EC Accepts, published online ahead of print on 28 August 2009

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Google Scholar Articles by Jarosz, L. M. Articles by Krom, B. P. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jarosz, L. M. Articles by Krom, B. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Eukaryotic Cell doi:10.1128/EC.00070-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Streptococcus mutans competence stimulating peptide inhibits Candida albicans hypha formation

Lucja M. Jarosz, Dong Mei Deng, Henny C. van der Mei, Wim Crielaard, and Bastiaan P. Krom^*

Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Cariology Endodontology Pedodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: b.p.krom{at}med.umcg.nl.

The oral cavity is colonized by microorganisms growing in biofilms, in which interspecies interactions takes place. Streptococcus mutans grows in biofilms on enamel surfaces and is considered one of the main etiologic agents of human dental caries. Candida albicans is also commonly found in the human oral cavity where it interacts with S. mutans. C. albicans is a polymorphic fungus and the yeast-to-hypha transition is involved in virulence and biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to investigate inter-kingdom communication between C. albicans and S. mutans, based on production of secreted molecules. S. mutans UA159 inhibited C. albicans germ-tube (GT) formation in co-cultures, even when physically separated from C. albicans. Only S. mutans spent media collected in the early exponential phase (4 h-old cultures) inhibited GT formation of C. albicans. During this phase, S. mutans UA159 produces a quorum sensing molecule, competence stimulating peptide (CSP). The role of CSP in inhibiting GT formation was confirmed using synthetic CSP and a comC deletion strain of S. mutans UA159, which lacks the ability to produce CSP. Other S. mutans strains and other Streptococcus spp. also inhibited GT formation but to different extents, possibly reflecting differences in CSP amino acids sequences among Streptococci spp. or differences in CSP accumulation in the media. In conclusion, CSP, a S. mutans quorum sensing molecule secreted during the early stages of growth, inhibits the C. albicans morphological switch.