The MutRS quorum-sensing system controls lantibiotic mutacinproduction in the human pathogenStreptococcus mutans

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wyllie, Ryan M.; Jensen, Paul A.
• 署名单位: University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-8773
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2421164122
• 发表日期: 2025-02-18
• 关键词: streptococcus-mutans; biochemical-characterization; mutacin; purification; competence; strain

摘要

Microbes use quorum-sensing systems to respond to ecological and environmentalchanges. In the oral microbiome, the pathogenic bacteriumStreptococcus mutansusesquorum-sensing to control the production of bacteriocins. These antimicrobial peptideskill off ecological competitors and allowS. mutansto dominate the microenvironmentof dental plaques and form dental caries. One class of bacteriocins produced byS. mutans, the lantibiotic mutacins, are particularly effective at killing due to theirbroad spectrum of activity. Despite years of study, the regulatory mechanisms governingproduction of lantibiotic mutacins I, II, and III inS. mutanshave never been elucidated.We identified a distinct class of quorum-sensing system, MutRS, that regulatesmutacins and is widespread among the streptococci. We demonstrate that MutRSsystems are activated by a short peptide pheromone (Mutacin Stimulating Peptide)and show that MutRS controls production of three separate lantibiotic mutacins inthree different strains ofS. mutans. Finally, we show that paralogous MutRS systemsparticipate in inter- and intrastrain crosstalk, providing further evidence of the interplaybetween quorum-sensing systems in the oral streptococci.