The DOI matches its Crossref record; 144 of the 144 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Fueling the caries process: carbohydrate metabolism and gene regulation by Streptococcus mutans
Open accessAbstract
The nature of the oral cavity and host behaviors has mandated that the oral microbiota evolve mechanisms for coping with environmental fluctuations, especially changes in the type and availability of carbohydrates. In the case of human dental caries, the presence of excess carbohydrates is often responsible for altering the local environment to be more favorable for species associated with the initiation and progression of disease, including Streptococcus mutans. Some of the earliest endeavors to understand how cariogenic species respond to environmental perturbations were carried out using chemostat cultivation, which provides fine control over culture conditions and bacterial behaviors. The development of genome-scale methodologies has allowed for the combination of sophisticated cultivation technologies with genome-level analysis to more thoroughly probe how bacterial pathogens respond to environmental stimuli. Recent investigations in S. mutans and other closely related streptococci have begun to reveal that carbohydrate metabolism can drastically impact pathogenic potential and highlight the important influence that nutrient acquisition has on the success of pathogens; inside and outside of the oral cavity. Collectively, research into pathogenic streptococci, which have evolved in close association with the human host, has begun to unveil the essential nature of careful orchestration of carbohydrate acquisition and catabolism to allow the organisms to persist and, when conditions allow, initiate or worsen disease.
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![Fig. 1 S. mutans has evolved elegant strategies for coping with the diversity and availability of nutrients present within the oral cavity. When a preferred carbohydrate source, such as glucose, is present in abundant quantities, the elevated movement of metabolites through glycolysis profoundly alters many cellular properties. For instance, the kinase activity of the HPr kinase/phosphatase (HprK) is stimulated leading to an increase in the serine-phosphorylated species of HPr [HPr(Ser-P)]. HPr(Ser-P) acts as a co-factor of the major regulator CcpA to repress transcription of metabolic genes containing a catabolite response element (CRE) in their promoter regions, or in the cases of CcpA-independent CCR, directly affects transcription of genes associated with catabolism of non-preferred carbohydrate sources, a process that may also require certain PTS permeases. As the supply of available carbohydrate is diminished, the reduced quantity of readily metabolizable carbohydrate translates to a lower abundance of HPr(Ser-P). Without its co-factor, CcpA no longer functions as a repressor, and with lower levels of carbohydrate transport occurring, PTS porters remain predominately phosphorylated and play a less active role in CCR. Relief of repression by these factors allows for transcription of a variety of genes, including PTS porters, for sensing and accessing a diverse array of carbohydrate sources. Overall, PTS porters monitor the type and levels of carbohydrates present in the oral cavity, while the overall supply of carbohydrate in relation to cellular energy demands is monitored by the activity of HPr and CcpA.](/paper-figures/0bab60f8f4414040a73f106555b1a67d/fueling-the-caries-process-carbohydrate-metabolism-and-gene-regulation-by-i-figure-1.jpg)
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“The saccharolytic bacteria include Streptococcus, Actinomyces, and Veillonella, which have the unique ability to degrade carbohydrates via the Embden−Meyerhof−Pernas pathway, producing acidic by-products including lactate, acetate, ethanol, and formate [1,82].”
From A Cross-Talk between Diet and the Oral Microbiome: Balance of Nutrition on Inflammation and Immune System’s Response during Periodontitis (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“While diet influences the oral microbiome,22, 24, 26 recent data indicate that the oral microbiome influences the dietary preferences of its host.”
From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“Diet provides nutritional resources for the oral microbiota and also serves as a selective pressure by enriching for organisms best adapted to utilize specific host‐derived dietary resources.22”
From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“Such changes in diet were paralleled by pathologic changes to the oral microbiota, including greater representation of acid‐producing and acid‐tolerant organisms and periodontal pathogens.17, 22, 24, 25”
From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“Carbohydrate use by S mutans is a well‐recognized feature in the pathogenicity of dental caries.”
From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“Saccharolytic bacteria, including Streptococcus, Actinomyces, and Veillonella species, degrade carbohydrates via the Embden‐Meyerhof‐Parnas pathways to produce acidic by‐products, including lactate, acetate, ethanol, and formate, which cause demineralization of dental enamel and the development of carious lesions.”
From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
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Citations
Cites
Role of Streptococcus mutans in human dental decay
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“Human saliva serves a primary role in maintaining the health of oral sites, and the unique proteins and finely tuned buffering capacity of these fluids greatly impact the composition of the oral microbiota, in many cases preferentially selecting for the survival of non-cariogenic organisms (73).”
BackgroundPhosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase systems of bacteria
Postma, P. W., Lengeler, J. W., & Jacobson, G. R. (1993) · Microbiological Reviews · doi:10.1128/mr.57.3.543-594.1993 · Cited by 1,802
Evolution, consequences and future of plant and animal domestication
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“However, inactivation of the ccpA gene in S. mutans almost never results in alleviation of CCR.”
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BackgroundBowen, W. H., & Koo, H. (2011) · Caries Research · doi:10.1159/000324598 · Cited by 1,085 · cited 1×
“mutans on the smooth surfaces of the tooth (86).”
BackgroundGenome sequence of Streptococcus mutans UA159, a cariogenic dental pathogen
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Control of gene expression by a natural metabolite-responsive ribozyme
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“coli and other members of Enterobacteriaceae (103, 104), or by a metabolitebinding ribozyme in many Gram-positive organisms (105, 106).”
Background
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Oral Biofilms: Pathogens, Matrix, and Polymicrobial Interactions in Microenvironments
Bowen, W. H., Burne, R. A., Wu, H., & Koo, H. (2018) · Trends in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.tim.2017.09.008 · Cited by 1,059
“In low-carbohydrate conditions, a pyruvate-formate lyase funnels the pyruvate to acetate and formate, gaining an additional ATP, compared to the lactate pathway [73].”
BackgroundFan, X., Alekseyenko, A. V., Wu, J., Peters, B. A., Jacobs, E. J., Gapstur, S. M., Purdue, M. P., Abnet, C. C., Stolzenberg-Solomon, R., Miller, G., et al. (2018) · Gut · doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312580 · Cited by 702
The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease
Sedghi, L., DiMassa, V., Harrington, A., Lynch, S. V., & Kapila, Y. L. (2021) · Periodontology 2000 · doi:10.1111/prd.12393 · Cited by 755
Dental biofilm: ecological interactions in health and disease
Marsh, P., & Zaura, E. (2017) · Journal Of Clinical Periodontology · doi:10.1111/jcpe.12679 · Cited by 569
Periodontal Disease: The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown
Sedghi, L. M., Bacino, M. S., & Kapila, Y. L. (2021) · Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.766944 · Cited by 409
Metadata
- Authors
- Moye, Z. D., Zeng, L., & Burne, R. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Burne, Robert A.
- Venue
- Journal of Oral Microbiology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-01-01
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 24878
- ISSN
- 2000-2297 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4157138
- OpenAlex
- W2100691159
- Cited by
- 164
- References
- 142
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 1.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Journal of Oral Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (T32AI007110)
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (DE12236, R01DE019783, T90DE021990, R01DE012236)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Health and Care Utilization
- Keywords
- Streptococcus mutans, dental caries, carbohydrate metabolism, gene expression regulation, oral microbiota, chemostat cultivation, nutrient acquisition, bacterial pathogenicity, host-pathogen interaction, carbohydrate catabolism
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