d ‐Alanine metabolism is essential for growth and biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans

In this study, the addition of DCS blocked the d‐Ala metabolic pathway in S. mutans, leading to bacterial cell wall defects, significant inhibition of bacterial growth and biofilm formation, and reductions in extracellular polysaccharide production and bacterial adhesion. However, the exogenous addition of d‐Ala could reverse the inhibitory effect of DCS. Through the means of drug regulation, our study demonstrated, for the first time, the importance of d‐Ala metabolism in the survival and biofilm formation of S. mutans. If the growth of S. mutans can be specifically inhibited by designing drugs that target d‐Ala metabolism, then this may serve as a potential new treatment for dental caries.

Source: Oral Microbiology and Immunology - December 1, 2015 Category: Microbiology Authors: W. Qiu, X. Zheng, Y. Wei, X. Zhou, K. Zhang, S. Wang, L. Cheng, Y. Li, B. Ren, X. Xu, Y. Li, M. Li Tags: Original Article Source Type: research