Streptococcal Bacteriocin-producing Strains as Oral Probiotic Agents
John D. F. Hale, Philip A. Wescombe, John R. Tagg and Nicholas C. K. Heng
from: The Bacteriocins: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects (Edited by: Robert L. Dorit, Sandra M. Roy and Margaret A. Riley). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2016) Pages: 103-126.
Abstract
The genus Streptococcus is one of the most diverse of the bacterial genera and presently comprises 70 defined species inhabiting a wide variety of ecological habitats. Certain species are used in the production of food products but the majority are commensal colonizers or pathogens of humans and other animals. Many are producers of bacteriocins, especially of the lantibiotic class; the tongue-dwelling Streptococcus salivarius one of the more prolific bacteriocinogenic species. Some strains of S. salivarius harbor especially large (>100 kb) megaplasmids, otherwise unreported amongst other oral bacteria. These properties, together with its extremely low pathogenic potential, favor S. salivarius as a source of oral probiotics to target infections of humans caused by other streptococci including pharyngitis (Streptococcus pyogenes) and dental caries (Streptococcus mutans). In this chapter, we provide current information on both the lantibiotic and heat-labile salivaricins produced by S. salivarius. We also present a section on the potential applications of bacteriocin-producing streptococci as oral probiotics, including a profile of S. salivarius probiotic products already available and a summary of some of the steps required to commercialize new strains read more ...
