Mutans streptococci (MS) are key organisms associated with the etiology of dental caries. Using probabilities that were tested by oversampling, we designed this study to determine the minimal number of MS isolates from an individual required to evaluate diversity of genotypes. MS isolates were genotyped by repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain-reaction (rep-PCR). Analysis of 20 isolates from individuals resulted in a mean of 1.6 and 2.4 genotypes in children (N = 12) and adults (N = 10), respectively. In a follow-up study, reducing the number of isolates to 7-10 resulted in a theoretical probability of up to 78% for detecting up to 4 genotypes. A mean of 1.5 genotypes was found in 35 children and 10 adults. These findings provide evidence for the design of studies of MS genotyping that can serve as a model for the analysis of genotypes within individuals.
AlamSBrailsfordSRWhileyRABeightonD (1999). PCR-based methods for genotyping viridans group streptococci. J Clin Microbiol37:2772-2776.
2.
BouGCerveroGDominguezMAQueredaCMartinez-BeltranJ (2000). PCR-based DNA fingerprinting (REP-PCR, AP-PCR) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis characterization of a nosocomial outbreak caused by imipenem- and meropenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Clin Microbiol Infect6:635-643.
3.
EmanuelssonIRLiYBratthallD (1998). Genotyping shows different strains of mutans streptococci between father and child and within parental pairs in Swedish families. Oral Microbiol Immunol13:271-277.
4.
GoldOGJordanHVVan HouteJ (1973). A selective medium for Streptococcus mutans. Arch Oral Biol18:1357-1364.
5.
HealyMHuongJBittnerTLisingMFryeSRazaS. (2005). Microbial DNA typing by automated repetitive-sequence-based PCR. J Clin Microbiol43:199-207.
6.
KohlerBLundbergABBirkhedDPapapanouPN (2003). Longitudinal study of intrafamilial mutans streptococci ribotypes. Eur J Oral Sci111:383-389.
7.
KozaiKNakayamaRTedjosasongkoUKuwaharaSSuzukiJOkadaM. (1999). Intrafamilial distribution of mutans streptococci in Japanese families and possibility of father-to-child transmission. Microbiol Immunol43:99-106.
8.
LemboFLLongoPLOta-TsuzukiCRodriguesCRMayerMP (2007). Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of Streptococcus mutans from different oral cavity sites of caries-free and caries-active children. Oral Microbiol Immunol22:313-319.
9.
LennetteESpauldingETruantJ (1974). Manual of clinical microbiology. 2nd ed.Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology.
10.
LiYCaufieldPW (1995). The fidelity of initial acquisition of mutans streptococci by infants from their mothers. J Dent Res74:681-685.
11.
LiYCaufieldPWEmanuelssonIRThornqvistE (2001). Differentiation of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus via genotypic and phenotypic profiles from three different populations. Oral Microbiol Immunol16:16-23.
12.
LiuYZouJShangRZhouXD (2007). Genotypic diversity of Streptococcus mutans in 3- to 4-year-old Chinese nursery children suggests horizontal transmission. Arch Oral Biol52:876-881.
13.
LouwsFRademakerJde BruijnF (1999). The three Ds of PCR-based genomic analysis of phytobacteria: diversity, detection, and disease diagnosis. Annu Rev Phytopathol37:81-125.
14.
MarthalerTM (2004). Changes in dental caries 1953-2003. Caries Res38:173-181.
15.
Mattos-GranerROLiYCaufieldPWDuncanMSmithDJ (2001). Genotypic diversity of mutans streptococci in Brazilian nursery children suggests horizontal transmission. J Clin Microbiol39:2313-2316.
16.
MitchellSCRubyJDMoserSMomeniSSmithAOsgoodR. (2009). Maternal transmission of mutans streptococci in severe-early childhood caries. Pediatr Dent31:193-201.
17.
MoserSAMitchellSCRubyJDMomeniSOsgoodRCWhiddonJ. (2010). Repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR for study of Streptococcus mutans diversity and transmission in human populations. J Clin Microbiol48:599-602.
18.
NapimogaMHHöflingJFKleinMIKamiyaRUGonçalvesRB (2005). Transmission, diversity and virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans genotypes. J Oral Sci47:59-64.
19.
Redmo EmanuelssonIMCarlssonPHambergKBratthallD (2003). Tracing genotypes of mutans streptococci on tooth sites by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Oral Microbiol Immunol18:24-29.
20.
SyedSALoescheWJ (1972). Survival of human dental plaque flora in various transport media. Appl Microbiol24:638-644.
21.
YoshidaASuzukiNNakanoYKawadaMOhoTKogaT (2003). Development of a 5′ nuclease-based real-time PCR assay for quantitative detection of cariogenic dental pathogens Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. J Clin Microbiol41:4438-4441.
