Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1974 Feb;9(2):467–469. doi: 10.1128/iai.9.2.467-469.1974

Evaluation of Dextranase Production by the Cariogenic Bacterium Streptococcus mutans

Robert H Staat 1, Charles F Schachtele 1
PMCID: PMC414825  PMID: 4816468

Abstract

A recently developed blue dextran-agar assay was utilized to detect dextranase production by a large number of strains of Streptococcus mutans. An extract obtained from S. mutans strain B2 hydrolyzed high-molecular-weight radioactive dextran to oligosaccharides. There are several possible roles for this enzyme activity in the metabolism of S. mutans dextrans.

Full text

PDF
467

Selected References

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

  1. Bowen W. H. Effects of dextranase on cariogenic and non-cariogenic dextrans. Br Dent J. 1968 Apr 16;124(8):347–349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carlsson J. A numerical taxonomic study of human oral streptococci. Odontol Revy. 1968;19(2):137–160. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coykendall A. L. Genetic heterogeneity in Streptococcus mutans. J Bacteriol. 1971 Apr;106(1):192–196. doi: 10.1128/jb.106.1.192-196.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gibbons R. J., Fitzgerald R. J. Dextran-induced agglutination of Streptococcus mutans, and its potential role in the formation of microbial dental plaques. J Bacteriol. 1969 May;98(2):341–346. doi: 10.1128/jb.98.2.341-346.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gibbons R. J., Nygaard M. Synthesis of insoluble dextran and its significance in the formation of gelatinous deposits by plaque-forming streptococci. Arch Oral Biol. 1968 Oct;13(10):1249–1262. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(68)90081-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guggenheim B. Enzymatic hydrolysis and structure of water-insoluble glucan produced by glucosyltransferases from a strain of streptococcus mutans. Helv Odontol Acta. 1970 Nov;14(Suppl):89+–89+. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Guggenheim B., Haller R. Purification and properties of an alpha-(1-3) glucanohydrolase from Trichoderma harzianum. J Dent Res. 1972 Mar-Apr;51(2):394–402. doi: 10.1177/00220345720510022701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jordan H. V., Krasse B., Möller A. A method of sampling human dental plaque for certain "caries-inducing" streptococci. Arch Oral Biol. 1968 Aug;13(8):919–927. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(68)90007-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Long L. W., Edwards J. R. Detailed structure of a dextran from a cariogenic bacterium. Carbohydr Res. 1972 Sep;24(1):216–217. doi: 10.1016/s0008-6215(00)82285-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mencier F. méthode simple et rapide de mise en évidence des microorganismes producteurs de dextranase. Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris) 1972 Jan;122(1):153–157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Meyer H. H., Pfeiffer W. F., Ferry J. D. Dynamic viscoelastic properties of solutions of shear-degraded deoxyribonucleic acid. Biopolymers. 1967 Jan;5(1):123–130. doi: 10.1002/bip.1967.360050112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mäkinen K. K., Paunio I. K. Exploitation of Blue Dextran as a dextranase substrate. Anal Biochem. 1971 Jan;39(1):202–207. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(71)90477-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schachtele C. F., Loken A. E., Schmitt M. K. Use of specifically labeled sucrose for comparison of extracellular glucan and fructan metabolism by oral streptococci. Infect Immun. 1972 Feb;5(2):263–266. doi: 10.1128/iai.5.2.263-266.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Staat R. H., Gawronski T. H., Schachtele C. F. Detection and preliminary studies on dextranase-producing microorganisms from human dental plaque. Infect Immun. 1973 Dec;8(6):1009–1016. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.6.1009-1016.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. TSUCHIYA H. M., JEANES A., BRICKER H. M., WILHAM C. A. Dextran-degrading enzymes from molds. J Bacteriol. 1952 Oct;64(4):513–519. doi: 10.1128/jb.64.4.513-519.1952. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Walker G. J., Builder J. E. Metabolism of the reserve polysaccharide of Streptococcus mitis. Properties of alpha-(1-->6)-glucosidase, its separation from transglucosylase, and the action of the two enzymes on branched oligosaccharides. Biochem J. 1967 Dec;105(3):937–942. doi: 10.1042/bj1050937. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Walker G. J. Some properties of a dextranglucosidase isolated from oral streptococci and its use in studies on dextran synthesis. J Dent Res. 1972 Mar-Apr;51(2):409–414. doi: 10.1177/00220345720510022901. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES