptation of S. mutans in the fluctuating oral environment is critical to the virulence expression of this bacterium. Here we used whole-genome microarrays to profile the dynamic transcriptomic responses of S. mutans during physiological heat stress. We also evaluated the phenotypic changes, including initial biofilm formation, acid production and ATP turnover of S. mutans during heat stress. We found that S. mutans responded to heat stress in a distinct pattern, which featured a differential transcription of 885 genes in total and 114 “core” transcripts throughout the six post-exposure time points investigated (5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min). Further gene ontology analysis showed that transcriptional changes of genes involved in transcriptional regulation and cellular homeostasis were critical for heat stress responses of S. mutans. In addition to those highly conserved heat-shock proteins, we observed differential expression of multiple transcriptional regulators. The expression of genes involved in sugar transport, soluble glucans biosynthesis (gtfC) and binding (gbpC) were upregulated, whereas genes involved in ABC transporters, insoluble glucans biosynthesis (gtfB) and binding (gbpB), which are critical for biofilm skeleton, were either down-regulated or unchanged. These results together with enhanced glycolytic activity, attenuated sucrose-dependent initial attachment and impaired biofilm architecture indicate metabolic adaptations by this bacterium to compensate the extra energy demand for a better fitness under adverse conditions. We used time series microarrays to detect the dynamic changes of S. mutans under heat stress. Mid-logarithmic phase cell cultures of S. mutans (OD600nm = 0.5) were incubated at 42℃ for 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, 45 min and 60 min, which were compared with the S. mutans cultured at 37℃. We applied three biological replicates at each time point.

Project description:Dental caries is the most common chronic infectious disease around the world and disproportionately affects the marginalized socioeconomic group. Streptococcus mutans, considered a primary etiological agent of caries, depends on the coordinated physiological response to tolerate the oxidative stress generated by commensal species within dental plaque, which is a critical aspect of its pathogenicity. Here, we identified and characterized a novel tetracycline repressor family regulator, SMU_1361c, which appears to be acquired by the bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. Surprisingly, smu_1361c functions as a negative transcriptional regulator to regulate gene expression outside its operon and is involved in the oxidative stress response of S. mutans. The smu_1361c overexpression strain UA159/pDL278-1361c was more susceptible to oxidative stress and less competitive against hydrogen peroxide generated by commensal species Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that smu_1361c overexpression resulted in the significant downregulation of 22 genes, mainly belonging to three gene clusters responsible for the oxidative stress response. The conversed DNA binding motif of SMU_1361c was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift and DNase I footprinting assay with purified SMU_1361c protein; therefore, smu_1361c is directly involved in gene transcription related to the oxidative stress response. Crucially, our finding provides a new understanding of how S. mutans deals with the oxidative stress that is required for pathogenesis and will facilitate the development of new and improved therapeutic approaches for dental caries.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus mutans is the major organism associated with the development of dental caries, which globally is the most common chronic disease. To persist and survive in biofilms, S. mutans must compete with commensal species that occupy the same ecological niche. Here, we uncover a novel molecular mechanism of how tetracycline repressor family regulator smu_1361c is involved in the oxidative stress response through transcriptomics analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and DNase I footprinting assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that smu_1361c mediates S. mutans sensitivity to oxidative stress and competitiveness with commensal streptococci. Therefore, this study has revealed a previously unknown regulation between smu_1361c and genes outside its operon and demonstrated the importance of smu_1361c in the oxidative stress response and the fitness of S. mutans within the plaque biofilms, which can be exploited as a new therapy to modulate ecological homeostasis and prevent dental caries.

Dataset Information

Hyperosmotic response of streptococcus mutans: from microscopic physiology to transcriptomic profile.

Publications

Hyperosmotic response of streptococcus mutans: from microscopic physiology to transcriptomic profile.

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