Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.30.2 (endonuclease)
 18,621 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Attempts to study the acquisition, transmission, and other aspects of the natural history of Streptococcus mutans infections in humans have been hampered by limitations and inconsistencies in methods by which phenotypic characteristics of individual isolates are examined. Because most mutans streptococci associated with human dental caries fall within the biotype I (serotypes c and f) grouping, designated S. mutans, these typing methods are of little value in distinguishing individual isolates. Here we show that strains of S. mutans obtained from over 30 individuals demonstrate unique "fingerprints" of chromosomal DNA digested with restriction endonuclease HaeIII. To demonstrate that this polymorphism in restriction fragments can be used to study the acquisition and transmission of this organism, we examined isolates of S. mutans from three mother-infant pairs obtained at the time the infant first became colonized by this organism. Results indicate that strains of S. mutans found in infants exhibit restriction fragment profiles identical to those of their mothers, strongly supporting the notion that mothers transmit this organism to their infants. Also, we show that strains of S. mutans with the same restriction fragment profile were stably maintained over a 3-year interval in the one mother-infant pair studied. Moreover, we found that mothers and their infants harbored only a few individual strains, suggesting that transmission of this organism is probably confined within discrete family cohorts. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the potential utility of genomic fingerprinting in studying the natural history of S. mutans infections in humans.
 ...
PMID:Genetic diversity within Streptococcus mutans evident from chromosomal DNA restriction fragment polymorphisms. 256 84

The aim of this study was to evaluate the consistency of the prevalence of mutans streptococci in a group of Swedish families. Eleven families, which had previously been examined for genotypes of mutans streptococci, were re-examined after 2-5 years. The families consisted of mother, father and a child (mean age 7.2 years at the follow-up examination). One father did not participate. Pooled plaque samples were obtained from buccal and occlusal surfaces. Isolates of mutans streptococci were genotyped using chromosomal DNA digested with restriction endonuclease HaeIII, separated by gel electrophoresis and visualised through UV illumination after ethidium bromide staining. Comparing the DNA fingerprints of mutans streptococci found at baseline and follow-up, 9 children harboured one or two genotypes which were similar on the two sampling occasions. Two of these children had also gained a genotype. The remaining 2 children had lost a genotype each and 1 of them had gained two new genotypes. All 21 adults showed one or two genotypes identical to those found at baseline. Nine of these 21 adults had also lost one genotype. Four of these 9 and additionally 4 of the remaining adults showed one or two new genotypes. Six mother-child pairs shared a genotype at baseline and this pattern remained for five pairs at the end of the study. The results suggest that genotypes of mutans streptococci have a fairly high degree of consistency in children between 3 and 8 years of age as well as in adults, indicating persistence of the strains. However, the results also indicate that some subjects may gain and/or lose genotypes.
Caries Res
PMID:Genotypes of mutans streptococci tend to persist in their host for several years. 1077 30

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was transmission between adults in Chinese families using chromosomal DNA fingerprinting. Plaque samples were obtained from buccal and occlusal surfaces of 11 married couples. The colonization levels of mutans streptococci were estimated as colony-forming units per milliliter, and caries experience was scored by decayed, missing and filled teeth. Information about medical history, diet regimes and age at marriage was obtained. The isolates were serotyped by biochemical test and genotyped using the restriction endonuclease HaeIII. The procedure was repeated after 3 months. The results showed that 1 couple had the same genotype of mutans streptococcus at the first examination, but this could not be repeated for the husband who had lost his mutans streptococci at the second examination. On the contrary, another couple that did not have the same mutans streptococcal genotype at the beginning had the same genotype after 3 months. No matching of genotypes was observed within 8 couples. In 1 male, no mutans streptococci were detected, therefore that couple was not considered. These data indicate that spouses had a chance to be infected by strains of mutans streptococci from another person. The results suggest that there may be transmission between adults in Chinese families, but it may be difficult for mutans streptococci to colonize another mouth permanently.
Caries Res
PMID:Transmission of mutans streptococci in adults within a Chinese population. 1206 67

