Diverse activity spectra of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances having activity against mutans streptococci

Mutans streptococci (MS) are known to be causative agents of dental caries. It has been suggested that these cariogenic bacteria could be eliminated from dental plaque by application of bacteriocins or bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS). In the present study 272 bacterial strains of the genera Streptococcus, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus were tested for their production of BLIS activity against MS by use of a deferred antagonism test on agar media supplemented with either whole blood or yeast extract. Although only 14.3% of the test strains displayed anti-MS activity, the inhibitory agents produced by these strains were characterised by considerable diversity in the range of their inhibitory action against both MS and other common oral streptococcal species. It is suggested that combinations of relatively specifically targeted anti-MS BLIS may have potential application to the prevention of dental caries.