DOI: 10.1128/iai.68.5.2621-2629.2000. Characterization of Recombinant, Ureolytic <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> Demonstrates an Inverse Relationship between Dental Plaque Ureolytic Capacity and Cariogenicity

Characterization of Recombinant, Ureolytic Streptococcus mutans Demonstrates an Inverse Relationship between Dental Plaque Ureolytic Capacity and Cariogenicity

10.1128/iai.68.5.2621-2629.2000

Crossref journal-article

American Society for Microbiology

Infection and Immunity (235)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dental caries results from prolonged plaque acidification that leads to the establishment of a cariogenic microflora and demineralization of the tooth. Urease enzymes of oral bacteria hydrolyze urea to ammonia, which can neutralize plaque acids. To begin to examine the relationship between plaque ureolytic activity and the incidence of dental caries, recombinant, ureolytic strains of Streptococcus mutans were constructed. Specifically, the ureABCEFGD operon from Streptococcus salivarius 57.I was integrated into the S. mutans chromosome in such a way that the operon was transcribed from a weak, cognate promoter in S. mutans ACUS4 or a stronger promoter in S. mutans ACUS6. Both strains expressed NiCl 2 -dependent urease activity, but the maximal urease levels in ACUS6 were threefold higher than those in ACUS4. In vitro pH drop experiments demonstrated that the ability of the recombinant S. mutans strains to moderate a decrease in pH during the simultaneous metabolism of glucose and urea increased proportionately with the level of urease activity expressed. Specific-pathogen-free rats that were infected with ACUS6 and fed a cariogenic diet with drinking water containing 25 mM urea and 50 μM NiCl 2 had relatively high levels of oral urease activity, as well as dramatic decreases in the prevalence of smooth-surface caries and the severity of sulcal caries, relative to controls. Urease activity appears to influence plaque biochemistry and metabolism in a manner that reduces cariogenicity, suggesting that recombinant, ureolytic bacteria may be useful to promote dental health.

Bibliography

Clancy, K. A., Pearson, S., Bowen, W. H., & Burne, R. A. (2000). Characterization of Recombinant, Ureolytic Streptococcus mutans Demonstrates an Inverse Relationship between Dental Plaque Ureolytic Capacity and Cariogenicity. Infection and Immunity, 68(5), 2621â2629.

Authors 4

K. Anne Clancy (first)
Sylvia Pearson (additional)
William H. Bowen (additional)
Robert A. Burne (additional)

References 39 Referenced 49

10.1177/00220345810600090101
10.1128/iai.22.3.721-726.1978
10.1128/aem.57.4.1134-1138.1991
10.1128/aem.53.9.2124-2128.1987
10.1016/0003-9969(71)90121-X
10.1139/m87-143
10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3
10.1177/00220345890680090101
10.1177/00220345980770030301
10.1128/iai.64.2.585-592.1996
10.1128/JB.180.21.5769-5775.1998
10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb12571.x
10.1159/000016432
10.1006/plas.1994.1077
10.1111/j.1600-0765.1971.tb00615.x
10.1128/iai.64.10.4319-4323.1996
10.1177/00220345580370060801
10.1128/iai.62.4.1241-1251.1994
10.1016/0003-9969(67)90183-5
Kleinberg I. Kanapka J. A. Craw D. Effect of saliva and salivary factors on the metabolism of the mixed oral flora Microbial aspects of dental caries. Stiles H. M. Loesche W. J. O'Brien T. C. 1976 433 464 Information Retrieval Inc. Washington D.C.
10.1128/iai.61.10.4375-4381.1993
10.1177/00220345880670120601
Marquis R. E. Burne R. A. Parsons D. T. Casiano-Colon A. C. Arginine deiminase and alkali generation in plaque Cariology for the nineties. Bowen W. H. Tabak L. A. 1993 309 318 University of Rochester Press Rochester N.Y
10.1128/mr.59.3.451-480.1995
10.1128/IAI.67.2.504-512.1999
10.1177/00220345830620071101
10.1177/00220345910700021701
10.1128/iai.57.3.805-809.1989
10.1203/00006450-198508000-00003
10.1016/0003-9969(89)90029-0
Sambrook J. Fritsch J. E. F. Maniatis T. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual 2nd ed. 1989 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor N.Y
10.1515/REVEH.1996.11.4.167
10.1016/0003-9969(83)90023-7
10.1016/0003-9969(85)90132-3
10.14219/jada.archive.1940.0178
10.1128/iai.49.1.76-83.1985
10.1159/000260740
10.1016/0378-1119(83)90022-7
10.1128/iai.60.9.3673-3681.1992

Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years, 1 month ago (July 27, 2002, 6:01 a.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 5 months ago (March 4, 2022, 8:40 p.m.)
Indexed	2 months ago (June 27, 2025, 3:46 a.m.)
Issued	25 years, 4 months ago (May 1, 2000)
Published	25 years, 4 months ago (May 1, 2000)
Published Print	25 years, 4 months ago (May 1, 2000)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Clancy_2000, title={Characterization of Recombinant, Ureolytic Streptococcus mutans Demonstrates an Inverse Relationship between Dental Plaque Ureolytic Capacity and Cariogenicity}, volume={68}, ISSN={1098-5522}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/iai.68.5.2621-2629.2000}, DOI={10.1128/iai.68.5.2621-2629.2000}, number={5}, journal={Infection and Immunity}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Clancy, K. Anne and Pearson, Sylvia and Bowen, William H. and Burne, Robert A.}, editor={Kozel, T. R.}, year={2000}, month=may, pages={2621–2629} }

JSON

{
  "indexed": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        6,
        27
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2025-06-27T07:46:48Z",
    "timestamp": 1751010408408
  },
  "reference-count": 39,
  "publisher": "American Society for Microbiology",
  "issue": "5",
  "license": [
    {
      "start": {
        "date-parts": [
          [
            2000,
            5,
            1
          ]
        ],
        "date-time": "2000-05-01T00:00:00Z",
        "timestamp": 957139200000
      },
      "content-version": "tdm",
      "delay-in-days": 0,
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license"
    }
  ],
  "content-domain": {
    "domain": [
      "journals.asm.org"
    ],
    "crossmark-restriction": true
  },
  "published-print": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2000,
        5
      ]
    ]
  },
  "abstract": "<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title>\n          <jats:p>\n            Dental caries results from prolonged plaque acidification that leads to the establishment of a cariogenic microflora and demineralization of the tooth. Urease enzymes of oral bacteria hydrolyze urea to ammonia, which can neutralize plaque acids. To begin to examine the relationship between plaque ureolytic activity and the incidence of dental caries, recombinant, ureolytic strains of\n            <jats:italic>Streptococcus mutans</jats:italic>\n            were constructed. Specifically, the\n            <jats:italic>ureABCEFGD</jats:italic>\n            operon from\n            <jats:italic>Streptococcus salivarius</jats:italic>\n            57.I was integrated into the\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans</jats:italic>\n            chromosome in such a way that the operon was transcribed from a weak, cognate promoter in\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans</jats:italic>\n            ACUS4 or a stronger promoter in\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans</jats:italic>\n            ACUS6. Both strains expressed NiCl\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            -dependent urease activity, but the maximal urease levels in ACUS6 were threefold higher than those in ACUS4. In vitro pH drop experiments demonstrated that the ability of the recombinant\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans</jats:italic>\n            strains to moderate a decrease in pH during the simultaneous metabolism of glucose and urea increased proportionately with the level of urease activity expressed. Specific-pathogen-free rats that were infected with ACUS6 and fed a cariogenic diet with drinking water containing 25 mM urea and 50 \u03bcM NiCl\n            <jats:sub>2</jats:sub>\n            had relatively high levels of oral urease activity, as well as dramatic decreases in the prevalence of smooth-surface caries and the severity of sulcal caries, relative to controls. Urease activity appears to influence plaque biochemistry and metabolism in a manner that reduces cariogenicity, suggesting that recombinant, ureolytic bacteria may be useful to promote dental health.\n          </jats:p>",
  "DOI": "10.1128/iai.68.5.2621-2629.2000",
  "type": "journal-article",
  "created": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2002,
        7,
        27
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2002-07-27T10:01:19Z",
    "timestamp": 1027764079000
  },
  "page": "2621-2629",
  "update-policy": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/asmj-crossmark-policy-page",
  "source": "Crossref",
  "is-referenced-by-count": 49,
  "title": "Characterization of Recombinant, Ureolytic\n            <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>\n            Demonstrates an Inverse Relationship between Dental Plaque Ureolytic Capacity and Cariogenicity",
  "prefix": "10.1128",
  "volume": "68",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "K. Anne",
      "family": "Clancy",
      "sequence": "first",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Sylvia",
      "family": "Pearson",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "William H.",
      "family": "Bowen",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "given": "Robert A.",
      "family": "Burne",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "<!--label omitted: 1-->Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "member": "235",
  "reference": [
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_2_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345810600090101"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_3_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.22.3.721-726.1978"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_4_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.57.4.1134-1138.1991"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_5_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/aem.53.9.2124-2128.1987"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_6_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9969(71)90121-X"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_7_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1139/m87-143"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_8_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_9_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345890680090101"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_10_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345980770030301"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_11_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.64.2.585-592.1996"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_12_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/JB.180.21.5769-5775.1998"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_13_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1111/j.1574-6968.1997.tb12571.x"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_14_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1159/000016432"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_15_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1006/plas.1994.1077"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_16_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1111/j.1600-0765.1971.tb00615.x"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_17_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.64.10.4319-4323.1996"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_18_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345580370060801"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_19_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.62.4.1241-1251.1994"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_20_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9969(67)90183-5"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_21_2",
      "unstructured": "Kleinberg\nI.\nKanapka\nJ. A.\nCraw\nD.\nEffect of saliva and salivary factors on the metabolism of the mixed oral flora\nMicrobial aspects of dental caries.\nStiles\nH. M.\nLoesche\nW. J.\nO'Brien\nT. C.\n1976\n433\n464\nInformation Retrieval Inc.\nWashington D.C."
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_22_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.61.10.4375-4381.1993"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_23_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345880670120601"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_24_2",
      "unstructured": "Marquis\nR. E.\nBurne\nR. A.\nParsons\nD. T.\nCasiano-Colon\nA. C.\nArginine deiminase and alkali generation in plaque\nCariology for the nineties.\nBowen\nW. H.\nTabak\nL. A.\n1993\n309\n318\nUniversity of Rochester Press\nRochester N.Y"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_25_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/mr.59.3.451-480.1995"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_26_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/IAI.67.2.504-512.1999"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_27_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345830620071101"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_28_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1177/00220345910700021701"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_29_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.57.3.805-809.1989"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_30_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1203/00006450-198508000-00003"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_31_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9969(89)90029-0"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_32_2",
      "unstructured": "Sambrook\nJ.\nFritsch\nJ. E. F.\nManiatis\nT.\nMolecular cloning: a laboratory manual\n2nd ed.\n1989\nCold Spring Harbor Laboratory\nCold Spring Harbor N.Y"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_33_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1515/REVEH.1996.11.4.167"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_34_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9969(83)90023-7"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_35_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0003-9969(85)90132-3"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_36_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.14219/jada.archive.1940.0178"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_37_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.49.1.76-83.1985"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_38_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1159/000260740"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_39_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1016/0378-1119(83)90022-7"
    },
    {
      "key": "e_1_3_2_40_2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "publisher",
      "DOI": "10.1128/iai.60.9.3673-3681.1992"
    }
  ],
  "container-title": "Infection and Immunity",
  "original-title": [],
  "language": "en",
  "link": [
    {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/IAI.68.5.2621-2629.2000",
      "content-type": "application/pdf",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "text-mining"
    },
    {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/IAI.68.5.2621-2629.2000",
      "content-type": "unspecified",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "similarity-checking"
    }
  ],
  "deposited": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2022,
        3,
        5
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2022-03-05T01:40:48Z",
    "timestamp": 1646444448000
  },
  "score": 1,
  "resource": {
    "primary": {
      "URL": "https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/IAI.68.5.2621-2629.2000"
    }
  },
  "subtitle": [],
  "editor": [
    {
      "given": "T. R.",
      "family": "Kozel",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": []
    }
  ],
  "short-title": [],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2000,
        5
      ]
    ]
  },
  "references-count": 39,
  "journal-issue": {
    "issue": "5",
    "published-print": {
      "date-parts": [
        [
          2000,
          5
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "alternative-id": [
    "10.1128/IAI.68.5.2621-2629.2000"
  ],
  "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/IAI.68.5.2621-2629.2000",
  "relation": {},
  "ISSN": [
    "0019-9567",
    "1098-5522"
  ],
  "subject": [],
  "container-title-short": "Infect Immun",
  "published": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2000,
        5
      ]
    ]
  },
  "assertion": [
    {
      "value": "1999-11-24",
      "order": 0,
      "name": "received",
      "label": "Received",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    },
    {
      "value": "2000-02-09",
      "order": 1,
      "name": "accepted",
      "label": "Accepted",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    },
    {
      "value": "2000-05-01",
      "order": 2,
      "name": "published",
      "label": "Published",
      "group": {
        "name": "publication_history",
        "label": "Publication History"
      }
    }
  ]
}