Lack of correlation between fibrils, hydrophobicity and adhesion for strains of Streptococcus sanguis biotypes I and II
Wyatt, J.E.; Hesketh, L.M.; Handley, P.S.
Microbios 50(202): 7-15
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-2633 PMID: 2885724 Document Number: 301533
Fifteen strains of Streptococcus sanguis biotype I and eight strains of Streptococcus sanguis biotype II with peritrichous fibrils, tufts of fibrils or a mixture of fibrils and fimbriae on the cell surface, were tested for their ability to adhere to saliva coated spheroidal hydroxylapatite (S-SHA) in a radiolabelled assay. S. sanguis I strains adhered better than S. sanguis II strains and peritrichously fibrillar strains generally adhered better than tufted strains. There was no correlation between the density of fibrillation and adhesion. The only highly adherent strain of S. sanguis II carried fimbriae in addition to fibrils. No correlation was observed between cell surface hydrophobicity as measured by phase partitioning with hexadecane and adhesion to S-SHA.