Overview

The incidence of hypertension increases rapidly with ageing. So, we are developing an antihypertensive dental device which consists of oral bacteria designed to over-express nitric oxide precursors (L-Arginine) into saliva. Nitrite is swallowed and processed to produce Nitric Oxide which causes vascular relaxation, reducing blood pressure.

Its known that plaque build up leads to gum disease. We have designed pH inducible biobrick, which produces a bacteriocin (lanA), which destroys plaque causing bacteria (S. mutans). Our chassis is a genetically engineered form of S. mutans which is immune to the lanA bacteriocin.

Anti hypertensive device

Bacteriocin producing device

LanA: Bacteriocin that kills S. mutans bacteria

This entry is the open reading frame for the mutacin 1140 prepropeptide coded for by the lanA gene in Streptococcus mutans JH1140. Mutacin 1140 is type A lantibiotic (a linear lanthionine-containing antimicrobial peptide) differing from other bacteriocins by the presence of distinct post-translational modifications.

The mature mutacin peptide is a 22 amino acid screw-shaped molecule that interferes with the viability of a broad range of Gram-positive bacteria by means of membrane perturbation leading to membrane disintegration. In order for mutacin 1140 to be functional the action of modifying enzymes is required. These enzymes catalyze the formation of stereospecific thioether bridges, dehydration, decarboxylation of the core peptide and leader peptide cleavage, as well as act as exporters of the modified mutacin. In the host organism, 10 of the 22 amino acids are modified to lanthionine, methyllanthionine, 2,3-didehydroalanine, 2,3-didehydrobutyrine and possibly S-(2-aminovinyl)-D-cysteine.

This CDS could be used in a first step towards the assembly of a bacteriocin-producing device. Such a device could be employed as an e.g. anti-cariogenic strategy.