Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1997 Mar;65(3):1126–1130. doi: 10.1128/iai.65.3.1126-1130.1997

Antigenicity of a synthetic peptide from glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus mutans in humans.

J S Chia 1, S W Lin 1, C S Yang 1, J Y Chen 1
PMCID: PMC175101  PMID: 9038329

Abstract

Human salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) and serum IgG antibodies to the Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) and to a synthetic peptide of 19 amino acids from a conserved region in the Gtfs (residues 435 to 453) were determined in young adults by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Varying levels of antibody to Gtfs were detected in saliva or serum, with significantly higher levels of antibody to GtfD than to GtfB/C or GtfC. Anti-Gtf IgA levels in saliva did not correlate with those of IgG in serum. Caries-free (CF) volunteers exhibited significantly higher salivary IgA antibody levels to the peptide and to GtfB/C or GtfC than did the caries-active (CA) subjects. Preincubation of CF saliva and serum with the peptide inhibited the antibodies to the Gtfs in a dose-dependent manner, whereas preincubation of the samples from the CA group resulted in only partial inhibition. Our results indicated that this 19-amino-acid peptide includes one of the major B-cell epitopes of Gtfs and that CF individuals have higher titers of antibodies than CA subjects.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (72.6 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abo H., Matsumura T., Kodama T., Ohta H., Fukui K., Kato K., Kagawa H. Peptide sequences for sucrose splitting and glucan binding within Streptococcus sobrinus glucosyltransferase (water-insoluble glucan synthetase). J Bacteriol. 1991 Feb;173(3):989–996. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.3.989-996.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aoki H., Shiroza T., Hayakawa M., Sato S., Kuramitsu H. K. Cloning of a Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase gene coding for insoluble glucan synthesis. Infect Immun. 1986 Sep;53(3):587–594. doi: 10.1128/iai.53.3.587-594.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Challacombe S. J. Serum and salivary antibodies to Streptococcus mutans in relation to the development and treatment of human dental caries. Arch Oral Biol. 1980;25(7):495–502. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(80)90058-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chia J. S., Hsu T. Y., Teng L. J., Chen J. Y., Hahn L. J., Yang C. S. Glucosyltransferase gene polymorphism among Streptococcus mutans strains. Infect Immun. 1991 May;59(5):1656–1660. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.5.1656-1660.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chia J. S., Lin R. H., Lin S. W., Chen J. Y., Yang C. S. Inhibition of glucosyltransferase activities of Streptococcus mutans by a monoclonal antibody to a subsequence peptide. Infect Immun. 1993 Nov;61(11):4689–4695. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.11.4689-4695.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chia J. S., Lin S. W., Hsu T. Y., Chen J. Y., Kwan H. W., Yang C. S. Analysis of a DNA polymorphic region in the gtfB and gtfC genes of Streptococcus mutans. Infect Immun. 1993 Apr;61(4):1563–1566. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.4.1563-1566.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chia J. S., Teng L. J., Wong M. Y., Hsieh C. C. Association between dental caries prevalence and Streptococcus mutans among 13-year-old children. Taiwan Yi Xue Hui Za Zhi. 1989 Jun;88(6):589–594. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cope P. A., Mooser G. Antibodies against active-site peptides common to glucosyltransferases of mutans streptococci. Infect Immun. 1993 Nov;61(11):4814–4817. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.11.4814-4817.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gregory R. L., Filler S. J., Michalek S. M., McGhee J. R. Salivary immunoglobulin A and serum antibodies to Streptococcus mutans ribosomal preparations in dental caries-free and caries-susceptible human subjects. Infect Immun. 1986 Jan;51(1):348–351. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.1.348-351.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hanada N., Kuramitsu H. K. Isolation and characterization of the Streptococcus mutans gtfC gene, coding for synthesis of both soluble and insoluble glucans. Infect Immun. 1988 Aug;56(8):1999–2005. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.8.1999-2005.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hanada N., Kuramitsu H. K. Isolation and characterization of the Streptococcus mutans gtfD gene, coding for primer-dependent soluble glucan synthesis. Infect Immun. 1989 Jul;57(7):2079–2085. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.7.2079-2085.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hanada N., Yamashita Y., Shibata Y., Sato S., Katayama T., Takehara T., Inoue M. Cloning of a Streptococcus sobrinus gtf gene that encodes a glucosyltransferase which produces a high-molecular-weight water-soluble glucan. Infect Immun. 1991 Oct;59(10):3434–3438. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.10.3434-3438.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Honda O., Kato C., Kuramitsu H. K. Nucleotide sequence of the Streptococcus mutans gtfD gene encoding the glucosyltransferase-S enzyme. J Gen Microbiol. 1990 Oct;136(10):2099–2105. doi: 10.1099/00221287-136-10-2099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hus in 't Veld J., Bannet D., Van Palenstein Helderman W., Camargo P. S., Backer-Dirks O. Antibodies against Streptococcus mutans and glucosyltransferases in caries-free and caries-active military recruits. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1978;107:369–381. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-3369-2_42. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Keene H. J. Sampling of cariogenic microorganisms in human populations. Oral Microbiol Immunol. 1986 Nov;1(1):7–14. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-302x.1986.tb00308.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kuramitsu H. K. Characterization of extracellular glucosyltransferase activity of Steptococcus mutans. Infect Immun. 1975 Oct;12(4):738–749. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.4.738-749.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Laloi P., Munro C. L., Jones K. R., Macrina F. L. Immunologic characteristics of a Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase B sucrose-binding site peptide-cholera toxin B-subunit chimeric protein. Infect Immun. 1996 Jan;64(1):28–36. doi: 10.1128/iai.64.1.28-36.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lehtonen O. P., Gråhn E. M., Ståhlberg T. H., Laitinen L. A. Amount and avidity of salivary and serum antibodies against Streptococcus mutans in two groups of human subjects with different dental caries susceptibility. Infect Immun. 1984 Jan;43(1):308–313. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.1.308-313.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Loesche W. J. Role of Streptococcus mutans in human dental decay. Microbiol Rev. 1986 Dec;50(4):353–380. doi: 10.1128/mr.50.4.353-380.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Löe H. The Gingival Index, the Plaque Index and the Retention Index Systems. J Periodontol. 1967 Nov-Dec;38(6 Suppl):610–616. doi: 10.1902/jop.1967.38.6.610. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Madden D. R., Garboczi D. N., Wiley D. C. The antigenic identity of peptide-MHC complexes: a comparison of the conformations of five viral peptides presented by HLA-A2. Cell. 1993 Nov 19;75(4):693–708. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90490-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Matsushita K., Nisizawa T., Nagaoka S., Kawagoe M., Koga T. Identification of antigenic epitopes in a surface protein antigen of Streptococcus mutans in humans. Infect Immun. 1994 Sep;62(9):4034–4042. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.9.4034-4042.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Michalek S. M., Childers N. K. Development and outlook for a caries vaccine. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 1990;1(1):37–54. doi: 10.1177/10454411900010010401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Mooser G., Hefta S. A., Paxton R. J., Shively J. E., Lee T. D. Isolation and sequence of an active-site peptide containing a catalytic aspartic acid from two Streptococcus sobrinus alpha-glucosyltransferases. J Biol Chem. 1991 May 15;266(14):8916–8922. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Mooser G., Iwaoka K. R. Sucrose 6-alpha-D-glucosyltransferase from Streptococcus sobrinus: characterization of a glucosyl-enzyme complex. Biochemistry. 1989 Jan 24;28(2):443–449. doi: 10.1021/bi00428a006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Reichlin M. Use of glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent for proteins and peptides. Methods Enzymol. 1980;70(A):159–165. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)70047-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Russell R. R., Gilpin M. L., Hanada N., Yamashita Y., Shibata Y., Takehara T. Characterization of the product of the gtfS gene of Streptococcus downei, a primer-independent enzyme synthesizing oligo-isomaltosaccharides. J Gen Microbiol. 1990 Aug;136(8):1631–1637. doi: 10.1099/00221287-136-8-1631. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Russell R. R., Gilpin M. L., Mukasa H., Dougan G. Characterization of glucosyltransferase expressed from a Streptococcus sobrinus gene cloned in Escherichia coli. J Gen Microbiol. 1987 Apr;133(4):935–944. doi: 10.1099/00221287-133-4-935. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Shiroza T., Ueda S., Kuramitsu H. K. Sequence analysis of the gtfB gene from Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 1987 Sep;169(9):4263–4270. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.9.4263-4270.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Smith D. J., Taubman M. A. Effect of local deposition of antigen on salivary immune responses and reaccumulation of mutans streptococci. J Clin Immunol. 1990 Sep;10(5):273–281. doi: 10.1007/BF00916703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Smith D. J., Taubman M. A., King W. F., Eida S., Powell J. R., Eastcott J. Immunological characteristics of a synthetic peptide associated with a catalytic domain of mutans streptococcal glucosyltransferase. Infect Immun. 1994 Dec;62(12):5470–5476. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.12.5470-5476.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Smith D. J., Taubman M. A. Oral immunization of humans with Streptococcus sobrinus glucosyltransferase. Infect Immun. 1987 Nov;55(11):2562–2569. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.11.2562-2569.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Taubman M. A., Holmberg C. J., Smith D. J. Immunization of rats with synthetic peptide constructs from the glucan-binding or catalytic region of mutans streptococcal glucosyltransferase protects against dental caries. Infect Immun. 1995 Aug;63(8):3088–3093. doi: 10.1128/iai.63.8.3088-3093.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Taubman M. A., Smith D. J. Effects of local immunization with glucosyltransferase fractions from Streptococcus mutans on dental caries in rats and hamsters. J Immunol. 1977 Feb;118(2):710–720. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Taubman M. A., Smith D. J., King W. F., Eastcott J. W., Bergey E. J., Levine M. J. Immune properties of glucosyltransferases from S. sobrinus. J Oral Pathol. 1988 Nov;17(9-10):466–470. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1988.tb01317.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Ueda S., Shiroza T., Kuramitsu H. K. Sequence analysis of the gtfC gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5. Gene. 1988 Sep 15;69(1):101–109. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(88)90382-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES