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Journal of Dental Research
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Clinical

Protein Antigen in Serotype k Streptococcus mutans Clinical Isolates

K. Nakano1, R. Nomura1, H. Nemoto1, J. Lapirattanakul1, N. Taniguchi1, L. Grönroos2, S. Alaluusua2,3 and T. Ooshima1,*

1 Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan;
2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and
3 Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: * corresponding author, ooshima{at}dent.osaka-u.ac.jp

Streptococcus mutans, a major pathogen of dental caries and infective endocarditis, is classified into serotypes c, e, f, and k, with serotype k strains recently reported to be frequently detected in persons with infective endocarditis. Thus, we hypothesized that common properties associated with infective endocarditis are present in those strains. Fifty-six oral S. mutans strains, including 11 serotype k strains, were analyzed. Western blotting analysis revealed expression of the 3 types of glucosyltransferases in all strains, while expression of the approximately 190-kDa cell-surface protein (PA) was absent in 12 strains, among which the prevalence of serotype k (7/12) was significantly high. Furthermore, cellular hydrophobicity and phagocytosis susceptibility were lower in the group of serotype k strains. These results indicate that the absence of PA expression, low cellular hydrophobicity, and phagocytosis susceptibility are common bacterial properties associated with serotype k strains, which may be associated with virulence for infective endocarditis.

Key Words: Streptococcus mutans • serotype • expression • protein antigen

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 87, No. 10, 964-968 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/154405910808701001
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