Detachment of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans biofilm cells by an endogenous beta-hexosaminidase activity.

ABSTRACT: When cultured in broth, fresh clinical isolates of the gram-negative periodontal pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans form tenaciously adherent biofilm colonies on surfaces such as plastic and glass. These biofilm colonies release adherent cells into the medium, and the released cells can attach to the surface of the culture vessel and form new colonies, enabling the biofilm to spread. We mutagenized A. actinomycetemcomitans clinical strain CU1000 with transposon IS903phikan and isolated a transposon insertion mutant that formed biofilm colonies which were tightly adherent to surfaces but which lacked the ability to release cells into the medium and disperse. The transposon insertion in the mutant strain mapped to a gene, designated dspB, that was predicted to encode a secreted pr

SUBMITTER: Kaplan JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC166467 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature