Journal of Dental Research, Vol 64, 799-803, Copyright © 1985 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
In vitro attachment, salivary agglutination, and surface fibril density of fresh Actinomyces isolates from two distinct oral surfaces
R. P. Ellen and R. Sivendra
Whereas attachment specificity among bacterial species is well recognized,
the question of specificity among strains of the same species isolated from
distinct oral surfaces has not been studied. Twenty strains of Actinomyces,
freshly isolated as they re-populated the cleaned teeth and tongues of a
male twin pair, were compared for: (1) their ability to attach to
saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (SHA), (2) the density of their surface
fibrils, (3) their agglutination in saliva, and (4) their ability to
agglutinate human erythrocytes. Differences among the strains were mostly
along species rather than tissue source lines. The A. naeslundii strains
were the least efficient in SHA attachment and had the least number of
fibrils, but they were the most strongly agglutinated strains in saliva.
The A. viscosus strains, while showing some tissue source differences in
hemagglutination, were consistently alike in SHA attachment and fibril
density. Salivary agglutination did not correspond with the ability to
attach to SHA. Considering the surface characteristics of the Actinomyces
species studied, strains of the same species isolated from distinct oral
surfaces are apparently more alike than strains of the two closely-related
species isolated from the same surface.
