Gene expression of Streptococcus mutans pknB mutant versus wild type strain
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ABSTRACT: Bacteria can detect, transmit and react to signals from the outside world by using two-component systems an serine-threonine kinases and phosphatases. Streptococcus mutans contains one serine-threonine kinase, encoded by pknB. A gene encoding a serine-threonine phosphatase, pppL, is located downstream of pknB. In this study, the phenotypes of single mutants in pknB and pppL and a pknBpppL double mutant were characterized. All mutants exhibited a reduction in genetic transformability and biofilm formation, showed abnormal cell shapes, grew slower than the wild type strain in several complex media and had lost acid tolerance. The mutants had reduced cariogenic capacity, but no defects in colonization in a rat caries model. Whole genome transcriptome analysis revealed that pknB mutant showed reduced expression of genes involved in bacteriocin production and genetic competence. Among the genes that were diferentially regulated in the pknB mutant, severeal were likely to be involved in cell wall metabolism. One such gene, SMU.2146c and two genes encoding bacteriocins, were showed to be also down-regulated in vicK, which encodes a sensor kinase involved in response to oxidative stress. Collectively, the results suggest that PknB can modulate the activity of the two-component signal transduction systems vicKR and comDE. Real-time PCR showed that the genes down-regulated in the pknB mutant were up-regulated in the pppL mutant, indicating that PppL served to counteract PknB.
ORGANISM(S): Streptococcus mutans UA159
PROVIDER: GSE18355 | GEO | 2010/03/05
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA118107
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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