Essential Roles of the sppRA Fructose-Phosphate Phosphohydrolase Operon in Carbohydrate Metabolism and Virulence Expression by Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans is a major etiologic agent for dental caries, primarily due to its ability to form biofilms on the tooth surface and to convert carbohydrates into organic acids. We have discovered a two-gene operon inS. mutans that regulates fructose metabolism by controlling the levels of fructose-1-phosphate, a potential signaling compound that affects bacterial behaviors. With fructose becoming increasingly common and abundant in the human diet, we reveal the ways that fructose may alter bacterial development, stress tolerance, and microbial ecology in the oral cavity to promote oral diseases.