Immune cell activation by enterotoxin gene cluster (egc)-encoded and non-egc superantigens from Staphylococcus aureus.

Enterotoxin Gene Cluster-Encoded SEI and SElN from Staphylococcus aureus Isolates are Crucial for the Induction of Human Blood Cell Proliferation and Pathogenicity in Rabbits

Among the toxin family of bacterial superantigens, the six members of the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) seem to have unusual characteristics. They are present in the majority of Staphylococcus aureus strains, but their role in disease remains uncertain. We assessed secretion levels, immunogenicity, and toxicity of native and recombinant egc proteins. After having developed enzyme-linked immuno...

egc-Encoded superantigens from Staphylococcus aureus are neutralized by human sera much less efficiently than are classical staphylococcal enterotoxins or toxic shock syndrome toxin.

PCR was employed to determine the presence of all known superantigen genes (sea, seq, and tst) and of the exotoxin-like gene cluster (set) in 40 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from blood cultures and throat swabs; 28 isolates harbored superantigen genes, five on average, and this strictly correlated with their ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation. In contrast, the set gene cluster was dete...

Clonal distribution and differential occurrence of the enterotoxin gene cluster, egc, in carriage- versus bacteremia-associated isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

The Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin gene cluster, egc, was detected in isolates from healthy individuals and in those from patients with bacteremia. The egc genes cooccur and are slightly enriched in strains from healthy carriers (present in 63.7% of carriage-associated isolates versus 52.9% of invasive isolates; P = 0.03). Multilocus sequence typing revealed that successful staphylococcal cl...

Staphylococcus aureus of Superantigens in Enterotoxin Gene, Forms a Putative Nursery , A Highly Prevalent Operon of egc

The Superantigen Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 Alters Human Aortic Endothelial Cell Function

Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis (IE) is a fast-progressing and tissue destructive infection of the cardiac endothelium. The superantigens (SAgs) toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), and the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) play a novel and essential role in the etiology of S. aureus IE. Recent studies indicate that SAgs act at the infection site ...