Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, Vol 12, 301-314, Copyright © 2001 by International & American Associations for Dental Research

ARTICLES

Genetics of acid adaptation in oral streptococci

R. G. Quivey, W. L. Kuhnert and K. Hahn
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY 14642, USA. Robert_Quivey@urmc.rochester.edu

A growing body of information has provided insights into the mechanisms by which the oral streptococci maintain their niches in the human mouth. In at least one case, Streptococcus mutans, the organism apparently uses a panel of proteins to survive in acidic conditions while it promotes the formation of dental caries. Oral streptococci, which are not as inherently resistant to acidification, use protective schemes to ameliorate acidic plaque pH values. Existing information clearly shows that while the streptococci are highly related, very different strategies have evolved for them to take advantage of their particular location in the oral cavity. The picture that emerges is that the acid-adaptive regulatory mechanisms of the oral streptococci differ markedly from those used by Gram-negative bacteria. What future research must determine is the extent and complexity of the acid-adaptive systems in these organisms and how they permit the organisms to maintain themselves in the face of a low-pH environment and the microbial competition present in their respective niches.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Papadimitriou, E. Boutou, G. Zoumpopoulou, P. A. Tarantilis, M. Polissiou, C. E. Vorgias, and E. Tsakalidou RNA Arbitrarily Primed PCR and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Reveal Plasticity in the Acid Tolerance Response of Streptococcus macedonicus Appl. Envir. Microbiol., October 1, 2008; 74(19): 6068 - 6076. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Hasona, K. Zuobi-Hasona, P. J. Crowley, J. Abranches, M. A. Ruelf, A. S. Bleiweis, and L. J. Brady Membrane Composition Changes and Physiological Adaptation by Streptococcus mutans Signal Recognition Particle Pathway Mutants J. Bacteriol., February 15, 2007; 189(4): 1219 - 1230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Papadimitriou, H. Pratsinis, G. Nebe-von-Caron, D. Kletsas, and E. Tsakalidou Acid Tolerance of Streptococcus macedonicus as Assessed by Flow Cytometry and Single-Cell Sorting Appl. Envir. Microbiol., January 1, 2007; 73(2): 465 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. R. Griswold, M. Jameson-Lee, and R. A. Burne Regulation and Physiologic Significance of the Agmatine Deiminase System of Streptococcus mutans UA159 J. Bacteriol., February 1, 2006; 188(3): 834 - 841. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Zeng, Y. Dong, and R. A. Burne Characterization of cis-Acting Sites Controlling Arginine Deiminase Gene Expression in Streptococcus gordonii J. Bacteriol., February 1, 2006; 188(3): 941 - 949. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Hasona, P. J. Crowley, C. M. Levesque, R. W. Mair, D. G. Cvitkovitch, A. S. Bleiweis, and L. J. Brady Streptococcal viability and diminished stress tolerance in mutants lacking the signal recognition particle pathway or YidC2 PNAS, November 29, 2005; 102(48): 17466 - 17471. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Shibata, M. Kawada, Y. Nakano, K. Toyoshima, and Y. Yamashita Identification and Characterization of an Autolysin-Encoding Gene of Streptococcus mutans Infect. Immun., June 1, 2005; 73(6): 3512 - 3520. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Merritt, F. Qi, and W. Shi A unique nine-gene comY operon in Streptococcus mutans Microbiology, January 1, 2005; 151(1): 157 - 166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Zhang, Y. Lei, A. Khammanivong, and M. C. Herzberg Identification of a Novel Two-Component System in Streptococcus gordonii V288 Involved in Biofilm Formation Infect. Immun., June 1, 2004; 72(6): 3489 - 3494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. L. Len, D. W. S. Harty, and N. A. Jacques Stress-responsive proteins are upregulated in Streptococcus mutans during acid tolerance Microbiology, May 1, 2004; 150(5): 1339 - 1351. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. L. Len, D. W. S. Harty, and N. A. Jacques Proteome analysis of Streptococcus mutans metabolic phenotype during acid tolerance Microbiology, May 1, 2004; 150(5): 1353 - 1366. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. R. Griswold, Y.-Y. M. Chen, and R. A. Burne Analysis of an Agmatine Deiminase Gene Cluster in Streptococcus mutans UA159 J. Bacteriol., March 15, 2004; 186(6): 1902 - 1904. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Griswold, Y.-Y. M. Chen, J. A. Snyder, and R. A. Burne Characterization of the Arginine Deiminase Operon of Streptococcus rattus FA-1 Appl. Envir. Microbiol., March 1, 2004; 70(3): 1321 - 1327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Cotter and C. Hill Surviving the Acid Test: Responses of Gram-Positive Bacteria to Low pH Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., September 1, 2003; 67(3): 429 - 453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Duncan GENOMICSOF ORAL BACTERIA Crit. Rev. Oral. Biol. Med., May 1, 2003; 14(3): 175 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Duncan GENOMICS OF ORAL BACTERIA Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, May 1, 2003; 14(3): 175 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Merritt, F. Qi, S. D. Goodman, M. H. Anderson, and W. Shi Mutation of luxS Affects Biofilm Formation in Streptococcus mutans Infect. Immun., April 1, 2003; 71(4): 1972 - 1979. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y.-H. Li, P. C. Y. Lau, N. Tang, G. Svensater, R. P. Ellen, and D. G. Cvitkovitch Novel Two-Component Regulatory System Involved in Biofilm Formation and Acid Resistance in Streptococcus mutans J. Bacteriol., November 15, 2002; 184(22): 6333 - 6342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Ajdic', W. M. McShan, R. E. McLaughlin, G. Savic', J. Chang, M. B. Carson, C. Primeaux, R. Tian, S. Kenton, H. Jia, et al. Genome sequence of Streptococcus mutans UA159, a cariogenic dental pathogen PNAS, October 29, 2002; 99(22): 14434 - 14439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]