title: Role of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in virulence of Streptococcus mutans.
abstract: An insertionally inactivated fabM strain of Streptococcus mutans does not produce unsaturated membrane fatty acids and is acid sensitive (E. M. Fozo and R. G. Quivey, Jr., J. Bacteriol. 186:4152-4158, 2004). In this study, the strain was shown to be poorly transmissible from host to host. Animals directly infected with the fabM strain exhibited fewer and less severe carious lesions than those observed in the wild-type strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Oral Biology, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Fozo
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott-Anne
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Quivey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated