title: Oral streptococci exhibit diverse susceptibility to human beta-defensin-2: antimicrobial effects of hBD-2 on oral streptococci.
abstract: We examined the antimicrobial effects of human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) on 17 species of oral streptococci to investigate the involvement of antimicrobial peptide activity in oral microflora development and the clinical use of the antimicrobial peptide for oral microflora control. Oral streptococci exhibit diverse levels of susceptibility to human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2). Two major cariogenic bacterial species, Streptococcus mutans ( S. mutans) and S. sobrinus, were found to be susceptible to the peptide, indicating that it is a potential therapeutic agent for preventing dental caries. S. mitis exhibited the lowest susceptibility to the peptide. S. mitis is a major indigenous bacterium in the oral microflora, and our results suggest that it might possess a certain resistance mechanism against hBD-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eisaku
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashizume
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Tosiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nisizawa
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hanada
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D034361:Streptococcus mitis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D023083:beta-Defensins