Glycosyltransferase-Mediated Biofilm Matrix Dynamics and Virulence of Streptococcus mutans

Abstract excerpt

Tooth decay, a costly and painful disease affecting the vast majority of people worldwide, is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus mutans . The bacteria utilize dietary sugars to build and strengthen biofilms, trapping acids onto the tooth’s surface and causing demineralization and decay of teeth. As knowledge of our body’s microbiomes increases, the need for developing therapeutics targeted to disease-causing...