Effect of Biofilm model, mode of growth, and strain on Streptococcus mutans protein expression as determined by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis

The effect of biofilm model, strain and mode of growth (biofilm or planktonic) on protein expression in Streptococcus mutans, a dental pathogen, was determined by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. The bacterial strain (21-28% differentially expressed proteins) and the biofilm model (0.3-7.8% differential expression) used have a much larger effect on protein expression than the mode of growth (0.2-0.7% differential expression), something that has been ignored in biofilm studies up to now.