Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Mol Oral Microbiol. 2012 Apr;27(2):57-69. doi: 10.1111/j.2041-1014.2011.00634.x. Epub 2011 Dec 23.
Streptococcus mutans is generally recognized as a causative agent of human dental caries. The production of mutacins (bacteriocins) by S. mutans is considered to be an important factor in the colonization and establishment of S. mutans in the dental biofilm. Two types of mutacins have been characterized: the lantibiotics and the non-lantibiotics. The lantibiotics generally have a wider spectrum of activity than the non-lantibiotics, which make them attractive targets for development into new antimicrobial modalities. The non-lantibiotics are much more prevalent among strains of S. mutans and play a significant role in both community-level and population-level interactions in the dental biofilm. These interactions are directly mediated through the ComCDE two-component system and the newly characterized LytTR Regulation Systems HdrRM and BrsRM. These systems coordinate natural competence development and mutacin production as a means to acquire transforming DNA either by killing closely related streptococcal species in the vicinity of S. mutans, or through an altruistic suicide mechanism among a subpopulation of competent cells within the S. mutans community. As more S. mutans strains are sequenced, it is anticipated that additional mutacins with novel functions will be discovered, which may yield further insights into the ecological role of mutacins within the oral biofilm.
变形链球菌通常被认为是人类龋齿的病原体。变形链球菌产生mutacins（细菌素）被认为是其在牙菌斑中定植和建立的重要因素。已经鉴定出两种类型的 mutacins：类细菌素和非类细菌素。类细菌素通常比非类细菌素有更广泛的活性谱，这使得它们成为开发新型抗菌模式的有吸引力的目标。非类细菌素在变形链球菌菌株中更为普遍，在牙菌斑的群落水平和种群水平相互作用中发挥重要作用。这些相互作用通过 ComCDE 双组分系统和新鉴定的 LytTR 调控系统 HdrRM 和 BrsRM 直接介导。这些系统协调自然感受性发展和 mutacin 产生，作为通过杀死变形链球菌附近的密切相关的链球菌种，或通过变形链球菌群落中具有感受性的细胞亚群的利他自杀机制来获取转化 DNA 的手段。随着越来越多的变形链球菌菌株被测序，预计将发现具有新功能的其他 mutacins，这可能进一步深入了解 mutacins 在口腔生物膜中的生态作用。
