Specific inhibitors of bacterial adhesion: observations from the study of gram-positive bacteria that initiate biofilm formation on the tooth surface

Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

Oral surfaces are bathed in secretory antibodies and other salivary macromolecules that are potential inhibitors of specific microbial adhesion. Indigenous Gram-positive bacteria that colonize teeth, including viridans streptococci and actinomyces, may avoid inhibition of adhesion by host secretory molecules through various strategies that involve the structural design and binding properties of bacterial adhesins and receptors. Further studies to define the interactions of these molecules within the host environment may suggest novel approaches for the control of oral biofilm formation.

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