6533b871fe1ef96bd12d25ab

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Recombinant epidermolytic (exfoliative) toxin A of Staphylococcus aureus is not a superantigen

Bernhard FleischerC. J. Bailey

subject

Microbiology (medical)Staphylococcus aureusT-LymphocytesBlotting WesternImmunologyClostridium difficile toxin ABiologyLymphocyte Activationmedicine.disease_causeMonocytesMicrobiologylaw.inventionMicelawSuperantigenmedicineAnimalsHumansImmunology and AllergyCloning MolecularStaphylococcus aureus delta toxinCells CulturedAntigens BacterialMice Inbred BALB CToxinGeneral MedicineT lymphocyteRecombinant ProteinsExfoliatinsCytolysisStaphylococcus aureusRecombinant DNAInterleukin-2Spleen

description

The epidermolytic (exfoliative) toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus cause epidermolysis and skin blistering. In addition, they have been implicated to belong to the group of T lymphocyte stimulating molecules known as "superantigens". Here we show that recombinant epidermolytic toxin A produced in S. aureus is not mitogenic for human and murine T lymphocytes. We discuss the possibility that minute contaminations of highly mitogenic exoproteins may cause the mitogenicity in several proteins that are reported to be superantigens.

https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00191548