Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34244882›Full record

ArticleAMB Express2021

Mechanistic insights into the inhibitory effect of theaflavins on virulence factors production in Streptococcus mutans.

Junhao Kong, Kai Xia, Xiaoqin Su, Xuan Zheng, Chunhua Diao, Xiufang Yang, Xiaobo Zuo, Jun Xu, Xinle Liang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AMB Express, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Asiatic Acid Disrupts the Biofilm Virulence ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
  5. Species-Specific Stress Responses to Selenium Nanoparticles inNanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Antibacterial Effects ofFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  10. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Junhao Kong *School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Kai Xia *Hangzhou Tea Research Institute, CHINA COOP, Hangzhou, 310016, China. xiakai333@126.com.
Xiaoqin Su *Hangzhou Tea Research Institute, CHINA COOP, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Xuan ZhengSchool of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Chunhua DiaoHangzhou Tea Research Institute, CHINA COOP, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Xiufang YangHangzhou Tea Research Institute, CHINA COOP, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Xiaobo ZuoHangzhou Tea Research Institute, CHINA COOP, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
Jun XuSchool of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Xinle LiangSchool of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China. dbiot@mail.zjgsu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3454-7496
Tea Research Institute · CNZhejiang Gongshang University · CNRensselaer Polytechnic Institute · US

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province LGN18C160001Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province LGN19C160001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Streptococcus mutans is the primary etiological agent associated with cariogenic process. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and anti-virulence activities of theaflavins (TFs) to Streptococcus mutans UA159 as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that TFs were capable of suppressing the acid production, cell adherence, water-insoluble exopolysaccharides production, and biofilm formation by S. mutans UA159 with a dosage-dependent manner while without influencing the cell growth. By a genome-wide transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq), we found that TFs attenuated the biofilm formation of S. mutans UA159 by inhibiting glucosyltransferases activity and the production of glucan-binding proteins (GbpB and GbpC) instead of directly blocking the expression of genes coding for glucosyltransferases. Further, TFs inhibited the expression of genes implicated in peptidoglycan synthesis, glycolysis, lipid synthesis, two-component system, signaling peptide transport (comA), oxidative stress response, and DNA replication and repair, suggesting that TFs suppressed the virulence factors of S. mutans UA159 by affecting the signal transduction and cell envelope stability, and weakening the ability of cells on oxidative stress resistance. In addition, an upregulated expression of the genes involved in protein biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, and transport system upon TFs treatment indicated that cells increase the protein synthesis and nutrients uptake as one self-protective mechanism to cope with stress caused by TFs. The results of this study increase our current understanding of the anti-virulence activity of TFs on S. mutans and provide clues for the use of TFs in the prevention of dental caries.

Indexed as

Antibacterial activityBiofilm formationOxidative stressTwo-component systemVirulence factors

Identifiers

PMID34244882
PMCPMC8271058
OpenAlexW3183083714

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.