Study on exopolysaccharides produced by planktonic and attached Streptococcus sobrinus
Jiang, D.; Ning, M.-Z.; Ge, J.-P.; Pu, X.-F.; Zhou, X.-D.; Hu, T.
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue 16(1): 77-80
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 1006-7248 PMID: 17377707 Document Number: 606358
To elucidate the amount of exopolysaccharides produced by Streptococcus sobrinus when cultivated at different conditions. S. sobrinus was grown in TS broth and was allowed to attach to the cover glass surface to form bioflims. The anthrone method was applied to measure the amounts of soluble and insoluble exopolysaccharides produced by attached S. sobrinus and planktonic ones when cultivated at different time and in different concentrations of sucrose. The data were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 software package, Dunnett's t test was used to compare the difference between the two groups. Attached bacteria synthesized more insoluble polysaccharide than planktonic ones at every sucrose concentration (P<0.05), but almost the same production of soluble polysaccharide (P>0.05). The ability of S. sobrinus to synthesize insoluble polysaccharide was enhanced in the adherent phase, which may clarify why bacteria in biofilms are highly cariogenic.