Team:UT Dallas/project part3

From 2013.igem.org

The Com System
How it Works
At normal levels, Competence Stimulating Peptide (CSP) allows a local population of S. Mutans to share plasmids and grow stronger. However, when the concentration of CSP gets too high it activates a genetic pathway that causes some cells to activate cell-death. The quorum signaling system involves five gene products encoded by:

cslAB (comAB) 

comCDE
The comC gene encodes a competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) precursor. ComC and ComDE lie adjacent on the chromosome and, together with their gene products, constitute a peptide (CSP)- signaling system including a generating pathway (comC) and a responding pathway (comDE). The other two genes, cslA and cslB, are located in a separate region of the chromosome and encode a CSP-specific secretion apparatus consisting of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter (ComA) and its accessory protein (ComB), which are involved in the processing and export of the CSP.
What We Did
We attempted to use these quorum sensing molecules which are naturally used by S. Mutans to regulate population growth, competency, and many other uses that are undiscovered. When placed in the mouth, these E. Coli cells will then raise the concentration of CSP and cause the death of any nearby s. mutans cells.