Metabolic reprogramming by glutathione S-transferase enhances environmental adaptation of Streptococcus mutans.
10.7518/hxkq.2025.2025084
- Author:
Haoyue ZHENG
1
;
Xian PENG
1
;
Jing ZOU
1
Author Information
1. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Streptococcus mutans;
acid tolerance;
gene expression regulation;
glutathione S-transferase;
interspecies competition;
metabolic reprogramming;
oxidative stress
- MeSH:
Streptococcus mutans/enzymology*;
Biofilms;
Glutathione Transferase/physiology*;
Adaptation, Physiological;
Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology*;
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial;
Oxidative Stress;
Metabolic Reprogramming
- From:
West China Journal of Stomatology
2025;43(5):728-735
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:This study aims to investigate the impact of glutathione S-transferase (GST) on the environmental adaptability of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans).
METHODS:A GST knockout strain ΔgsT was constructed. Transcriptomic sequencing was performed to analyze the gene expression differences between the wild-type S. mutans UA159 and its GST knockout strain ΔgsT. Comprehensive functional assessments, including acid tolerance assays, hydrogen peroxide challenge assays, nutrient limitation growth assays, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, were conducted to evaluate the acid tolerance, antioxidant stress resistance, growth kinetics, and interspecies competitive ability of ΔgsT within plaque biofilms.
RESULTS:Compared with the wild-type S. mutans, 198 genes in ΔgsT were significantly differentially expressed and enriched in pathways related to metabolism, stress response, and energy homeostasis. The survival rate of ΔgsT in acid tolerance assays was markedly reduced (P<0.01). After 15 min of hydrogen peroxide challenge, the survival rate of ΔgsT decreased to 38.12% (wild type, 71.75%). Under nutrient-limiting conditions, ΔgsT exhibited a significantly lower final OD600 value than the wild-type strain (P<0.05). In the biofilm competition assays, the proportion of S. mutans ΔgsT in the mixed biofilm (8.50%) was significantly lower than that of the wild type (16.89%) (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:GST enhances the acid resistance, oxidative stress tolerance, and nutrient adaptation of S. mutans by regulating metabolism-related and stress response-related genes.
