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Mechanism of Glucan‐Induced Agglutination in Streptococcus mutans *

The binding of radioactive glucan to Streptococcus mutatis cells, which are agglutinated by dextrans, was examined. The glucan was synthesized from sucrose by extracellular glucosyltransferases from S. mutans FA‐1 and was highly branched at C‐3 and C‐6 of D‐glucose residues, containing 17% of α(1→3)inter‐chain residues. Binding of glucan to whole cells of S. mutans OMZ‐176, which were agglutinated by addition of glucan or Dextran T2000, was irreversible and followed saturation type kinetics; saturation was achieved at approximately 110 ng of glucan per ml. About 14 ng of glucan were bound per mg of the cells at the saturated concentration. The heated cells of this organism, however, had a relatively low ability of glucan‐binding, compared with the freshly prepared and lyophilized cells. Binding to the heated cells was entirely of a non‐saturation type. Binding of Dextran T2000 or T10 was determined by competition between the labeled glucan and unlabeled Dextrans for the binding site(s). Both Dextrans and glucan from S. mutans FA‐1 were bound to the same site(s). Other organisms, which did not undergo glucan‐ and Dextran‐induced agglutination, had a relatively lower ability of glucan‐binding than S. mutans, which was agglutinated.