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Spontaneous aggregation of Streptococcus mitis ATCC 903
Author(s) -
ABAAS SALEEM,
HOLME TORD
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1981.tb01695.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus mitis , chemistry , carbohydrate , chloramphenicol , bacteria , sucrose , tris , trypsin , biochemistry , phosphate , incubation , protein aggregation , streptococcus , antibiotics , biology , enzyme , genetics
– Glucose or sucrose grown cells of Streptococcus mitis ATCC 903 bind spontaneously to thesurface of each other producing visible microbial aggregates upon incubation in 10 mM Phosphate, Citrate‐phosphate or tris‐maleate buffers. Aggregation was delayed and proceeded at a slower rate when bacteria grown in a culture medium with a low carbohydrate/nitrogen ration were used. Growth in this culture medium resulted in carbohydrate limitation. The aggregation was highly reproducible and was unaffected by pH in therange of 4.4–7.0 but was decreased at pH 8.0 and completely inhibited at pH 9.0. No inhibition of the reaction was observed when a series of simple and complex carbohydrates were added. The was no significant difference in the rate of aggregation at 20,30 and 37°C. Aggregation occurred at a demonstrable rate at 0°C. chloramphenicol did not inhibit aggregation. Since inhibition of aggregation was obtained by treatment of bacteria with trypsin or heat it appears that protein or glycoprotein components on the bacterial surface were involved in the reaction.