Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotype f O-polysaccharide mediates coaggregation with Fusobacterium nucleatum.
OBJECTIVE
Intergeneric bacterial coaggregation may play an important role in plaque development.


METHODS
In this study we investigated the coaggregation reaction between two periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Fusobacterium nucleatum.


RESULTS
Previous studies showed that A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b strains coaggregate with F. nucleatum strain PK1594, and that A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b O-polysaccharide (O-PS) is the receptor responsible for coaggregation between A. actinomycetemcomitans and F. nucleatum. A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype f O-PS has been shown to be structurally and antigenically related to serotype b O-PS. In the present study we show that A. actinomycetemcomitans strain CU1060N, a serotype f strain, also coaggregated with F. nucleatum PK1594. Like coaggregation between serotype b strains and F. nucleatum, coaggregation between CU1060N and F. nucleatum was inhibited by galactose. An O-PS mutant of CU1060N failed to coaggregate with F. nucleatum.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype f O-PS, like serotype b O-PS, mediates coaggregation between A. actinomycetemcomitans and fusobacteria.
Rupani
D
D
Department of Oral Biology, New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ, USA.
Izano
E A
EA
Schreiner
H C
HC
Fine
D H
DH
Kaplan
J B
JB
D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000502:physiology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000502:physiology; D012703:Serotyping; D013045:Species Specificity
D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial