ANTIGEN I/II INTERACTIONS WITH SALIVARY GLYCOPROTEINS

链球菌是微生物生物膜的重要组成部分 它存在于口腔组织的表面， 参与到支配着建立、成长 和控制这种生物膜。 它们与唾液蛋白的相互作用 对于启动口腔组织的细菌定植是重要的， 它们随后与其他口腔微生物的相互作用有助于 斑块的成熟。 许多这些反应是由一个家庭调解的 统称为抗原I/II的相关链球菌蛋白 多肽。 然而，定义抗原I/II的机制 与口腔中的人体和细菌成分相互作用， 它们与口腔疾病的关系和贡献并不完全 明白 本提案的目标是了解 抗原I/II蛋白的功能在口腔粘膜的不同种属之间存在差异。 链球菌，如何抗原I/II多肽的结构 影响其功能，以及抗原的结构和活性 I/II蛋白受口腔环境的影响。 完成这些 目标，主要研究者将确定 链球菌的多抗原I/II蛋白导致更紧密的 这些生物体与口腔组织的联系。 他会把 不同抗原I/II蛋白的特定结构特征 他们的功能。 此外，建议进行研究，以确定 如果抗原I/II作为二聚体起作用，并且如果抗原I/II内的环境 口腔通过影响稳定性而影响抗原I/II功能 二聚体界面的。 了解抗原I/II 有助于口腔微生物生物膜的起始和生长 将使我们更好地了解病原体是如何 在口腔中建立，以及如何微小的结构差异， 发生在相关的蛋白质组中可以显着影响它们的 功能 最后，理解了 抗原I/II蛋白可能导致广谱的 抗微生物剂通过破坏特定蛋白质发挥作用， 蛋白质相互作用

Streptococci are important integral components of the microbial biofilm that is present on the surface of oral tissues and are intimately involved in the dynamic processes that govern the establishment, growth and control of this biofilm. Their interactions with salivary proteins are important for initiating bacterial colonization of oral tissues and their subsequent interactions with other oral microbes contribute to the maturation of plaque. Many of these reactions are mediated by a family of related streptococcal proteins collectively known as the antigen I/II polypeptides. However, the mechanisms defining antigen I/II interactions with human and bacterial components in the oral cavity and their relationships and contributions to oral diseases are not fully understood. The goals of this proposal are to understand how the function of antigen I/II proteins differ among species of oral streptococci, how the structure of the antigen I/II polypeptide influences its function, and how the structure and activities of antigen I/II proteins are affected by the oral environment. To accomplish these goals, the Principal Investigator will determine if the expression of multiple antigen I/II proteins by streptococci results in a tighter association of these organisms with oral tissues. He will correlate specific structural characteristics of different antigen I/II proteins with their functions. In addition, studies are proposed to determine if antigen I/II functions as a dimer and if the environment within the oral cavity affects antigen I/II function by influencing the stability of the dimer interface. An understanding of how antigen I/II contributes to the initiation and growth of the oral microbial biofilm will lead to a better understanding of how pathogenic organisms become established in the oral cavity and how minor structural differences that occur within related groups of proteins can dramatically influence their function. Finally, understanding the higher order structure of the antigen I/II proteins may lead to the development of broad spectrum anti-microbial agents that function by disrupting specific protein- protein interactions.