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| Author(s): |
Julianna Joanna de Carvalho Moraes
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Piracicaba, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba |
| Defense date: | 2011-10-25 |
| Examining board members: |
Renata de Oliveira Mattos Graner;
Cristiane Yumi Koga Ito;
Ruchele Dias Nogueira;
Rafael Nobrega Stipp;
José Francisco Höfling
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| Advisor: | Renata de Oliveira Mattos Graner |
| Abstract | |
Streptococcus sanguinis are primary colonizers of the teeth and recognized as beneficial commensal microorganisms of the oral cavity because they are able to inhibit the growth of pathogenic species such as Streptococcus mutans. S. sanguinis are commonly involved in the infective endocarditis, although pathogenic mechanisms are still unknown. S. sanguinis are able to establish in biofilms and to adapt among various environmental stress conditions from competing microorganisms and/or from host defenses during colonization of enamel or endothelial tissues. Bacterial responses from environmental stress conditions are regulated by two-component global regulatory systems (TCS), which are essential to modulate the bacterial transcriptome during colonization and infection of the host. S. sanguinis SK36 genome contains at least 14 TCS. Through BLAST analyses, we identified a TCS with high similarity to VicRK system (vic from virulence control), which regulates virulence factors and is conserved in several species of gram-positive bacteria such as S. mutans and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The aim of this study was to characterize the role of VicRK system in S. sanguinis biology, by analyzing the effects of vicK inativation on several characteristics potentially associated with bacterial virulence and biofilm formation. For this purpose, vicK mutant gene knock-out was obtained from strain SK36 and it was designated SKvicK. SKvicK was compared to the wild-type strain about the ability to form biofilms and cellular traits which influence in the ability of host colonization (hydrophobicity, autolytic activity and sensitivity to oxidative stress) under diverse atmospheric conditions. Gene expression was also compared in the strains because these genes are potencially involved in virulence, whose orthologs are regulated by VicRK system in S. mutans and S. pneumoniae species. These include genes involved in biofilm formation and cell wall biogenesis (ssapcsB, lysM, gtfP), oxidative stress response and production of hydrogen peroxide (sodA, spxB, ccpA). The inactivation of vicK inhibited the initial formation of biofilms. Moreover, SKvicK showed increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and cell hydrophobicity. vicK gene inativation also signicantly down-regulated transcription of pcsB, lysM, spxB and comE. These data indicate that VicRK regulates several biological functions relevant for S. sanguinis colonization (AU) | |