MICROBIAL GENOME PROJECT STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS

描述（改编自研究者摘要）：研究者 建议确定变形链球菌的全基因组序列， 这个应用程序。 几十年来，流行病学、生物化学和动物 研究表明，S.变形杆菌是主要的致病因子 人类龋齿（蛀牙）。 龋齿是最常见的 感染性疾病折磨着人类，在美国， 的17岁人士有现时或过往蛀牙的证据。 的 在美国，治疗牙齿感染的费用高达数十亿美元， 每年，和S.其中90%是由变异体引起的 感染. 事实上，治疗由S.变形账户 占美国牙科费用的50% 在全球范围内，世界卫生组织 该组织认为龋齿是最普遍的口腔疾病 据报道，这些感染在许多国家往往得不到治疗， 由于缺乏牙科护理， 此外，S.穆坦斯群岛 偶尔伴有非口腔感染，主要是亚急性 细菌性心内膜炎 大量的研究工作和国家研究所 牙科研究的财政支持已经扩大， 研制疫苗来预防沙门氏菌。然而，变异体会导致蛀牙， 还没有出现真正有效的预防人类龋齿的策略。 的 首席研究员的实验室是最早对此进行研究的实验室之一 生物体在分子水平上，并负责克隆， 测序，并表征一些基因，包括编码 细胞壁相关蛋白，细胞外蛋白， 粘附的胞外葡聚糖和操纵子的聚集和产生 与糖的代谢有关。 目前，校长 研究者实验室，与布鲁斯A.罗伊河 位于诺曼的俄克拉荷马州大学正在完成 化脓性链球菌和协助实验室的大卫W。他的戴尔 淋病奈瑟菌基因组测序部门;两者 项目由NIH资助。 对S. 变异体将可能导致新的和迄今未知的发现 基因和因子参与毒力和致病性，以新的 分子流行病学和临床诊断的应用， 阐明生长所必需的生理因素，并合理 研究药物干预和疫苗开发的新途径。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Investigator's Abstract): The investigators propose to determine the complete genome sequence of Streptococcus mutans in this application. Decades of epidemiological, biochemical and animal studies have demonstrated that S. mutans is the principal causative agent of human dental caries (tooth decay). Dental caries is one of the most common infectious diseases afflicting humans, and in the United States, 84 percent of persons aged 17 years have evidence of present or past tooth decay. The cost of treating dental infections in the US is billions of dollars annually, and S. mutans is responsible for about 90 percent of these infections. Indeed, treatment of tooth decay caused by S. mutans accounts for about 50 percent of all US dental costs. Globally, the World Health Organization considers dental caries to be the most widespread oral disease in the world and reports that these infections are often untreated in many areas due to lack of available dental care. Additionally, S. mutans is occasionally associated with nonoral infections, principally subacute bacterial endocarditis. Considerable research effort and National Institute of Dental Research financial support has been expended in an effort to develop a vaccine to protect against S. mutans caused tooth decay, however, no truly effective strategy that prevents caries in humans has emerged. The principal investigator's laboratory was one of the first to investigate this organism at the molecular level and has been responsible for cloning, sequencing, and characterizing a number of genes including those encoding cell wall associated proteins, extracellular proteins involved with aggregation and production of adherent extracellular dextrans, and operons involved with the metabolism of sugars. Currently, the principal investigator's laboratory, in collaboration with Bruce A. Roe of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, is completing the sequence of the genome of Streptococcus pyogenes and assisting the laboratory of David W. Dyer of his department in the sequencing of the genome of Neisseria gonorrhoeae; both projects are funded by the NIH. The determination of the sequence of S. mutans will potentially lead to discovery of new and heretofore unknown genes and factors involved in virulence and pathogenicity, to new applications in molecular epidemiology and clinical diagnostics, to the elucidation of physiological factors essential for growth, and to rational approaches to new avenues to drug intervention and vaccine development.