Polysaccharide production by cell free transferases in saliva in relation to salivary microflora

Abstract

Scheie AA, Rolla G: Polysaccharide production by cell free transferases in saliva in relation to salivary microflora. Scand J Dent Res 1984; 92: 43-9. Abstract -The supernatant of centrifuged whole saliva was incubated with radiolabeled sucrose to measure polysaccharide production by cell free transferases and to examine whether waterinsoluble polysaccharides were produced. Amounts of polysaccharides were considered to reflect the level of cell free transferases in saliva. Plating samples on blood agar, MS and MSB plates gave salivary counts of total CFU, total streptococci, S. salivarius and S. mutans. The capability ofthe cell free portion of saliva to produce polymers was confirmed and it appeared that the cell free transferases were able to produce water-insoluble polysaccharides. Significant correlations were found between the total and the insoluble polysaccharides from '*C-G'-sucrose and total CFU, total streptococci, S. salivarius and S. mutans, respectively. Heavily S. mutans infected subjects seemed to produce particularly large amounts of water-insoluble polysaccharides from '*C-G'sucrose. The apparently water-insoluble '*C-F-polysaccharides correlated significantly to the number of S. salivarius. It was thus concluded that the constitution of the oral microflora and particularly the levels of S. mutans and S. salivarius were of importance for the level of cell free transferase activity.

Role of sucrose in plaque formation

“…It has been shown that GTF, which it is suggested confers the adhesivity to the glucan, can in fact bind to a large number of well defined solids and produce glucans in the adsorbed state (17), There is a chemical rationale for interactions between al,3 linked glucan chains, and corresponding "fibrils" have been observed in the plaque matrix in vivo. Furthermore it has previously been demonstrated that free GTF is present in saliva (30) and that these GTFs readily adsorb to hydroxyapatite even in competition with other salivary molecules and that the salivary GTFs are able to produce waterinsoluble polysaccharides in the adsorbed state (31), GTFs are also associated with the in vivo acquired enamel pellicle (30), Human diet, in the industrialized countries, where the increment of dental caries traditionally has been high, is rich in sucrose. There is thus reason to believe that sucrose mediated plaque formation is an important mechanism which is clinically relevant to dental caries.…”

Effects of chlorhexidine, NaF and SnF2 on glucan formation by salivary and culture supernatant GTF adsorbed to hydroxyapatite

“…Cell-bound and extracellular glucosyltransferases (GTF) have been implicated in accumulation of dental plaque (1). We have reported that high levels of non-cell-bound GTF are normally present in whole saliva (2) and in the acquired enamel pellicle (3). On this basis we suggested that these enzymes play an important role in sucroseinduced plaque formation (4).…”

Cell-Free Glucosyltransferase in Saliva (Short Communication)

“…Duplicate samples ( 100 ul) were taken and incubated for 20 h in a waterbath (37 °C) with 10 ¡A glucoselabelled 14C-sucrose (2.5 ¿rCi/ml, specific activity 313mCi/mmol NEN, in 200 mM sucrose). Glucan formation was deter mined as previously described [Scheie and Rolla, 1984]. Pooled plaque was collected and homogenized in 2 ml 0.05 M Naphosphate buffer, pH 6.8.…”