Arginine-specific effects on the transcriptome of Streptococcus mutans probed by RNA-seq. Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans is a common constituent of oral biofilms and a primary etiologic agent of human dental caries. The bacteria associated with dental caries have a potent ability to produce organic acids from dietary carbohydrates and to grow and metabolize in acidic conditions. In this study, we observed supplementation with 1.5% arginine (final concentration) had inhibitory effects on the growth of S. mutans in complex and chemically defined media, particularly when cells were exposed to acid or oxidative stress. Deep-sequencing of RNA (RNA-Seq) comparing the transcriptomes of S. mutans growing in a chemically defined medium with and without 1.5% arginine in neutral and acidic pH conditions and under oxidative stress conditions revealed interesting results. The results provide new insights into the mechanisms of action by which arginine inhibits dental caries through direct adverse effects on multiple virulence-related properties of the most common human dental caries pathogen. The findings significantly enhance our understanding of the genetics and physiology of this cariogenic pathogen. Overall design: mRNA profiling of S. mutans UA159 in FMC medium with and without 1.5% Arginine at pH 7.0, pH 5.5 and on oxidative stress with 0.5 mM hydrogen peroxide.