A toxic shock syndrome isolate of Staphylococcus aureus was grown in a chemostat, in a defined synthetic medium of six amino acids, glucose, two vitamins and salts. Steady states were achieved under limiting and replete Mg2+ conditions and at a range of relative specific growth rates. The biomass and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were estimated at each condition. Under Mg2+ limitation t...

The effect of O(2) and CO(2) on expression of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) by Staphylococcus aureus was investigated under controlled growth conditions with continuous-culture techniques. To stimulate TSST-1 production, air and anaerobic gas were premixed before delivery to the culture vessel. At a growth rate-or mass doubling time (t(d))-of 3 h, production of specific TSST-1 (expresse...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a member of the staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigen family. So far, little is known about T-cell epitopes on superantigens. In this study, we developed an improved method for localizing T-cell epitopes on superantigens that involved synthetic peptides plus costimulation by CD28 or phorbol myristate acetate. Using this method, we localized a T-cell ep...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is a member of the staphylococcal enterotoxin superantigen family. So far, little is known about T-cell epitopes on superantigens. In this study, we developed an improved method for localizing T-cell epitopes on superantigens that involved synthetic peptides plus costimulation by CD28 or phorbol myristate acetate. Using this method, we localized a T-cell ep...

A syringe method was designed to test the effect of tampons on the growth of three toxic shock syndrome-associated strains of Staphylococcus aureus and their in vitro production of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) under different conditions. Various amounts of TSST-1 were recovered from different tampons inoculated with these strains. Generally, the addition of 10% porcine blood to the gro...

Superantigens (SAGs) bind simultaneously to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and T-cell receptor (TCR) molecules, resulting in the massive release of inflammatory cytokines that can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and death. A major causative agent of TSS is toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), which is unique relative to other bacterial SAGs owing to its structural divergence and it...

Toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) is one of superantigens produced by Staphylococcus aureus. We have previously demonstrated that vaccination with non-toxic mutant TSST-1 (mTSST-1) develops host protection to lethal S. aureus infection in mice. However, the detailed mechanism underlying this protection is necessary to elucidate because the passive transfer of antibodies against TSST-1 fails...

A shock-like syndrome was induced in rabbits by administering toxic-shock-syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1); tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like activity was detected in sera of rabbits 3.5 h after injection, as measured by cytotoxic effects on the tumorigenic L929 murine fibroblast cell line. Appearance of this activity in sera coincided with onset of significant shock-related hemodynamic changes. TSST-1...

Menstrually associated toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is attributed primarily to the effects of staphylococcal exotoxin toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1). A region of the 194-amino-acid toxin spanning residues 115 through 144 constitutes a biologically active site. Several point mutations in the TSST-1 gene in that region result in gene products with reduced mitogenic activity for murine T cell...