A dextranase preparation (AD17) partially purified from a culture liquor of Spicaria violacea strain IFO 6120 significantly inhibited the formation of artifcial dental plaque on a steel wire or on an extracted tooth surface. Changes in the surface morphology of Streptococcus mutans cells due to AD17 action were studied using scanning electron microscopy. S. mutans cells grown in 5% sucrose-containing broth were coated with sticky amorphous capsule-like material, whereas cells grown in sucrose in the presence of AD17 or in glucose instead of sucrose did not synthesize such capsular material. AK17 degraded commercially available dextrans of molecular weight 7 X 1(04) and 2 X 10(6) to liberate glucose and various oligosaccharides, including isomaltose. On the other hand, AD17 hydrolyzed the extracellular polysaccharides (mainly glucan in nature) of some strains of S. mutans to a limited degree. Only 15 to 36% of the total polysaccharides were hydrolyzed by AD1M with little release of isomaltose. Prolonged incubation of the polysaccharides from S. mutans with AD17 did not release additional reducing sugars, which indicates that AD17 did not contain alpha-1,3-glucanase activity. These results suggest that glucosidic linkages which are susceptible to AD17 may play an important role in the adherence of S. mutans cells to smooth surfaces.