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Insoluble glucans synthesized by cariogenic streptococci: a structural study
Author(s) -
Wiater Adrian,
Choma Adam,
Szczodrak Janusz
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of basic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.58
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1521-4028
pISSN - 0233-111X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-4028(199909)39:4<265::aid-jobm265>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - glucosyltransferase , streptococcus mutans , glucan , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , strain (injury) , bacteria , extracellular , polysaccharide , extracellular polysaccharide , glucosyltransferases , food science , biochemistry , biology , enzyme , anatomy , genetics
Of the three cariogenic streptococci grown in four various culture media, the strain Streptococcus mutans 20381 was found to produce large amounts of extracellular glucosyltransferase and water‐insoluble, adhesive exopolysaccharide when grown in batch culture on brain‐heart infusion broth. Methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that the insoluble polymers synthesized by the crude glucosyltransferase preparations were mixed‐linkage (1 → 3), (1 → 6)‐α‐ D ‐glucans (so‐called mutans) with a greater proportion of 1,3 to 1,6 linkages and major branch points of 3,6‐linked glucose. The percentage content of different types of linkages in glucans varied widely and depended on the strain of cariogenic bacteria used to produce glucosyltransferase, and on the kind of medium utilized to cultivate mutans streptococci. The potential application of insoluble glucan produced by mutans streptococci is discussed.