Abstract
Oral bacteria, such as Streptococcus cricetus and S. sobrinus, are aggregated by high molecular weight fractions of the linear α-(1→6) dextran produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The linkage specificity of this interaction with a cell surface lectin of the streptococci is high. As a further probe of factors affecting recognition, we prepared partially methylated samples of dextran of average MW of 2 × 10 6 and 10 4. 13C NMR spectroscopy proved to be a convenient method for determining both site and degree of monomethylation and dimethylation of the polymer: relative reactivity of the OH groups was established as 02: 04: 03 = 4.3: 1.7: 1.0. A methylation DS of only 0.17 caused almost complete loss of recognition by the lectin. A structural feature of dextran oligomers is suggested to explain this result.
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