SALIVARY AMYLASE AND DENTAL PLAQUE FORMATION

重新提交R29申请的目标是确定 唾液淀粉酶与口腔链球菌结合的分子机制 评估这种相互作用在口腔微生物环境中的作用 生态学。这里描述的研究将表征和识别 链球菌淀粉酶结合组分(S)基因编码 戈登尼号。其他研究将评估淀粉酶-细菌的程度 在体内的相互作用通过测定比例和光谱 通过检查基因，不同口腔表面上的淀粉酶结合细菌 淀粉酶结合细菌之间的关系，并通过测定 免疫金电泳法对牙菌斑中淀粉酶的活体定位 显微镜。进一步的实验将评估淀粉酶在 使用两种体外模型系统形成牙菌斑； 唾液包裹的羟基磷灰石模型，模拟了 细菌对牙齿的影响，以及模仿牙菌斑的共聚集模型 成熟。淀粉酶结合缺陷突变体 获得成分、抗体试剂和新鲜牙菌斑分离株 通过提议的实验过程，这些实验将用于 模型系统。 这些研究可能会提供更全面的了解 淀粉酶与口腔细菌的相互作用，这可能是有用的 未来研究其他唾液-细菌相互作用的范例。 最终，这些知识可能会给出预防牙菌斑的方法。 队形。

The goals of this resubmission of a R29 application are to determine the molecular mechanism of salivary amylase binding to oral streptococci, and to assess the role of this interaction in the context of oral microbial ecology. Studies described herein will characterize and identify the gene coding for the amylase-binding component(s) from Streptococcus gordonii. Additional studies will assess the extent of amylase-bacterium interactions in vivo by determining the proportion and spectrum of amylase-binding bacteria on various oral surfaces, by examining genetic relationships between amylase-binding bacteria, and by determining the in vivo location of amylase in dental plaque by immunogold-electron microscopy. Further experiments will assess the role of amylase in dental plaque formation using two in vitro model systems; the saliva-coated hydroxyapatite model, which mimics the initial adhesion of bacteria to teeth, and a coaggregation model, which mimics plaque maturation. Amylase-binding deficient mutants, amylase-binding components, antibody reagents and fresh dental plaque isolates obtained through the course of the proposed experiments will be used in these model systems. These studies may provide a more complete understanding of the interaction of amylase with oral bacteria, which may serve as a useful paradigm for future studies of other salivary-bacterial interactions. Ultimately, this knowledge may suggest methods to prevent dental plaque formation.