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| This Viewed as an opportunistic infection, dental disease is one of the most prevalent and costly infectious diseases in the United States. Streptococcus mutans is the primary bacterium involved in plaque formation on tooth surface which is initiation of dental caries (tooth decay). Therefore, this organism is considered to be the most cariogenic of all of the oral streptococci and also the primary microbial factor in the etiology of dental caries. Streptococcus mutans is carried by virtually everyone and it is found mostly on tooth surfaces and its colonization increases with age. One tooth may have a large number of these bacteria, while the tooth next to it may have only a small number. The bacteria are most concentrated in the crevices, pits, fissures that are a normal part of the teeth and surrounding structures. Streptococcus mutans is predominantly spherical or avoid in shape in a long chain-like figurer. Streptococcus mutans has a typical cell wall structure of a gram positive organism, comprised of peptidoglycan and polysaccharide, and poly-(glycerophosphate) chains of lipoteichoic acid which extend from the membrane, and cell wall or surface proteins (51) and give a red gram positive staining reaction.
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| Streptococcus mutans was first described by JK Clark in 1924 after he isolated it from a carious lesion but it wasn't until the 1960s that real interest in this microbe was generated when researchers began studying dental caries in Ernest.
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| ==Genome structure== | | ==Genome structure== |
Revision as of 06:57, 2 June 2007
Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain; Phylum; Class; Order; family [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]
Species
Genus species
Description and significance
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated.
Include a picture or two (with sources) if you can find them.
Genome structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?
Cell structure and metabolism
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology
Describe any interactions with other organisms (included eukaryotes), contributions to the environment, effect on environment, etc.
Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
Application to Biotechnology
Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?
Current Research
Enter summaries of the most recent research here--at least three required
References
[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.
Edited by student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano
