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Differential regulation of Streptococcus mutans gtfBCD genes in response to copper ions

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Abstract

To persist in the oral cavity, bacteria must be able to tolerate environmental fluctuation, particularly in pH, nutrients, and essential elements. Glucosyltransferases B, C, and D of Streptococcus mutans synthesize glucans, and play essential roles in the sucrose-dependent adhesion of the organism to tooth surfaces. Transcriptions of gtfB, gtfC, and gtfD could be differentially regulated through independent promoters. To test the hypothesis that environmental factors frequently encountered in the dental plaque might serve as effector molecules involved in regulation, transcripts of individual gtfs were identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay and confirmed by Northern blot analysis using anti-sense RNA probes. When S. mutans was grown in different medium at low pH, differential regulation of the gtfs was observed. More specifically, the transcription and translational expression of gtfD but not gtfB and gtfC was specifically induced by copper ion (Cu2+). The up-regulation was independent of the Cu2+-transport operon copYAZ. These findings support the involvement of Cu2+ as an effector molecule in the regulation of S. mutans gtfD. Nutrient change dominates influence of pH but not the effect of Cu2+.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Howard K. Kuramitsu for plasmid pYNB13, pNH3, and pNH5 and Song F. Lee for strain JH1005 and S4. This work was supported in part by the National Science Council (grant NSC-902320-B002-134, NSC-942320-B002-007) and National Health Research Institute (grant NHRI- EX91-9139SI, NHRI-EX94-9432SI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Pei-Min Chen, Jen-Yang Chen & Jean-San Chia

  2. National Health Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Jen-Yang Chen

  3. Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Jean-San Chia

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  1. Pei-Min Chen
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  2. Jen-Yang Chen
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  3. Jean-San Chia
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Correspondence to Jean-San Chia.

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Chen, PM., Chen, JY. & Chia, JS. Differential regulation of Streptococcus mutans gtfBCD genes in response to copper ions. Arch Microbiol 185, 127–135 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-005-0076-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-005-0076-2

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