| Collagen-binding protein allows dental S. mutans bacteria to attach to heart valves. |
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| Science Daily: Abranches and her team at the University's Center for Oral Biology discovered that a collagen-binding protein known as CNM gives S. mutans its ability to invade heart tissue. In laboratory experiments, scientists found that strains with CNM are able to invade heart cells, and strains without CNM are not. |