Identification of independent Streptococcus gordonii SspA and SspB functions in coaggregation with Actinomyces naeslundii.

ABSTRACT: The initial stages of dental plaque formation involve the adherence of early colonizing organisms such as Streptococcus gordonii and Actinomyces naeslundii to the saliva-coated tooth surface and to each other. The S. gordonii surface proteins SspA and SspB are known to play a role in adherence to salivary proteins and mediate coaggregation with other bacteria. Coaggregation is the adhesin receptor-mediated interaction between genetically distinct cell types and appears to be ubiquitous among oral isolates. To define the function of SspA and SspB separately on the surface of their natural host, we constructed and analyzed the coaggregation properties of an isogenic sspB mutant of S. gordonii DL1, an sspAB double mutant, and a previously described sspA mutant. A. naeslundii strains have been

SUBMITTER: Egland PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC98841 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature