{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,3]],"date-time":"2026-10-03T05:54:38Z","timestamp":1791006878992,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2001,2,1]],"date-time":"2001-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":980985600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Bacteriol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:p>\n            <jats:italic>Streptococcus mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            is a bacterium that has evolved to be dependent upon a biofilm \u201clifestyle\u201d for survival and persistence in its natural ecosystem, dental plaque. We initiated this study to identify the genes involved in the development of genetic competence in\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            and to assay the natural genetic transformability of biofilm-grown cells. Using genomic analyses, we identified a quorum-sensing peptide pheromone signaling system similar to those previously found in other streptococci. The genetic locus of this system comprises three genes,\n            <jats:italic>comC<\/jats:italic>\n            ,\n            <jats:italic>comD<\/jats:italic>\n            , and\n            <jats:italic>comE<\/jats:italic>\n            , that encode a precursor to the peptide competence factor, a histidine kinase, and a response regulator, respectively. We deduced the sequence of\n            <jats:italic>comC<\/jats:italic>\n            and its active pheromone product and chemically synthesized the corresponding 21-amino-acid competence-stimulating peptide (CSP). Addition of CSP to noncompetent cells facilitated increased transformation frequencies, with typically 1% of the total cell population transformed. To further confirm the roles of these genes in genetic competence, we inactivated them by insertion-duplication mutagenesis or allelic replacement followed by assays of transformation efficiency. We also demonstrated that biofilm-grown\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            cells were transformed at a rate 10- to 600-fold higher than planktonic\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            cells. Donor DNA included a suicide plasmid,\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            chromosomal DNA harboring a heterologous erythromycin resistance gene, and a replicative plasmid. The cells were optimally transformed during the formation of 8- to 16-h-old biofilms primarily consisting of microcolonies on solid surfaces. We also found that dead cells in the biofilms could act as donors of a chromosomally encoded antibiotic resistance determinant. This work demonstrated that a peptide pheromone system controls genetic competence in\n            <jats:italic>S. mutans<\/jats:italic>\n            and that the system functions optimally when the cells are living in actively growing biofilms.\n          <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1128\/jb.183.3.897-908.2001","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2002,7,27]],"date-time":"2002-07-27T10:01:09Z","timestamp":1027764069000},"page":"897-908","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":472,"title":["Natural Genetic Transformation of\n            <i>Streptococcus mutans<\/i>\n            Growing in Biofilms"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"183","author":[{"given":"Yung-Hua","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"<!--label omitted: 1-->Dental Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter C. Y.","family":"Lau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"<!--label omitted: 1-->Dental Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Janet H.","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"<!--label omitted: 1-->Dental Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard P.","family":"Ellen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"<!--label omitted: 1-->Dental Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dennis G.","family":"Cvitkovitch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"<!--label omitted: 1-->Dental Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"235","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/25.17.3389"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10454411980090010401"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3407","DOI":"10.1099\/13500872-140-12-3407","article-title":"Metabolic cooperation in oral microbial communities during growth on mucin","volume":"140","author":"Bradshaw D. 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