Jh. Vanlaar et al., ADHESION OF STREPTOCOCCUS-MUTANS TO SALIVA-COATED HYDROXYAPATITE FORMED IN-SITU IN MICROTITRE PLATES, Microbial ecology in health and disease, 9(1), 1996, pp. 1-8
Adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to the salivary pellicle was studied
in vitro by using microtitre plates coated in situ with hydroxyapatite
(HA). Adhesion of S. mutans to these plates did not exhibit saturatio
n kinetics and there was an almost linear relationship between the num
ber of adhering cells and the total input of cells. This is in accorda
nce with results obtained by scanning electron microscopy. S. mutans a
dhered not only to the salivary pellicle but also to bound S. mutans c
ells. This phenomenon, referred to as homologous coadhesion, resulted
in the formation of aggregates of S. mutans cells. Homologous coadhesi
on of S. mutans was enhanced significantly by saliva. The presence of
bound bacterial cells of Streptococcus gordonii strain HG222 or Strept
ococcus sanguis strain Bart10 on saliva-coated HA increased the number
of adhering S. mutans cells; the increase in the number of adhering S
. mutans cells was most pronounced when the plates were precoated with
the homologous S. mutans strain HG982. Other oral streptococci, when
bound to saliva-coated HA, decreased adhesion of S. mutans (Streptococ
cus oralis strains NY583 and ST26, Streptococcus mitis strain HG168) o
r had no effect on adhesion (S. sanguis strain Bart4, S. gordonii stra
in MCC272, S. mitis strain ST31). In conclusion, a new mechanism for a
ccumulation of S. mutans on a saliva-coated HA surface has been propos
ed: the formation of aggregates of S. mutans cells.