CcpA regulates biofilm formation and competence in Streptococcus gordonii

Abstract

Streptococcus gordonii is an important member of the oral biofilm community. As an oral commensal streptococcus, S.gordonii is considered beneficial in promoting biofilm homeostasis. CcpA is known as the central regulator of carbon catabolite repression in Gram-positive bacteria and is also involved in the control of virulence gene expression. To further establish the role of CcpA as central regulator in S.gordonii, the effect of CcpA on biofilm formation and natural competence of S.gordonii was investigated. These phenotypic traits have been suggested to be important to oral streptococci in coping with environmental stress. Here we demonstrate that a CcpA mutant was severely impaired in its biofilm-forming ability, showed a defect in extracellular polysaccharide production and reduced competence. The data suggest that CcpA is involved in the regulation of biofilm formation and competence development in S.gordonii.