Open AccessAmylase‐binding as a discriminition among oral streptococci
Author(s) -
Douglas C.W.I.,
Pease A.A.,
Whiley R.A.
Publication year - 1990
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.1574-6968.1990.tb03995.x
Subject(s) - amylase , streptococcus oralis , streptococcus mitis , saliva , biology , streptococcus , microbiology and biotechnology , strain (injury) , alpha amylase , phenotype , bacteria , genetics , enzyme , biochemistry , gene , anatomy
The ability of 51 strains, belonging to Streptococcus sanguis, ‘S. mitior’, S. oralis and related groups, to bind salivary amylase was studied. Most strains were grouped according to their DNA‐related and then compared using 14 phenotypic tests. S. mitis, ‘S. mitior’ and three relatively new groups of strains (©R’, ‘MGH’ and ‘Tufted mitior’) bound salivary amylase, while strains of S. sanguis and S. oralis did not. The ability of strains to bind amylase or not was remarkably consistent within groups and the test proved to be reproducible, rapid and easy to perform. Combination of the amylase‐binding test with 6 other conventioanal physiological tests allowed the construction of a dichotomous identification key which correclty identified 95% of strains for which genetic data was available. These findigs suggest that the ability of organisms to bind salivary amylase could become a key test in identification schemes for certain oral streptococci.