Introduction
Streptococcus mutans is a gram-positive organism that is the primary causative agent in the formation of dental cavities in humans. Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark-blue or violet by Gram staining. This is based on the physical properties of their cell walls, as opposed to gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain. Streptococcus is a genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the lactic acid bacteria group. S. mutans, a member of the human oral flora, is widely recognized as the main etiological agent of dental cavities.
Conditions in the oral cavity are diverse and complex, frequently changing from one extreme to another. Thus, to survive in the oral cavity, S. mutans must tolerate rapidly harsh environmental fluctuations and exposure to various anti-microbial agents in order to survive. However, the mechanisms under which this cariogenic pathogen can survive and proliferate under such extreme environmental conditions are largely unknown, as little research has been done on this matter.
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