Human saliva modifies growth, biofilm architecture, and competitive behaviors of oral streptococci
Authors: Choi Allen , Dong Kevin , Williams Emily , Pia Lindsey , Batagower Jordan , Bending Paige , Shin Iris , Peters Daniel I. , Kaspar Justin R. 
Published: February 2024

The bacteria within supragingival biofilms participate in complex exchanges with other microbes inhabiting the same niche. One example is the mutans group streptococci (
Streptococcus mutan
s), implicated in the development of tooth decay, and other health-associated commensal streptococci species. Previously, our group transcriptomically characterized intermicrobial interactions between
S. mutans
and several species of oral bacteria. However, these experiments were carried out in a medium without human saliva. To better mimic their natural environment, we first evaluated how inclusion of saliva affected growth and biofilm formation of eight
Streptococcus
species individually and found saliva to positively benefit growth rates while negatively influencing biofilm biomass accumulation and altering spatial arrangement. These results carried over during evaluation of 29 saliva-derived isolates of various species. Surprisingly, we also found that addition of saliva increased the competitive behaviors of
S. mutans
in coculture competitions against commensal streptococci that led to increases in biofilm microcolony volumes. Through transcriptomically characterizing mono- and cocultures of
S. mutans
and
Streptococcus oralis
with and without saliva, we determined that each species developed a nutritional niche under mixed-species growth, with
S. mutans
upregulating carbohydrate uptake and utilization pathways while
S. oralis
upregulated genome features related to peptide uptake and glycan foraging.
S. mutans
also upregulated genes involved in oxidative stress tolerance, particularly manganese uptake, which we could artificially manipulate by supplementing in manganese leading to an advantage over its opponent. Our report highlights observable changes in microbial behaviors through leveraging environmental- and host-supplied resources over their competitors.

IMPORTANCE

Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most prevalent disease for both children and adults nationwide. Caries are initiated from demineralization of the enamel due to organic acid production through the metabolic activity of oral bacteria growing in biofilm communities attached to the tooth’s surface. Mutans group streptococci are closely associated with caries development and initiation of the cariogenic cycle, which decreases the amount of acid-sensitive, health-associated commensal bacteria while selecting for aciduric and acidogenic species that then further drives the disease process. Defining the exchanges that occur between mutans group streptococci and oral commensals in a condition that closely mimics their natural environment is of critical need toward identifying factors that can influence odontopathogen establishment, persistence, and outgrowth. The goal of our research is to develop strategies, potentially through manipulation of microbial interactions characterized here, that prevent the emergence of mutans group streptococci while keeping the protective flora intact.