Abstract
The effect of bacteriocins produced by strains of Streptococcus mutans on the microbial composition of dental plaque was studied in gnotobiotic rats. In one set of tests, using S. mutans strains T2 and SW31, rats were simultaneously infected with the bacteriocinogenic parent (bac+) and corresponding bac− mutants, and the relative proportions of each strain present in three different tooth sites were determined at various time intervals after inoculation. Some animals were monoinfected with bac+ and bac− strains, and in vivo properties, such as plaque fermentation end products, amount of plaque formed, and cariogenicity, were measured. In another series of tests with strains T2 bac+ and T2 bac−, animals were sequentially inoculated with a time interval of 1 week. On simultaneous inoculation, the bac− mutant, which was sensitive in vitro to the bacteriocin produced by the parent, was totally unable to establish in a plaque consisting of the bac+ strain even when the challenging dose was increased 100-fold. In contrast, the bac+ strain was successful not only in invading an established bac− plaque but also in eventually almost eliminating the mutant. In monoinfected animals, there were no significant differences in plaque-forming ability, fermentation end products, or cariogenicity between the two strains. Also, bacteriocin activity was detected in plaque harboring the bac+ but not the bac− strain. The results not only indicate that bacteriocin activity can occur in vivo but also suggest that bacteriocinogeny might confer an ecological advantage upon a strain attempting to establish itself in an ecosystem.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Hardy K. G. Colicinogeny and related phenomena. Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Dec;39(4):464–515. doi: 10.1128/br.39.4.464-515.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mikx F. H., Van Der Hoeven J. S., Plasschaert A. J., König K. G. Effect of Actinomyces viscosus on the establishment and symbiosis of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis in SPF rats on different sucrose diets. Caries Res. 1975;9(1):1–20. doi: 10.1159/000260138. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mikx F. H., van der Hoeven J. S., Plasschaert A. J., König K. G. Establishment and symbiosis of Actinomyces viscosus, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mutans in germ-free Osborne-Mendel rats. Caries Res. 1976;10(2):123–132. doi: 10.1159/000260196. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ozanne G., Mathieu L. G., Baril J. P. Production of colicin V in vitro and in vivo and observations on its effects in experimental animals. Infect Immun. 1977 Sep;17(3):497–503. doi: 10.1128/iai.17.3.497-503.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rogers A. H. Bacteriocinogeny and the properties of some bacteriocins of Streptococcus mutans. Arch Oral Biol. 1976;21(2):99–104. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(76)90079-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rogers A. H., van der Hoeven J. S., Mikx F. H. Inhibition of Actinomyces viscosus by bacteriocin-producing strains of Streptococcus mutans in the dental plaque of gnotobiotic rats. Arch Oral Biol. 1978;23(6):477–483. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(78)90080-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Weerkamp A., Bongaerts-Larik L., Vogels G. D. Bacteriocins as factors in the in vitro interaction between oral streptococci in plaque. Infect Immun. 1977 Jun;16(3):773–780. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.3.773-780.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- van der Hoeven J. S., Franken H. C., Camp P. J., Dellebarre C. W. Analysis of bacterial fermentation products by isotachophoresis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Jan;35(1):17–23. doi: 10.1128/aem.35.1.17-23.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- van der Hoeven J. S., Toorop A. I., Mikx R. H. Symbiotic relationship of Veillonella alcalescens and Streptococcus mutans in dental plaque in gnotobiotic rats. Caries Res. 1978;12(3):142–147. doi: 10.1159/000260324. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]