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Infection and Immunity, May 2000, p. 3048-3052, Vol. 68, No. 5
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Recombinant Staphylococcus aureus Exfoliative Toxins Are Not Bacterial Superantigens

Lisa R. W. Plano,1 Delia M. Gutman,2 Markus Woischnik,2 and Carleen M. Collins2,*

Departments of Pediatrics1 and Microbiology and Immunology,2 University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101

Received 2 November 1999/Returned for modification 15 December 1999/Accepted 3 February 2000

Staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome is an exfoliative dermatitis characterized by the separation of the epidermis at the stratum granulosum. This disruption is mediated by one of two Staphylococcus aureus exotoxins, exfoliative toxins A and B (ETA and ETB). Both ETA and ETB have been reported to be bacterial superantigens. A controversy exists, however, as other data indicate that these exotoxins are not superantigens. Here we demonstrate that recombinant exfoliative toxins produced in Escherichia coli do not act as T-cell mitogens and thus are not bacterial superantigens. These data fit the clinical profile of the disease, which is not associated with the classic symptoms of a superantigen-mediated syndrome.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, P.O. Box 016960 (R-138), Miami, FL 33101. Phone: (305) 243-6118. Fax: (305) 243-4623. E-mail: ccollins{at}med.miami.edu.

Infection and Immunity, May 2000, p. 3048-3052, Vol. 68, No. 5
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Plano, L. R. W., Davis, S. C., Mertz, P. M. (2008). Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, Exfoliative Toxins, and Skin Infections--Reply. Arch Dermatol 144: 1070-1070 [Full Text]  
  • Plano, L. R. W., Adkins, B., Woischnik, M., Ewing, R., Collins, C. M. (2001). Toxin Levels in Serum Correlate with the Development of Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome in a Murine Model. Infect. Immun. 69: 5193-5197 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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