HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary tables Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shemesh, M. Articles by Steinberg, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shemesh, M. Articles by Steinberg, D. Agricola Articles by Shemesh, M. Articles by Steinberg, D.

Differential gene expression profiling of Streptococcus mutans cultured under biofilm and planktonic conditions

Institute of Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Hebrew University-Hadassah, POB 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel

Correspondence
Doron Steinberg
dorons{at}cc.huji.ac.il

Streptococcus mutans often adopts a sessile biofilm lifestyle that differs greatly from that of free-living cells. Biofilm formation represents a protected mode of growth that allows cells to survive in hostile environments. In this study, in vitro comparative transcriptome analysis was carried out to identify genes that are differentially expressed in biofilm of S. mutans compared with free-living cells. DNA-microarray analyses indicated that about 12 % of genes showed significant differential expression: 139 were activated and 104 were repressed in biofilm vs the planktonic environment. The differential expression of 20 selected genes was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. In addition, regulation of expression of these genes during biofilm development was tested in 100 and 400 µm deep biofilms. Direct comparison of optical images consistently demonstrated that changes in biofilm thickness are accompanied by significant shifts in cell viability. From evaluation of gene expression patterns, it was shown that the majority of the genes tested were significantly down-regulated in 400 vs 100 µm deep biofilms. This study provides a genome-scale synopsis and adds important insights into gene expression in biofilm development processes of S. mutans, which are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of dental diseases.

The GEO Series accession number for the microarray data discussed in this paper is GSE6744.

The online version of this paper (at http://mic.sgmjournals.org) includes supplementary tables listing the genes displaying differences in expression in biofilms vs planktonic cultures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Steinberg, D. Moreinos, J. Featherstone, M. Shemesh, and O. Feuerstein Genetic and Physiological Effects of Noncoherent Visible Light Combined with Hydrogen Peroxide on Streptococcus mutans in Biofilm Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., July 1, 2008; 52(7): 2626 - 2631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Sztajer, A. Lemme, R. Vilchez, S. Schulz, R. Geffers, C. Y. Y. Yip, C. M. Levesque, D. G. Cvitkovitch, and I. Wagner-Dobler Autoinducer-2-Regulated Genes in Streptococcus mutans UA159 and Global Metabolic Effect of the luxS Mutation J. Bacteriol., January 1, 2008; 190(1): 401 - 415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Shemesh, A. Tam, and D. Steinberg Expression of biofilm-associated genes of Streptococcus mutans in response to glucose and sucrose J. Med. Microbiol., November 1, 2007; 56(11): 1528 - 1535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]