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Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7315-7322, Vol. 191, No. 23
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00425-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Role of Intracellular Polysaccharide in Persistence of Streptococcus mutans{triangledown}

Monica Busuioc, Katarzyna Mackiewicz,{dagger} Bettina A. Buttaro, and Patrick J. Piggot*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140

Received 27 March 2009/ Accepted 21 September 2009

Intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) is accumulated by Streptococcus mutans when the bacteria are grown in excess sugar and can contribute toward the cariogenicity of S. mutans. Here we show that inactivation of the glgA gene (SMU1536), encoding a putative glycogen synthase, prevented accumulation of IPS. IPS is important for the persistence of S. mutans grown in batch culture with excess glucose and then starved of glucose. The IPS was largely used up within 1 day of glucose starvation, and yet survival of the parental strain was extended by at least 15 days beyond that of a glgA mutant; potentially, some feature of IPS metabolism distinct from providing nutrients is important for persistence. IPS was not needed for persistence when sucrose was the carbon source or when mucin was present.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 3400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140. Phone: (215) 707-7927. Fax: (215) 707-7788. E-mail: piggotp{at}temple.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 2 October 2009.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7315-7322, Vol. 191, No. 23
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00425-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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