Coaggregation of Eikenella Corrodens with Oral Bacteria Mediated by Bacterial Lectin-Like Substance

Abstract

E ikenella corrodens 1073, which has been shown to induce a periodontal syndrome in experimental animals, was found to coaggregate with eight of 42 oral bacterial strains examined. The mechanism(s) of coaggregation between E. corrodens 1073 and Actinomyces viscosus ATCC 19246, A. viscosus T14AV, Streptococcus sanguis 34, and S. sanguis ST160R was studied. Coaggregation reactions were not inhibited by 1 mol/L NaCl, were pH-dependent, and required calcium ions. Heating (100°C, 10 min) and trypsin or pronase treatment of E. corrodens cells abolished their ability to coaggregate with untreated A. viscosus or S. sanguis cells. Identical treatment of A. viscosus or S. sanguis cells did not affect their reactions with untreated E. corrodens cells. The coaggregations were significantly inhibited by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine- and D-galactose-containing sugars. These results suggested that E. corrodens 1073 coaggregates with certain strains of A. viscosus and S. sanguis by specific cell-surface interactions between lectin-like substances on E. corrodens and sugar receptors on its partner.