An evaluation of the specificity of salivary agglutinins.

Four bacterial strains collected from tooth surface, oral buccal mucosa, skin of the upper lip, and rectum were used to evaluate the specificity of salivary agglutinins. A saliva sample was absorbed with each of the strains, and the remaining supernatants were tested for agglutinin activity against all strains. The effect of concanavalin A and pH on the S. mutans and S. mitior agglutinins was studied. The conclusion was drawn that the agglutinins for the S. mutans and S. mitior strains differed but that the S. mitior strain rested carried a receptor site for the S. mutans agglutinin without becoming agglutinated. The S. mutans agglutinin seems to have either unsubstituted mannopyranosyl or N-acetylated glucopyranosyl residues as structural components.