Y. Yamashita et al., GENES INVOLVED IN CELL-WALL LOCALIZATION AND SIDE-CHAIN FORMATION OF RHAMNOSE-GLUCOSE POLYSACCHARIDE IN STREPTOCOCCUS-MUTANS, Journal of bacteriology (Print), 180(21), 1998, pp. 5803-5807
We identified in Streptococcus mutans six new genes (rgpA through rgpF
), whose disruption results in a loss of serotype-specific antigenicit
y, specified by the glucose side chains of rhamnose-glucose polysaccha
ride from the cell wall. Rhamnose and glucose content of the cell wall
decreased drastically in all these disruption mutants, except that in
the rgpE mutant only the glucose content decreased. RgpC and RgpD are
homologous to ATP-binding cassette transporter components and may be
involved in polysaccharide export, whereas RgpE may be a transferase o
f side chain glucose.