BINDING OF HEMIN AND CONGO RED BY ORAL HEMOLYTIC SPIROCHETES

Citation
D. Scott et al., BINDING OF HEMIN AND CONGO RED BY ORAL HEMOLYTIC SPIROCHETES, Oral microbiology and immunology, 8(4), 1993, pp. 245-250
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology,Microbiology
ISSN journal
09020055
Volume
8
Issue
4
Year of publication
1993
Pages
245 - 250
Database
ISI
SICI code
0902-0055(1993)8:4<245:BOHACR>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
Colony-forming units or cells in suspension of oral anaerobic spiroche tes (Treponema denticola, Treponema vincentii and Treponema socranskii ) bind hemin and Congo red. Hemin or Congo red binds to a hydrophobic polypeptide receptor that is located in the outer membrane of the bact erial cells and it has a relative molecular mass of 47 kDa. These oral spirochetes also lyse sheep erythrocytes to produce beta-hemolytic zo nes around colony-forming units. The oral spirochetes may acquire iron for growth when they lyse erythrocytes and bind heme from which they may sequester and transport iron into the cells.