Interactions of fibronectin with streptococci: the role of fibronectin as a receptor for Streptococcus pyogenes.

Current evidence suggests that lipoteichoic acid (LTA) on the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes is centrally involved in the adherence of these bacteria to the oral mucosa. The major receptor on the surface of buccal mucosal cells for S. pyogenes is fibronectin. Fibronectin is a complex glycoprotein found in blood, extracellular matrices, and saliva. Many species of streptococci bind to fibronectin, although the characteristics of these interactions are different. Furthermore, whereas LTA is an efficient inhibitor of the binding of fibronectin to group A streptococci, it has little ability to inhibit the binding of fibronectin to Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus. Studies conducted with fibronectin show that different bacteria bind to different sites. The ability of various bacteria to interact with different domains on the fibronectin molecule may play an important role in bacterial adherence and tissue tropism.