This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Marr, J C Articles by Bohach, G A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Marr, J C Articles by Bohach, G A

Characterization of novel type C staphylococcal enterotoxins: biological and evolutionary implications.

Department of Bacteriology and Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow 83843.

ABSTRACT

The type C staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEC) are a group of highly conserved proteins with significant immunological cross-reactivity. Although three antigenically distinct SEC subtypes (SEC1, SEC2, and SEC3) have been reported in the literature, we observed that the isoelectric points of SEC from several Staphylococcus aureus isolates are different from those of any of these three subtypes. This observation led us to propose that additional SEC molecular variants exist. For assessment of this possibility, the sec genes from representative human, animal, and food isolates were cloned and sequenced. The toxins encoded by the 18 isolates used in this study included five unique SEC proteins in addition to SEC1, SEC2, and SEC3. Six of the SEC proteins (including SEC1, SEC2, and SEC3) were produced by human and food isolates. Analysis of seven bovine and ovine isolates showed that isolates from each animal species produced a unique host-specific SEC. All of the SEC caused lymphocyte proliferation, although some of the toxins differed in their ability to stimulate cells from several animal species. An explanation for these results, which is supported by our phenotypic analysis of Sec+ staphylococcal isolates, is that toxin heterogeneity is due to selection for modified SEC sequences that facilitate the survival of S. aureus isolates in their respective hosts.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Blaiotta, G., Fusco, V., von Eiff, C., Villani, F., Becker, K. (2006). Biotyping of Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus by Enterotoxin Gene Cluster (egc) Polymorphism and spa Typing Analyses. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6117-6123 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Smyth, D. S, Hartigan, P. J, Meaney, W. J, Fitzgerald, J R., Deobald, C. F, Bohach, G. A, Smyth, C. J (2005). Superantigen genes encoded by the egc cluster and SaPIbov are predominant among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cows, goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry. J Med Microbiol 54: 401-411 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lovseth, A., Loncarevic, S., Berdal, K. G. (2004). Modified Multiplex PCR Method for Detection of Pyrogenic Exotoxin Genes in Staphylococcal Isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 3869-3872 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fitzgerald, J. R., Reid, S. D., Ruotsalainen, E., Tripp, T. J., Liu, M., Cole, R., Kuusela, P., Schlievert, P. M., Jarvinen, A., Musser, J. M. (2003). Genome Diversification in Staphylococcus aureus: Molecular Evolution of a Highly Variable Chromosomal Region Encoding the Staphylococcal Exotoxin-Like Family of Proteins. Infect. Immun. 71: 2827-2838 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Becker, K., Friedrich, A. W., Lubritz, G., Weilert, M., Peters, G., von Eiff, C. (2003). Prevalence of Genes Encoding Pyrogenic Toxin Superantigens and Exfoliative Toxins among Strains of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Blood and Nasal Specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 1434-1439 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chi, Y.-I., Sadler, I., Jablonski, L. M., Callantine, S. D., Deobald, C. F., Stauffacher, C. V., Bohach, G. A. (2002). Zinc-mediated Dimerization and Its Effect on Activity and Conformation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Type C. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 22839-22846 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jeffers, G. T., Bruce, J. L., McDonough, P. L., Scarlett, J., Boor, K. J., Wiedmann, M. (2001). Comparative genetic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from human and animal listeriosis cases. Microbiology 147: 1095-1104 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fitzgerald, J. R., Monday, S. R., Foster, T. J., Bohach, G. A., Hartigan, P. J., Meaney, W. J., Smyth, C. J. (2001). Characterization of a Putative Pathogenicity Island from Bovine Staphylococcus aureus Encoding Multiple Superantigens. J. Bacteriol. 183: 63-70 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Monday, S. R., Bohach, G. A. (1999). Use of Multiplex PCR To Detect Classical and Newly Described Pyrogenic Toxin Genes in Staphylococcal Isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 37: 3411-3414 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Monday, S. R., Vath, G. M., Ferens, W. A., Deobald, C., Rago, J. V., Gahr, P. J., Monie, D. D., Iandolo, J. J., Chapes, S. K., Davis, W. C., Ohlendorf, D. H., Schlievert, P. M., Bohach, G. A. (1999). Unique Superantigen Activity of Staphylococcal Exfoliative Toxins. J. Immunol. 162: 4550-4559 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Munson, S. H., Tremaine, M. T., Betley, M. J., Welch, R. A. (1998). Identification and Characterization of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Types G and I from Staphylococcus aureus. Infect. Immun. 66: 3337-3348 [Abstract] [Full Text]