Quorum Quenching Potential of Autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) in Inhibiting Streptococcus mutans Biofilm Formation

Background: Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is a normal flora of the human oral cavity that develops and forms biofilms. S. mutans biofilm can be a problem in the oral cavity and can be a serious problem in systemic health. Autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) is an autoinducer synthesized by the quorum sensing system of Streptococcus gordonii (S. gordonii) which has the ability to inhibit the formation of S. mutans biofilm. This inhibition mechanism is known as quorum quenching.
Objective: To determine the quorum quenching mechanism of autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) in inhibiting S. mutans biofilm formation.
Methods: Article searches using 3 databases namely Pubmed, Science direct, and ProQuest were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results: Autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) is an amino acid with positively charged residues on the α-helix that can inhibit the attachment of S. mutans to the tooth surface and inhibit the formation of the S. mutans Biofilm eDNA structure. In addition, autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) is able to suppress the adhesion of S. mutans by inhibiting the interaction between AgI/II (from S. mutans bacteria) with glycoprotein-340 and hydroxyapatite in the teeth.
Conclusion: Autoinducer Ssp(A4K-A11K) is able to inhibit S. mutans biofilm formation and could be one of the future antibiofilm and anti-caries therapies.