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Streptococcus sanguis surface antigens and their interactions with saliva
R J Lamont1, B Rosan, G M Murphy
1Department of Microbiology, Dental School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
Infection and Immunity
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Streptococcus sanguis uses specific surface molecules to bind to saliva, influencing oral ecology. Researchers identified bacterial adhesins and their salivary receptors, crucial for understanding microbial interactions in the mouth.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oral Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Streptococcus sanguis adheres to oral surfaces, playing a role in dental plaque formation.
- Saliva composition influences bacterial adhesion and oral microbial ecology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the saliva-binding molecules of Streptococcus sanguis.
- To identify bacterial adhesins and their corresponding salivary receptors.
Main Methods:
- Immunochemical examination of Streptococcus sanguis cell surface extracts.
- Adhesion assays using saliva-coated hydroxyapatite.
- Immunoblot overlay technique to identify receptor-ligand interactions.
Main Results:
- Adherent S. sanguis strains possess specific polypeptides (e.g., 80, 62, 52 kDa) correlating with hydroxyapatite binding.
- Nonadherent strains lack these identified antigens.
- Bacterial adhesins bound to a 73-kDa receptor in submandibular saliva, but not parotid saliva.
- A 160-kDa protein from strain G9B bound to receptors in both saliva types.
Conclusions:
- Specific bacterial adhesins mediate Streptococcus sanguis binding to salivary components.
- Differential binding to salivary receptors suggests a role in regulating oral microbial colonization.
- These interactions are significant for understanding oral ecology and host-microbe dynamics.