Adhesion of bovine and goat salivary proteins to dental enamel and silicate (short communication)

Abstract. Salivary proteins may help to prevent enamel abrasion and adverse chemical effects on teeth of herbivorous mammals. To detect potential candidates for protecting proteins, bovine and goat whole saliva were incubated with dental enamel and glass powder. Salivary proteins, bound to dental enamel and glass, were analysed by SDS-PAGE. Two distinct salivary proteins were found to adhere to bovine enamel and were identified by MS/MS mass spectrometry and protein sequencing. Both the bovine odorant-binding protein (bOBP) and the carbonic anhydrase VI (CA-VI) were components of the protein layers. The bovine CA-VI adherent to teeth may serve as a pH-regulator to protect bovine enamel from bacterial acids. The bOBP may bind odorant particles right in the oral cavity and enhance their transmission to the vomeronasal organ (VNO), the signals of which are important determinants in sexual behaviour of mammals. Another protein from bovine and goat saliva seemed to preferentially bind to glass beads. These results suggest that salivary proteins may support olfaction and protect teeth of ruminants from mechanical and chemical destruction.