This article includes a list of general references but lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Mutan is a sticky colorless water-insoluble glucan with predominant α-1-3 linkages is the major component of dental biofilms, which enhances the formation of dental plaque and dental caries.^[1] It is a source made from glucans (D-glucose polysaccharides) which are derived form glucose monomers.^{[citation needed]} Little to nothing is known about the alpha glucans that make up the water-insoluble linkages of mutan with dexteran. These values can be derived using NMR techniques.^[1]

Mutan is an extracellular polysaccharide characterized by glucose residues linked through α-1-3 connections. Its synthesis entails transferring monosaccharides from a disaccharide substrate to the elongating oligosaccharide chain's reducing end. Cariogenic and acidophilic oral microorganisms produce mutan via cell-bound or extracellular glucosyltransferases in the presence of dietary sucrose. Mutan structure varies with organism and enzyme type, affecting polymerization, branching, and the ratio of α-1−3 and α-1–6 linkages.^[2]

As the leading causative agent in oral biofilms, Streptococcus mutans forms an integral part of tooth plaque formation and is the bacteria responsible for degradation of tooth enamel. Glucan sucrase is an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of mutans from sucrose, which aids in attachment to hard surfaces such as the facial side of the tooth. While S. mutans is not solely responsible for the function of the biofilm, it creates an EPS (extracellular polysaccharide) environment that provides ideal conditions for countless other species, many of which are acidic and further degrade tooth enamel.^{[citation needed]}

• Tatongjai, Jutamas; Lumdubwong, Namfone (2010-06-11). "Physicochemical properties and textile utilization of low- and moderate-substituted carboxymethyl rice starches with various amylose content". Carbohydrate Polymers. 81 (2): 377–384. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.02.019. ISSN 0144-8617.
• Nowak, Katarzyna; Wiater, Adrian; Choma, Adam; Wiącek, Dariusz; Bieganowski, Andrzej; Siwulski, Marek; Waśko, Adam (2019-09-15). "Fungal (1 → 3)-α-d-glucans as a new kind of biosorbent for heavy metals". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 137: 960–965. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.07.036. ISSN 0141-8130. PMID 31284010. S2CID 195843248.
• Lemos, J.A.; Palmer, S.R.; Zeng, L.; Wen, Z.T.; Kajfasz, J.K.; Freires, I.A.; Abranches, J.; Brady, L.J. (2019-02-08). Fischetti, Vincent A.; Novick, Richard P.; Ferretti, Joseph J.; Portnoy, Daniel A.; Braunstein, Miriam; Rood, Julian I. (eds.). "The Biology of Streptococcus mutans". Microbiology Spectrum. 7 (1). doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.GPP3-0051-2018. ISSN 2165-0497. PMC 6615571. PMID 30657107.