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Infection and Immunity, August 2004, p. 4895-4899, Vol. 72, No. 8
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.8.4895-4899.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inactivation of the ciaH Gene in Streptococcus mutans Diminishes Mutacin Production and Competence Development, Alters Sucrose-Dependent Biofilm Formation, and Reduces Stress Tolerance

Fengxia Qi,* Justin Merritt, Renate Lux, and Wenyuan Shi

Department of Oral Biology and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California 90095

Received 23 December 2003/ Returned for modification 1 March 2004/ Accepted 26 April 2004

Many clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans produce peptide antibiotics called mutacins. Mutacin production may play an important role in the ecology of S. mutans in dental plaque. In this study, inactivation of a histidine kinase gene, ciaH, abolished mutacin production. Surprisingly, the same mutation also diminished competence development, stress tolerance, and sucrose-dependent biofilm formation.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Oral Biology and Medicine, UCLA School of Dentistry, P.O. Box 951668, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668. Phone: (310) 267-2767. Fax: (310) 794-7109. E-mail: fqi{at}dentnet.dent.ucla.edu.

Editor: V. J. DiRita


Infection and Immunity, August 2004, p. 4895-4899, Vol. 72, No. 8
0019-9567/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.72.8.4895-4899.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




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