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. 2006 Feb;188(4):1628-32.
doi: 10.1128/JB.188.4.1628-1632.2006.

A eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinase is required for biofilm formation, genetic competence, and acid resistance in Streptococcus mutans

Haitham Hussain  1 , Pavel Branny, Elaine Allan
Affiliations

A eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinase is required for biofilm formation, genetic competence, and acid resistance in Streptococcus mutans

Haitham Hussain et al. J Bacteriol. 2006 Feb.

Abstract

We report an operon encoding a eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) and its cognate phosphatase (STPP) in Streptococcus mutans. Mutation of the gene encoding the STPK produced defects in biofilm formation, genetic competence, and acid resistance, determinants important in caries pathogenesis.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Physical map of the pppL/pknB locus. Thick arrows denote open reading frames. Putative promoter and terminator regions are represented as P and T, respectively. Genes were assigned putative functions based on high BLAST scores with known proteins (accession numbers of the closest orthologues in parentheses): 1, guanylate kinase (AAM79982); 2, RNA polymerase omega subunit (AAM79981); 3, primosomal replication factor Y (AAK34400); 4, methionyl tRNA formyltransferase (AAK34399); 5, rRNA methyltransferase (AAT87518); 6, conserved hypothetical protein (AAM79975); 7, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (AAK75626); 8, polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase (general stress protein 13) (AAK34392).
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of biofilm that developed on hydroxyapatite disks by S. mutans UA159 (A) and S. mutans PKNB (B). The intersecting lines indicate the position of the sagittal section (side panels). Dimensions of the region displayed are 167 by 167 μm (x-y perspective; square panel) and 167 by 28 μm (x-z perspective; rectangular panel). The images shown are representative of the biofilms after 24 h of growth.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Effect of pH on the growth of S. mutans strains UA159, PKNB, and PKNBC1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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