[Link between sortase A function and cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutans: a preliminary metabolomics analysis]

This study intends to explore the mechanism underlying the support of sortase A (SrtA) of the cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans).

We performed a metabonomics study based on ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), in which we compared the extracellular metabolites of wild-type S. mutans UA159 with those of its SrtA-deficient strain. Metabolite differences among strains were identified using a combination of principal component analysis and orthogonality partial least square discriminant analysis.

Several differences corresponding mostly to unknown metabolites were identified. Some amino acids such as leucine and valine (δ 0.92×10⁻⁶-1.20×10⁻⁶), lactic acid ( δ1.28×10⁻⁶), oxoglutaric acid (δ 3.00×10⁻⁶), and glycine (δ 3.60×10⁻⁶) differed among strains.

This work establishes the feasibility of using ¹H NMR-based metabonomics to provide leads for research into molecular factors that promote caries. The database of microbial metabolites should be also improved in further studies.