Streptococcus mutans
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| iStreptococcus mutans | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Streptococcus mutans 01.jpg Gram stain of S. mutans in thioglycollate broth culture.
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| Streptococcus mutans Clarke 1924 |
Streptococcus mutans is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic bacteria commonly found in the human oral cavity and is a significant contributor to tooth decay.<ref name=Sherris>Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology, 4th ed., McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9.</ref>,<ref name=Barron>Loesche WJ (1996). Microbiology of Dental Decay and Periodontal Disease. In: Barron's Medical Microbiology (Barron S et al, eds.), 4th ed., Univ of Texas Medical Branch. (via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-9631172-1-1.</ref> The microbe was first described by J. K. Clarke in 1924.<ref>Clarke, JK (1924). British Journal of Experimental Pathology, 5:141147.</ref>
[edit] Role in tooth decay
Along with S. sobrinus, S. mutans plays a major role in tooth decay, metabolizing sucrose to lactic acid.<ref name=Barron/> The acidic environment created in the mouth by this process is what causes the highly mineralized tooth enamel to be vulnerable to decay. S. mutans is one of a few specialized organisms equipped with receptors for adhesion to the surface of teeth. Sucrose is utilized by S. mutans to produce a sticky, extracellular, dextran-based polysaccharide that allows them to cohere to each other forming plaque. S. mutans produces dextran via the enzyme dextransucrase using sucrose as a substrate in the following reaction:
- n sucrose → (glucose)n + n fructose
Sucrose is the only sugar that S. mutans can use to form this polysaccharide.<ref name=Sherris/> Conversely, many sugars—glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose—can be digested by S. mutans to produce lactic acid as an end product. It is the combination of plaque and acid that leads to dental decay.<ref name=Brock>Madigan M; Martinko J (editors). (2005). Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 11th ed., Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-144329-1.</ref>
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
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es:Streptococos mutans nl:Streptococcus mutans ja:ミュータンス菌 pt:Streptococcus mutans