The purposes of this study were to determine the age at the initial acquisition of mutans streptococci (MS) and to determine the transmission of MS among children at day nursery by describing the occurrence of genotypes prepared by chromosomal DNA fingerprinting of the bacteria using restriction endonuclease EcoRI and HaeIII. The samples were 39 children (23 boys and 16 girls) aged 0-5 years old, 14 pairs of parents and 6 nursery caretakers of a day nursery in Hiroshima city, Japan. The children had no dental caries throughout the experiment. Plaque samples of the children were taken using toothbrushes at 1 month intervals for 30 months. The initial acquisition of MS occurred between the ages of 8 months and 52 months with a mean age of 24.2 months. The cumulative probability of initial acquisition of MS increased rapidly at the age of 12 to 25 months after 10 to 20 primary teeth had erupted. Transmission of MS was found between child and mother (33.3%), child and father (8.3%) and child and others including amongst the children (58.4%), but no evidence of MS transmission from nursery caretakers was found. Two children acquired MS from intra- and extra-familial transmission. This study suggests that the child's environment also plays a role in the initial acquisition and transmission of MS, in addition to the oral condition of the children.
 ...
PMID:Initial acquisition and transmission of mutans streptococci in children at day nursery. 1261 13

The causative agent of dental caries in humans, Streptococcus mutans, outcompetes other bacterial species in the oral cavity and causes disease by surviving acidic conditions in dental plaque. We have previously reported that the low-pH survival strategy of S. mutans includes the ability to induce a DNA repair system that appears to involve an enzyme with exonuclease functions (K. Hahn, R. C. Faustoferri, and R. G. Quivey, Jr., Mol. Microbiol 31:1489-1498, 1999). Here, we report overexpression of the S. mutans apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease, Smx, in Escherichia coli; initial characterization of its enzymatic activity; and analysis of an smx mutant strain of S. mutans. Insertional inactivation of the smx gene eliminates the low-pH-inducible exonuclease activity previously reported. In addition, loss of Smx activity renders the mutant strain sensitive to hydrogen peroxide treatment but relatively unaffected by acid-mediated damage or near-UV irradiation. The smx strain of S. mutans was highly sensitive to the combination of iron and hydrogen peroxide, indicating the likely production of hydroxyl radical by Fenton chemistry with concomitant formation of AP sites that are normally processed by the wild-type allele. Smx activity was sufficiently expressed in E. coli to protect an xth mutant strain from the effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment. The data indicate that S. mutans expresses an inducible, class II-like AP endonuclease, encoded by the smx gene, that exhibits exonucleolytic activity and is regulated as part of the acid-adaptive response of the organism. Smx is likely the primary, if not the sole, AP endonuclease induced during growth at low pH values.
 ...
PMID:Smx nuclease is the major, low-pH-inducible apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease in Streptococcus mutans. 1580 17

The aim of the study was to examine the persistence of oral Streptococcus mutans in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy. Ten subjects, ranging in age from 20 to 67 years, participated. DMFT/DMFS, salivary level of mutans streptococci and oral health status were recorded. Pooled plaque samples were obtained from the cervical margins and the interproximal regions of all the teeth and the occlusal surfaces of the molars prior to, immediately after, 3 and 6 months after the completion of radiotherapy. At least 10 colonies of S. mutans were isolated from each subject and totally 645 isolates were genotyped by restriction endonuclease analysis. The results showed that the salivary level of S. mutans increased significantly with the reduction of salivary flow rate after radiotherapy. Each subject had at least 1 genotype of S. mutans isolated throughout the follow-up period. In 3 subjects who initially carried 2 or more genotypes, 1 or 2 genotypes of S. mutans could not be detected 3 months after treatment. Moreover, the genotypes that became undetectable were predominant bacteria in the first sampling. The result indicated that most S. mutans genotypes were persistent after radiotherapy but some genotypes that might not adapt to the alteration of oral environment became undetectable.
Caries Res
PMID:The persistence of Streptococcus mutans in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy. 1625 93