Characterization of glucan involved in the reduction of dental caries in rats

Biochim Biophys Acta. 1990 Jan 29;1033(1):91-5. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(90)90199-7.

Abstract

Culture supernatant fluids (SF) of mutant 108 obtained from Streptococcus sobrinus 6715, when incubated with sucrose, produce large amounts of water-soluble glucans. Mainly, two water-soluble glucan synthesizing glucosyltransferases (GTases) were found in culture SF by isoelectric focusing. These two GTases had higher activities than those from the parent strain. The GTase which synthesizes water-insoluble glucan totally lacked the mutant. When the glucan preparation synthesized by the SF was subjected to gel filtration, a major large molecular weight fraction (designated glucan A) and a small molecular weight fraction (designated glucan B) were obtained. Glucan A yielded a smaller molecular weight glucan after treatment with dextranase. Glucan B was not hydrolyzed by the same enzyme.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbohydrate Conformation
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Dental Caries / prevention & control*
  • Dextranase / metabolism
  • Glucans / biosynthesis*
  • Glucans / isolation & purification
  • Glucans / therapeutic use
  • Glucosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Isoelectric Focusing
  • Isoelectric Point
  • Methylation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Mutation
  • Rats
  • Streptococcus / enzymology*
  • Streptococcus / genetics

Substances

  • Glucans
  • Glucosyltransferases
  • Dextranase