Open AccessThe modulation of exoglycosidic enzymes in the supragingival plaque of macaque monkeys
Author(s) -
Beighton David,
Smith Keith
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1986.tb01429.x
Subject(s) - neuraminidase , sucrose , enzyme , macaque , biology , enzyme assay , medicine , in vivo , endocrinology , dental plaque , chemistry , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology
Dental plaque was collected from the teeth of monkeys either fed a low‐sucrose diet, fasted, or fasted and provided with drinking water supplemented with either 0.025 M N ‐acetylglucosamine or 0.025 M glucose. Each plaque sample was assayed for α‐ l ‐fucosidase, β‐N‐acetyl‐ d ‐galactosaminidase, β‐ N ‐acetyl‐ d ‐glucosaminidase and neuraminidase activity. Fasting significantly raised the levels of each of these enzymes, while N ‐acetylglucosamine in the drinking water of fasted monkeys reduced the enzyme levels to those found in the fed monkeys. With the exception of neuraminidase, the addition of glucose to the drinking water of fasted monkeys did not significantly alter the enzyme levels below those found in the fasted monkeys. These results suggest that N ‐acetylhexosamines, major constituents of salivary glycoproteins, may serve as a readily available source of both carbon and nitrogen for bacterial growth in vivo.