Functional analyses of expression and regulation of glucan-binding protein B in Streptococcus mutans

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24593089
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthodontic/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Okayama University (2013-2014); Osaka University (2012)
• Principal Investigator: FUJITA Kazuyo 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 講師 (00437386)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKANO Michiyo 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 教授 (30359848)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: Streptococcus mutans / グルカン結合タンパクB / mreC遺伝子 / mreD遺伝子 / 欠失変異株 / バイオフィルム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Streptococcus mutans is known to synthesize at least 4 different glucan-binding proteins (Gbps), of which GbpB has been purified and shown to be immunologically distinct from the other Gbps. GbpB is considered to play an important role in cell-wall construction. The mreC and mreD, encoding MreC and MreD, respectively, are essential proteins for lateral peptidoglycan synthesis are located upstream of the gbpB encoding GbpB. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the expression of mreC and mreD with focus on GbpB expression patterns. Transcriptional analysis showed that mreC, mreD, and gbpB constituted an operon. Next, MreC- and MreD-deficient mutant strains were constructed by insertional inactivation of the corresponding genes, and the expression level of gbpB was examined. gbpB expression was elevated in the MreC-deficient mutants and reduced in the MreD-deficient mutants. These results suggest that the mreC and mreD genes participate in regulation of gbpB gene expression.

Free Research Field

分子生物学