Role of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in virulence of Streptococcus mutans.
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.
Fozo
Elizabeth M
EM
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Oral Biology, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Scott-Anne
Kathy
K
Koo
Hyun
H
Quivey
Robert G
RG
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
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated