Genetic and antigenic comparison of Streptococcus mutans fructosyltransferase and glucan-binding protein

Abstract

The genes for fructosyltransferase (ftf) and glucan-binding protein (gbp) of Streptococcus mutans strain Ingbritt have been cloned in E. coli using bacteriophage and plasmid vectors. A single ftf gene appears to be responsible for the appearance of several FTF of different electrophoretic mobilities. Despite the fact that both ftf and gbp proteins synthesise fructans from sucrose in S. mutans and shown closely similar electrophoretic mobilities and isoelectric points, the restriction maps of the two genes are distinct, their DNAs do not hybridise and there is no immunological cross-reaction between the two proteins.