Collagen Peptide in a Combinatorial Treatment with Lactobacillus rhamnosus Inhibits the Cariogenic Properties of Streptococcus mutans: An In Vitro Study.

Hee-Young Jung,Jae-Gyu Jeon,Dongyeop Kim,Sung Chul Yoo,Seon-Hwa Kim,Jian-Na Cai

doi:10.3390/ijms23031860

Hee-Young Jung, Jae-Gyu Jeon + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031860

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Abstract

Dental caries is caused by the formation of cariogenic biofilm, leading to localized areas of enamel demineralization. Streptococcus mutans, a cariogenic pathogen, has long been considered as a microbial etiology of dental caries. We hypothesized that an antagonistic approach using a prebiotic collagen peptide in combination with probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus would modulate the virulence of this cariogenic biofilm. In vitro S. mutans biofilms were formed on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite discs, and the inhibitory effect of a combination of L. rhamnosus and collagen peptide on S. mutans biofilms were evaluated using microbiological, biochemical, confocal imaging, and transcriptomic analyses. The combination of L. rhamnosus with collagen peptide altered acid production by S. mutans, significantly increasing culture pH at an early stage of biofilm formation. Moreover, the 3D architecture of the S. mutans biofilm was greatly compromised when it was in the presence of L. rhamnosus with collagen peptide, resulting in a significant reduction in exopolysaccharide with unstructured and mixed bacterial organization. The presence of L. rhamnosus with collagen peptide modulated the virulence potential of S. mutans via down-regulation of eno, ldh, and atpD corresponding to acid production and proton transportation, whereas aguD associated with alkali production was up-regulated. Gly-Pro-Hyp, a common tripeptide unit of collagen, consistently modulated the cariogenic potential of S. mutans by inhibiting acid production, similar to the bioactivity of a collagen peptide. It also enhanced the relative abundance of commensal streptococci (S. oralis) in a mixed-species biofilm by inhibiting S. mutans colonization and dome-like microcolony formation. This work demonstrates that food-derived synbiotics may offer a useful means of disrupting cariogenic communities and maintaining microbial homeostasis.

Highlights

Introduction iationsDental caries is one of the most prevalent biofilm and diet-dependent oral diseases worldwide, resulting in annual expenditures of over USD 40 billion and afflicting mostly underprivileged persons [1,2]
We examined whether L. rhamnosus modulated the virulence factors of S. mutans in the presence of collagen peptide (CP) by modifying a cariogenic biofilm structure, while rearranging bacterial organization to cause defective EPS matrix formation
The influences of CP on the cell viability of S. mutans and L. rhamnosus were determined by agar plate assay

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent biofilm and diet-dependent oral diseases worldwide, resulting in annual expenditures of over USD 40 billion and afflicting mostly underprivileged persons [1,2]. In this disease, a cariogenic pathogen, Streptococcus mutans, is often found along with other microorganisms [3,4,5]. An EPS-rich and acidic microenvironment is a key virulence factor that acts as a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold and protection barrier to diffusion, enhancing the cariogenic potential of an S. mutans-dominated biofilm. A bacteria-derived EPS-matrix enhances drug resistance, as adhered microbes are enmeshed within a shield that protects against antibiotics [7,8].

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