Biomaterial Database

Isolation and characterization of the Streptococcus mutans gtfC gene, coding for synthesis of both soluble and insoluble glucans. 1988

N Hanada, and H K Kuramitsu

Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical-Dental Schools, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

The intact gtfC gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was isolated in Escherichia coli in plasmid vector pUC18. The glucosyltransferase activity expressed by the gene synthesized both low-molecular-weight water-soluble glucan and insoluble glucan in a primer-independent manner. Purification of the enzyme by procedures that minimize proteolytic digestion yielded a purified preparation with a molecular weight of 140,000. Insertional inactivation of the gtfC gene with a streptococcal erythromycin resistance gene fragment followed by transformation of strain GS-5 suggested that the gtfC gene product was required for sucrose-dependent colonization in vitro. In addition, evidence for the presence of a third gtf gene coding for soluble glucan synthesis was obtained following the construction of mutants containing deletions of both the gtfB and gtfC genes.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002874	Chromosome Mapping	Any method used for determining the location of and relative distances between genes on a chromosome.	Gene Mapping,Linkage Mapping,Genome Mapping,Chromosome Mappings,Gene Mappings,Genome Mappings,Linkage Mappings,Mapping, Chromosome,Mapping, Gene,Mapping, Genome,Mapping, Linkage,Mappings, Chromosome,Mappings, Gene,Mappings, Genome,Mappings, Linkage
D002876	Chromosomes, Bacterial	Structures within the nucleus of bacterial cells consisting of or containing DNA, which carry genetic information essential to the cell.	Bacterial Chromosome,Bacterial Chromosomes,Chromosome, Bacterial
D003001	Cloning, Molecular	The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.	Molecular Cloning
D004252	DNA Mutational Analysis	Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence.	Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D004269	DNA, Bacterial	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of bacteria.	Bacterial DNA
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D005798	Genes, Bacterial	The functional hereditary units of BACTERIA.	Bacterial Gene,Bacterial Genes,Gene, Bacterial
D005936	Glucans	Polysaccharides composed of repeating glucose units. They can consist of branched or unbranched chains in any linkages.	Glucan,Polyglucose,Polyglucoses,Glucan (BO),Glucose Polymer,Polycose,Polymer, Glucose
D005964	Glucosyltransferases	Enzymes that catalyze the transfer of glucose from a nucleoside diphosphate glucose to an acceptor molecule which is frequently another carbohydrate. EC 2.4.1.-.	Glucosyltransferase
D012995	Solubility	The ability of a substance to be dissolved, i.e. to form a solution with another substance. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Solubilities