Inhibition of the cooperative adhesion of Streptococcus sanguis to hydroxylapatite

The adhesion of Streptococcus sanguis to hydroxylapatite is a process involving several adhesins and receptors. Binding isotherms and Scatchard plots of the adhesion suggest that cooperative interactions occur at low cell densities. It was found that sulfolane, a hydrophobic-bond diluent, was capable of inhibiting the cooperative adhesion of S. sanguis to saliva-coated hydroxylapatite beads. Sodium thiocyanate, a chaotropic agent, inhibited not only cooperative adhesion, but also the adhesion thought to result from non-cooperative interactions. It is suggested that strong chaotropic agents may not only inhibit adhesin-receptor complexes, but also may influence the secondary/tertiary structures of interacting species.