{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T09:52:08Z","timestamp":1791971528056,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791936000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791936000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Molecular Oral Microbiology"],"abstract":"ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n \n Streptococcus mutans<\/jats:italic>\n (\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n ) is a primary etiological agent in dental caries. However, longitudinal evidence regarding its role in caries initiation and progression remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n as a predictor of caries occurrence and progression.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n We first conducted a case\u2013control study to assess the prevalence of the\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n BGC using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Subsequently, a prospective cohort study was performed to evaluate the cariogenic potential of\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n . Caries increment over the follow\u2010up period was compared between children harboring\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010positive and\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010negative\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n .\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Initial screening targeting the glucosyltransferase B (gtfB) gene confirmed the presence of\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n . Among the 46\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010positive specimens, the prevalence of the\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n locus was higher in children with caries (44.12%, 15\/34) than in caries\u2010free controls (16.67%, 2\/12), corresponding to an odds ratio (OR) of 3.95. In the prospective cohort of 119 children, univariate analysis revealed that\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010positivity was associated with a 2.13\u2010fold increased risk of caries increment over the 6\u2010month follow\u2010up (60.7%\u00a0vs. 28.6%,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n < 0.01). Importantly, this association remained robust after multivariable adjustment for potential confounders, with\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010positivity continuing to confer nearly twice the risk of developing new carious lesions (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n < 0.01). Furthermore, an integrated risk stratification framework identified the double\u2010positive (\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n +<\/jats:sup>\n \/gtfB\n +<\/jats:sup>\n ) genotype as a high\u2010risk factor for caries progression, yielding an RR of 6.21 compared to the\n muf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2212<\/jats:sup>\n \/gtfB\n \u2212<\/jats:sup>\n baseline.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n \n BGC m\n uf<\/jats:italic>\n \u2010positive\n S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n is associated with increased caries progression in early childhood, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for identifying high\u2010risk individuals.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/omi.70042","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T09:22:49Z","timestamp":1791969769000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Biosynthetic Gene Cluster\n Muf<\/i>\n in\n Streptococcus mutans<\/i>\n Predicts Longitudinal Caries Progression in Young Children"],"prefix":"10.1111","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-5562-5458","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xinyue","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stomatology Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qiuping","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Translational Medicine Center Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Runzhe","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stomatology Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liang","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Translational Medicine Center Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mianjia","family":"Wan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stomatology Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6422-6522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jian","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Translational Medicine Center Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Weiping","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Translational Medicine Center Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yulin","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stomatology Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hua","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal and Child Health Research Institute Translational Medicine Center Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qun","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stomatology Guangdong Women and Children Hospital Guangzhou China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aleti G. J. L.Baker X.Tang et\u00a0al.2019. \u201cIdentification of the Bacterial Biosynthetic Gene Clusters of the Oral Microbiome Illuminates the Unexplored Social Language of Bacteria During Health and Disease.\u201dMBio10 no.2: e00321\u201319.","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.00321-19"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1455","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules27041455","article-title":"Virtual Screening, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Streptococcus mutans Mediated Biofilm Inhibitors","volume":"27","author":"Atta L.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Molecules"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1177\/003335491012500202","article-title":"Oral Health: The Silent Epidemic","volume":"125","author":"Benjamin R. M.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Public Health Reports"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-018-0585-4","article-title":"Are Standardized Caries Risk Assessment Models Effective in Assessing Actual Caries Status and Future Caries Increment? A Systematic Review","volume":"18","author":"Cagetti M. G.","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.00909-23","article-title":"mleS in Staphylococcus aureus Contributes to Microaerobic Metabolic Activity, Abscess Formation, and Survival in Macrophages","volume":"11","author":"Chen F.","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microbiology Spectrum"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","first-page":"167","article-title":"Dental Caries Status and its Associated Factors Among 3\u2010 to 5\u2010Year\u2010old Children in China: A National Survey","volume":"21","author":"Du M. Q.","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chinese Journal of Dental Research"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","first-page":"325","article-title":"Very High Salivary Streptococcus mutans Predicts Caries Progression in Young Children","volume":"38","author":"Edelstein B. L.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pediatric Dentistry"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","first-page":"88","article-title":"Early Childhood Caries\u2014A Diagnostic Enigma","volume":"19","author":"Folayan M.","year":"2018","journal-title":"European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034510385458","article-title":"Identification of Caries Risk Factors in Toddlers","volume":"90","author":"Fontana M.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Dental Research"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.2209\/tdcpublication.56.139","article-title":"Comparison of Dental Explorers and CPI\u2010Probes in Diagnosing Dental Caries","volume":"56","author":"Ishizuka Y.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Bulletin of Tokyo Dental College"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034508331011","article-title":"Predictors of Dental Caries Progression in Primary Teeth","volume":"88","author":"Ismail A. I.","year":"2009","journal-title":"Journal of Dental Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1186\/s13005-020-00237-z","article-title":"Dental Caries in Primary and Permanent Teeth in Children's Worldwide, 1995 to 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta\u2010Analysis","volume":"16","author":"Kazeminia M.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Head & Face Medicine"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","first-page":"95","article-title":"Risk Factors for Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta\u2010Analysis of Case Control and Cohort Studies","volume":"41","author":"Kirthiga M.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pediatric Dentistry"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2015.00010","article-title":"Streptococcus mutans\u2010Derived Extracellular Matrix in Cariogenic Oral Biofilms","volume":"5","author":"Klein M. I.","year":"2015","journal-title":"Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1186\/s13568-021-01263-z","article-title":"Mechanistic Insights Into the Inhibitory Effect of Theaflavins on Virulence Factors Production in Streptococcus mutans","volume":"11","author":"Kong J.","year":"2021","journal-title":"AMB Express"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.1111\/cdoe.12096","article-title":"Time Until First Dental Caries for Young Children First Seen in Federally Qualified Health Centers: A Retrospective Cohort Study","volume":"42","author":"Kuthy R. A.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prosdent.2013.07.014","article-title":"Dental Caries: An Updated Medical Model of Risk Assessment","volume":"111","author":"Kutsch V. 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F.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Dental Sciences"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1038\/srep37479","article-title":"Genome Mining Unveils Widespread Natural Product Biosynthetic Capacity in Human Oral Microbe Streptococcus mutans","volume":"6","author":"Liu L.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Scientific Reports"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1752-7325.2004.tb02721.x","article-title":"Is 75 Percent of Dental Caries Really Found in 25 Percent of the Population?","volume":"64","author":"Macek M. D.","year":"2004","journal-title":"Journal of Public Health Dentistry"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"648","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-023-03346-8","article-title":"Is Mutans Streptococci Count a Risk Predictor of Early Childhood Caries? A Systematic Review and Meta\u2010Analysis","volume":"23","author":"Manchanda S.","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_2_10_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"594","DOI":"10.1177\/00220345241303880","article-title":"Streptococcus mutans and Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta\u2010Analysis","volume":"104","author":"Mazurel D.","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Dental Research"},{"issue":"8","key":"e_1_2_10_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"969","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034520914519","article-title":"Caries\u2010Associated Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Streptococcus mutans","volume":"99","author":"Momeni S. S.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Dental Research"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.micro.54.1.49","article-title":"Biofilm Formation as Microbial Development","volume":"54","author":"O'Toole G.","year":"2000","journal-title":"Annual Review of Microbiology"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_2_10_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0061358","article-title":"Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Genomically\u2010Diverse Isolates of Streptococcus mutans","volume":"8","author":"Palmer S. R.","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"5","key":"e_1_2_10_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1038\/s41589-021-00784-9","article-title":"Mining for Mouth Metabolites","volume":"17","author":"Scharnow A. M.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nature Chemical Biology"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdent.2021.103664","article-title":"Assessment of Predictive Performance of Caries Risk Assessment Models Based on a Systematic Review and Meta\u2010analysis","volume":"110","author":"Su N.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Dentistry"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_10_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034517736496","article-title":"The Caries Microbiome: Implications for Reversing Dysbiosis","volume":"29","author":"Tanner A. C. R.","year":"2018","journal-title":"Advances in Dental Research"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_2_10_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1111\/ipd.12783","article-title":"The Global Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review With Meta\u2010Analysis Using the WHO Diagnostic Criteria","volume":"31","author":"Uribe S. E.","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry"},{"issue":"5559","key":"e_1_2_10_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1487","DOI":"10.1126\/science.295.5559.1487","article-title":"Extracellular DNA Required for Bacterial Biofilm Formation","volume":"295","author":"Whitchurch C. B.","year":"2002","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_35_1","volume-title":"Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2022.1018279","article-title":"New Insights Into the Role of Ribonuclease P Protein Subunit p30 From Tumor to Internal Reference","volume":"12","author":"Wu J.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Frontiers in Oncology"},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_2_10_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1667","DOI":"10.3892\/etm.2013.1066","article-title":"The Effect of Eugenol on the Cariogenic Properties of Streptococcus mutans and Dental Caries Development in Rats","volume":"5","author":"Xu J. 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A.","year":"2013","journal-title":"Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology"}],"container-title":["Molecular Oral Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/omi.70042","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/omi.70042","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/omi.70042","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T09:22:54Z","timestamp":1791969774000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/omi.70042"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]]},"references-count":38,"alternative-id":["10.1111\/omi.70042"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/omi.70042","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2041-1006","2041-1014"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2041-1006","type":"print"},{"value":"2041-1014","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-03-07","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-09-22","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-10-14","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"omi.70042"}}