Mukasa H, Slade H D
Infect Immun. 1973 Oct;8(4):555-62. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.4.555-562.1973.
The mechanism of adherence of Streptococcus mutans to smooth glass surfaces has been studied. The results with both viable and heat-killed cells showed that the process required (i) the synthesis of a water-insoluble dextran-levan polymer by cell-bound enzymes and (ii) the participation of a binding site on the surface of the S. mutans cell. Synthesis of the polymer from sucrose in the presence of the cells was required for adherence, and indicates that an "active" form of the polymer was required. Polymer synthesized by cell-free S. mutans enzymes when added to S. mutans cells did not produce adherence. Purified antibody globulin, specific for the a-d site in the polysaccharide S. mutans group a antigen, completely inhibited adherence. Antibody to the second antigen present in the polysaccharide molecule, the a antigen, did not inhibit adherence. The evidence indicates that adherence did not require an antigenic binding site which might be common to all S. mutans strains. The orientation of the synthetase enzyme(s), antigenic binding site, and dextran-levan polymer on the cell surface is under study.
已对变形链球菌黏附于光滑玻璃表面的机制进行了研究。对活细胞和热灭活细胞的研究结果表明，该过程需要：（i）细胞结合酶合成水不溶性葡聚糖-果聚糖聚合物；（ii）变形链球菌细胞表面结合位点的参与。黏附需要在细胞存在的情况下由蔗糖合成聚合物，这表明需要聚合物的“活性”形式。当将无细胞变形链球菌酶合成的聚合物添加到变形链球菌细胞中时，不会产生黏附。针对变形链球菌a组多糖抗原中a-d位点的纯化抗体球蛋白完全抑制黏附。针对多糖分子中存在的第二种抗原即a抗原的抗体不抑制黏附。证据表明，黏附不需要所有变形链球菌菌株可能共有的抗原结合位点。目前正在研究合成酶、抗原结合位点和葡聚糖-果聚糖聚合物在细胞表面的取向。
