An insertional mutation in hsa, the gene encoding the sialic acid-binding adhesin of Streptococcus gordonii DL1, resulted in a significant reduction of the infection rate of the organism and an inflammatory reaction in the rat aortic valve with experimental endocarditis, suggesting that the adhesin contributes to the infectivity of the organism for heart valves.
Department of Microbiology, Nippon Dental University School of Dentistry at Tokyo, 1-9-20 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8159, Japan. biseibut@tky.ndu.ac.jp
