Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Department of
Date of this Version
March 1989
Abstract
The Streptococcus mutans serotype c gtfA gene encodes a 55-kilodalton sucrose-hydrolyzing enzyme. Analysis of S. mutans gtfA mutants revealed that the mutant strains were specifically impaired in the ability to use melibiose as a sole carbon source. S. mutans gafA mutant strains synthesized less α-galactosidase activity inducible by raffinose than wild-type strains. Melibiose (an inducer in wild-type strains) failed to induce significant levels of a-galactosidase in the mutant strains. We hypothesize that melibiose use by . mutans requires the interaction of the GtfA enzyme, or another gene product under the control of the gtfA promoter, with other gene product(s) involved in melibiose transport or hydrolysis.
Comments
Published in INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, Mar. 1989, p. 992-995. Copyright © 1989, American Society for Microbiology. Used by permission.