Open AccessEffect of subculturing on location of Streptococcus mutans antigens
Author(s) -
Russell R.R.B.,
Smith K.
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.tb01550.x
Subject(s) - subculture (biology) , streptococcus mutans , microbiology and biotechnology , lipoteichoic acid , antigen , serotype , biology , extracellular , in vitro , streptococcus , streptococcaceae , in vivo , bacteria , genetics , staphylococcus aureus , antibiotics
The location of lipoteichoic acid and 3 cell wall‐associated protein antigens in fresh isolates of Streptococcus mutans (serotype c ) and in variants derived from these parental strains by repeated subculture in vitro has been examined by electrophoretic and dot‐immunobinding techniques. Following subculture there was a marked shift in the distribution of all four antigens from the cell wall to the extracellular culture supernatants. It is therefore apparent that that the decreased hydrophobicity and the impaired ability of the subcultured variants to colonise in vivo, as observed by others, cannot be correlated with changes in a single surface molecule.