Streptococcus mutans is a gram-positive human pathogen primarily responsible for dental caries that utilizes quorum sensing (QS), a type of signal-mediated communication used by bacterial species, to determine its population density. The signaling molecule used in the QS circuit for S. mutans is the competence signaling peptide (CSP), and its concentration is directly proportionate to the bacterial population density. When the signal molecules attain a concentration representing high cell density, they can activate a signaling cascade resulting in a population-wide alteration of gene expression. Processes that are under the control of QS include virulence factor secretion, development of competence, sporulation and biofilm formation, and consequences of these microbial communities communicating through QS include antibiotic resistance and the development of pathogenicity. In this study, we aim to develop CSP-based QS modulators against the S. mutans circulatory as a means to mitigate infections caused by this pathogen.

Structure-activity relationship studies of the competence stimulating peptide (CSP) signal utilized by Streptococcus mutans

255th National Meeting (2018)

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