Inhibition of bacterial aggregation by serum- and blood-derived proteins.
Human and animal sera contain potent inhibitors of saliva-mediated aggregation of oral streptococci. The inhibitors consist of a high-molecular-weight heat-labile factor and a lower-molecular-weight heat-activated factor. The latter appears to be serum albumin. Analyses of purified blood-derived proteins indicated that several high-molecular-weight proteins (fibrinogen, fibronectin, and ferritin) were able to inhibit aggregation at low concentrations. These data suggest that high-molecular-weight proteins may modulate the aggregation process.
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D012463:Saliva / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013298:Streptococcus sanguis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D001798:Blood Proteins; D003470:Culture Media