This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ahn, S.-J.
Right arrow Articles by Burne, R. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ahn, S.-J.
Right arrow Articles by Burne, R. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, September 2007, p. 6293-6302, Vol. 189, No. 17
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00546-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Oxygen on Biofilm Formation and the AtlA Autolysin of Streptococcus mutans{triangledown}

Sang-Joon Ahn and Robert A. Burne*

Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida 32610

Received 10 April 2007/ Accepted 25 June 2007

The Streptococcus mutans atlA gene encodes an autolysin required for biofilm maturation and biogenesis of a normal cell surface. We found that the capacity to form biofilms by S. mutans, one of the principal causative agents of dental caries, was dramatically impaired by growth of the organism in an aerated environment and that cells exposed to oxygen displayed marked changes in surface protein profiles. Inactivation of the atlA gene alleviated repression of biofilm formation in the presence of oxygen. Also, the formation of long chains, a characteristic of AtlA-deficient strains, was less evident in cells grown with aeration. The SMu0629 gene is immediately upstream of atlA and encodes a product that contains a C-X-X-C motif, a characteristic of thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases. Inactivation of SMu0629 significantly reduced the levels of AtlA protein and led to resistance to autolysis. The SMu0629 mutant also displayed an enhanced capacity to form biofilms in the presence of oxygen compared to that of the parental strain. The expression of SMu0629 was shown to be under the control of the VicRK two-component system, which influences oxidative stress tolerance in S. mutans. Disruption of vicK also led to inhibition of processing of AtlA, and the mutant was hyperresistant to autolysis. When grown under aerobic conditions, the vicK mutant also showed significantly increased biofilm formation compared to strain UA159. This study illustrates the central role of AtlA and VicK in orchestrating growth on surfaces and envelope biogenesis in response to redox conditions.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL 32610. Phone: (352) 392-4370. Fax: (352) 392-7357. E-mail: rburne{at}dental.ufl.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 6 July 2007.

Journal of Bacteriology, September 2007, p. 6293-6302, Vol. 189, No. 17
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00546-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Senadheera, D., Krastel, K., Mair, R., Persadmehr, A., Abranches, J., Burne, R. A., Cvitkovitch, D. G. (2009). Inactivation of VicK Affects Acid Production and Acid Survival of Streptococcus mutans. J. Bacteriol. 191: 6415-6424 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tremblay, Y. D. N., Lo, H., Li, Y.-H., Halperin, S. A., Lee, S. F. (2009). Expression of the Streptococcus mutans essential two-component regulatory system VicRK is pH and growth-phase dependent and controlled by the LiaFSR three-component regulatory system. Microbiology 155: 2856-2865 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Burne, R.A., Ahn, S.-J., Wen, Z.T., Zeng, L., Lemos, J.A., Abranches, J., Nascimento, M. (2009). Opportunities for Disrupting Cariogenic Biofilms. ADR 21: 17-20 [Full Text]  
  • Ahn, S.-J., Ahn, S.-J., Browngardt, C. M., Burne, R. A. (2009). Changes in Biochemical and Phenotypic Properties of Streptococcus mutans during Growth with Aeration. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2517-2527 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kajfasz, J. K., Martinez, A. R., Rivera-Ramos, I., Abranches, J., Koo, H., Quivey, R. G. Jr., Lemos, J. A. (2009). Role of Clp Proteins in Expression of Virulence Properties of Streptococcus mutans. J. Bacteriol. 191: 2060-2068 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stoodley, P., Wefel, J., Gieseke, A., deBeer, D., von Ohle, C. (2008). Biofilm Plaque and Hydrodynamic Effects on Mass Transfer, Fluoride Delivery and Caries. Journal of the American Dental Association 139: 1182-1190 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ahn, S.-J., Ahn, S.-J., Wen, Z. T., Brady, L. J., Burne, R. A. (2008). Characteristics of Biofilm Formation by Streptococcus mutans in the Presence of Saliva. Infect. Immun. 76: 4259-4268 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kreth, J., Zhang, Y., Herzberg, M. C. (2008). Streptococcal Antagonism in Oral Biofilms: Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii Interference with Streptococcus mutans. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4632-4640 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Winkler, M. E., Hoch, J. A. (2008). Essentiality, Bypass, and Targeting of the YycFG (VicRK) Two-Component Regulatory System in Gram-Positive Bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2645-2648 [Full Text]  
  • Ahn, S.-J., Wen, Z. T., Burne, R. A. (2007). Effects of Oxygen on Virulence Traits of Streptococcus mutans. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8519-8527 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»