Experimental pellicles formed on hydroxyapatite (HA) beads from parotid or submandibular saliva promoted the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans JBP cells to a greater extent than did pellicles prepared from buffer, human plasma, or serum. The nature of the salivary components responsible was studied by the preparation of pellicles from fractions of parotid saliva obtained by chromatography on Trisacryl GF 2000 columns. Two groups of fractions promoted attachment of the organism. Components migrating in the high-molecular-weight mucin fraction were most effective, but a later-eluting fraction also possessed adhesion-promoting activity. Subfractionation of the latter material indicated that the adhesion-promoting activity was associated with the acidic proline-rich proteins (PRPs). Pellicles prepared from 10-20-micrograms/mL solutions of pure PRP-1 were effective in promoting attachment of S. mutans JBP cells. PRP-3 was less effective, while human salivary statherin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, type 1 collagen, and the amino-terminal tryptic peptide derived from PRP-1 were ineffective. The quantities of 150-residue and 106-residue PRPs and of statherin, which became incorporated into experimental pellicles prepared from saliva, were estimated with use of radiolabeled protein tracers. The data obtained suggest that these proteins compete for similar binding sites on HA, and that their ratios in saliva would therefore influence the quantity of the larger PRPs that become incorporated into the pellicle. Such competition may contribute to the variability observed in the adhesion-promoting activities of different saliva samples.

Actinomyces viscosus LY7 cells adsorbed in high numbers to experimental pellicles formed on hydroxyapatite (HA) from human parotid or submandibular saliva but not to pellicles prepared from human plasma or serum. To determine the nature of the salivary components responsible for promoting adhesion, pellicles were prepared from fractions of submandibular and parotid saliva obtained by chromatography on Trisacryl GF 2000 columns. Adsorption of LY7 cells was promoted by two groups of fractions. Each group was rechromatographed on DEAE-agarose. Fractions which promoted adsorption of LY7 cells were found by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to contain the acidic proline-rich proteins (PRPs) and statherin. Pellicles prepared from 12-,g/ml solutions of pure PRP-1, PRP-2, or parotid isoelectric focusing (PIF-slow) variant promoted maximal adsorption of A. viscosus LY7 cells. Somewhat higher concentrations of PRP-3 and PRP-4 were required for maximal adsorption, indicating that the 44-residue carboxy-terminal segment of PRP-1, PRP-2, and PIF-slow enhances LY7 binding but is not essential. Much higher concentrations of statherin were required to promote LY7 adsorption. Adsorption of LY7 cells to peUicles prepared from PRP-1 was not affected over the range of pH 5 to 8. Adsorption was also not inhibited by 50 mM lactose, which is consistent with the notion that type 1 fimbriae, rather than type 2 fimbriae, were responsible. A. viscosus T14, Actinomyces odontolyticus ATCC 17982, and Actinomyces israelii 12597 also adsorbed to PRP-1 pellicles, whereas Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC 12104 did not. Although A.

Equilibrium and kinetic experiments were conducted to investigate the factors determining the adsorption of salivary macromolecules onto hydroxyapatite. Using amino acids and other small adsorbates, it was determined that the carboxyl attached to the alpha carbon does not appear to adsorb onto HA and the affinities of side-chain carboxyls are much smaller than that of the phosphate group (phosphoserine). Hydroxyl (serine) displays an extremely high affinity, but its adsorption site on HA is different and the number of such sites is much smaller than found for the rest of the functional groups investigated. It is shown that the information obtained from small molecules cannot be readily applied to prediction of the adsorption behavior of salivary macromolecules and polypeptides. The kinetics of adsorption of the salivary phosphopeptide statherin, a polyaspartate, and the salivary prolinerich phosphoprotein PRP3 are consistent with the reversibility of the adsorption process; no conclusion was possible in the case of the protein PRP1. Apparent irreversibility cannot be explained on the basis of multipoint binding or the properties of the carboxyl versus phosphate group; it appears that secondary structure determines to a significant extent the adsorption properties of the macromolecules. Calculation of the thermodynamic molar quantities of adsorption of PRP1, PRP3, and L-ASP onto HA showed that the process is entropically driven. The functional relationship between partial molar entropy and adsorption coverage is similar for the two proteins, but quite different from that for aspartate. Explanations for these results are advanced on the bases of changes in structure configurations and displacement of water from the adsorbate and the adsorbent surface, the second factor being the dominant one in the adsorption of a small molecule such as L-ASP.

Inhibition of calcium phosphate precipitation in saliva, and prevention of the formation of mineral accretions on tooth surfaces, has been ascribed to the existence of inhibiting salivary macromolecules. Marked reductions in the crystal growth rate of hydroxyapatite (HA) seeds were measured in supersaturated solutions containing either of two proline-rich proteins, PRP1 or PRP3, or statherin; the three macromolecules were isolated from human parotid saliva. The reductions were also observed when the HA seeds were pretreated with solutions of the macromolecules before adding them to the supersaturated calcium phosphate solution. This effect was very similar in the case of the two PRPs and it was directly related to the extent of adsorption site coverage of these proteins on the HA seeds. The effect of statherin was larger than anticipated from its adsorption behavior. However, comparison on the basis of number of moles adsorbed per unit area of HA shows that the PRP are more effective inhibitors than statherin. The macromolecule concentrations used were considerably lower than those in the salivary secretions, therefore these macromolecules could readily prevent mineral accretion on tooth surfaces through their adsorption onto the enamel surface.

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of a factor present in human whole saliva which causes the aggregation of certain oral bacteria. It seemed possible that the factor causing aggregation could play a part in plaque formation in that it could promote adhesion of organisms to the teeth and contribute to the mutual adhesion of the organisms in the plaque. Agarose column chromatography of human whole saliva gave a void volume peak which contained the aggregating activity. Investigation of this material showed it to contain 33% protein, 19% anthrone positive carbohydrate, 2.9% N-acetyl neuraminic acid and substantial amounts of hexosamine. Data from ultracentrifugal analysis, agarose column chromatography, amino acid analysis, isoelectric focusing and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide fractionation indicated that the active material was a high molecular weight glycoprotein which exists in solution in a random coil configuration. It was further found that the active material was selectively adsorbed on to the hydroxy-apatite surface and also that a component with properties similar to those described above could be isolated from dental plaque. It seems, therefore, that there is, in whole saliva, a high molecular weight glycoprotein, which selectively adsorbs on to the apatite surface and which causes aggregation of certain oral organisms. It seems possible that this component plays a significant role in the initial selective adhesion of certain oral organisms to the tooth surface, as well as being involved in the mutual adhesion of the organisms in the developing plaque.