Streptococcus mutans Strains Isolated in Korea Can Hardly Metabolize Exogenous Nitric Oxide.
10.11620/IJOB.2015.40.4.217
- Author:
Hwa Jeong LEE
1
;
Iel Soo BANG
Author Information
1. Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Chosun University School of Dentistry, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea. isbang@chosun.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
nitric oxide;
nitric oxide consumtion;
oral cavity;
Streptococcus mutans
- MeSH:
Immunity, Innate;
Korea*;
Mouth;
Nitric Oxide*;
Parasites;
Reactive Nitrogen Species;
Salmonella enterica;
Streptococcus mutans*;
Streptococcus*
- From:International Journal of Oral Biology
2015;40(4):217-221
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans encounters a variety of host defense factors produced in oral cavity. Nitric oxide (NO) and NO-mediated reactive nitrogen species are potential antimicrobials of innate immunity that can threaten the fitness of S. mutans in their ecological niches. Streptococcal strategies to detoxify cytotoxic NO, which allow S. mutans to persist in caries or other environments of the oral cavity, remain unknown. In this study, we directly measured NO consumption rates of S. mutans isolated in Korea. Surprisingly, all S. mutans strains were unable to consume exogenous NO efficiently, while an intracellular parasite Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium expressing the NO-metabolizing enzyme flavohemoglobin consumed most of the NO. This result suggested that S. mutans has alternative detoxification systems for tolerating NO-induced nitrosative stresses.
