Recent advances in defining the cariogenicity of mutans streptococci: molecular genetic approaches.

The application of molecular genetic approaches with oral mutans streptococci has resulted in the isolation of several genes which may be involved in the cariogenicity of these organisms. Among these are genes coding for cell surface proteins, sucrose metabolizing enzymes, and glycosyltransferase activities. The isolated genes have been utilized to create specific mutants of Streptococcus mutans to assess the potential roles of the gene products in cariogenicity both in vitro and in vivo. These approaches should prove useful in answering some still unresolved questions at the molecular level regarding the cariogenic properties of the organisms.