Exploring the Regulatory Mechanisms of Mutanofactin Genes in Streptococcus mutans and Their Influence on Biofilm Formation: A transcriptomic analysis Metagenome
Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic infectious disease worldwide, with Streptococcus mutans as a key causative agent due to its notable biofilm-forming ability. While the role of autoinducers in S. mutans biofilm formation is well-studied, the impact of other small molecules remains largely unexplored. Mutanofactins, a class of polyketide/non-ribosomal peptide secondary metabolites, are emerging as potential modulators of S. mutans biofilm formation.Transcriptomics was employed to investigate gene expression variations in S. mutans NMT4863 across different growth phases and lifestyles, with the goal to identify metabolic factors that influence biofilm formation. The transcriptomic profiles of cells from early-log, mid-log, and stationary phases were compared, as well as those of stationary-phase planktonic and biofilm cells. Differentially expressed genes were identified, and pathway analyses highlighted significant alterations in metabolic and regulatory pathways. Specifically, the biosynthetic muf gene cluster, responsible for the production of the hybrid polyketide/non-ribosomal peptide mutanofactin predictably linked to biofilm formation, was analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.