DETECTION OF STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL CARIES AMONG ADULTS IN JEDDAH PROVINCE

Dental caries is one of the serious bacterial diseases of the oral cavity caused by diverse Streptococcus species. Streptococcus mutans strains displayed remarkable genotypic and phenotypic diversity. Glucosyl transferase genes are recognized as essential enzymes leading to biofilm production, the destruction of the ecosystem of normal bacterial communities, and the development of dental caries. The purpose of this study is to detect S. mutans associated with Dental Caries among adults. In our studies, a total of 50 plaque specimens, 23 from male and 27 from female from dental caries patient’s samples, were collected from dental clinics in Jeddah province. All bacterial isolates were identified by culture on Tryptone Yeast Extract Cystine w/Sucrose (TYCSB), Bile esculin slant agar, and Blood agar (BA) media.  The results of the current study revealed that only four (8.0%) bacterial isolates out of 50 plaque specimens were identified as S. mutans. These four bacterial isolates named RHA1, RHA2, RHA3, and RHA4 were identified by biochemical and molecular tests. Partial DNA fragment of Glucosyl transferase (GtfB) gene was successfully amplified from the four bacterial isolates using PCR serotype-specific primer for S. mutans serotype (e). Partial nucleotide sequence analysis of the GtfBgene showed 98 to 99% similarities with other S. mutans strains on NCBI.