Exfoliative Toxins of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen of humans and livestock. It causes a diverse array of diseases, ranging from relatively harmless localized skin infections to life-threatening systemic conditions. Among multiple virulence factors, staphylococci secrete several exotoxins directly associated with particular disease symptoms. These include toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), enterotoxins, and exfoliative toxins (ETs). The latter are particularly interesting as the sole agents responsible for staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS), a disease predominantly affecting infants and characterized by the loss of superficial skin layers, dehydration, and secondary infections. The molecular basis of the clinical symptoms of SSSS is well understood. ETs are serine proteases with high substrate specificity, which selectively recognize and hydrolyze desmosomal proteins in the skin. The fascinating road leading to the discovery of ETs as the agents responsible for SSSS and the characterization of the molecular mechanism of their action, including recent advances in the field, are reviewed in this article.

Emergence of a Staphylococcus aureus Clone Resistant to Mupirocin and Fusidic Acid Carrying Exotoxin Genes and Causing Mainly Skin Infections

“…This clonal S. aureus strain is characterized as spa type 171 or single-locus variants t408, t659, t874, and t875. The presence of the agrIV allele, eta (and in a large proportion etb), and fusB is highly indicative of the aforementioned clone (8,9,14). The last report of the aforementioned clone was from Norway in 2014, showing evidence of extinction from 2012 (15).…”

“…The products are distinct molecules, both having a serine protease activity targeting desmoglein 1 (Dsg1), an adhesion glycoprotein within desmosomes in the epidermis. Disruption of the natural matrix of the stratum granulosum results in cellular linkage and epithelial splitting, which are observed in impetigo and SSSS (14). Concurrent resistance to mupirocin, fusidic acid, and, to a lesser extent, clindamycin, together with a particularly rich toxinogenic profile, confers to these strains adaptability for persistent carriage, even though they do not produce the ACME element, which is a characteristic of the USA300 MRSA clone (3).…”

Clustering of Staphylococcus aureus bovine mastitis strains from regions of Central-Eastern Poland based on their biochemical and genetic characteristics

“…Treatment of infected individuals is difficult due to frequent recurrences, as staphylococci can be found commonly in the natural environment and also on the skin of people tending the animals and in animals from the same herd (Malinowski andGajewski 2010, Peton andLe Loir 2013). The infection occurs after the mammary gland tissues are invaded by bacteria, triggering the action of various factors, especially proteases, enterotoxins and pyrogenic superantigens, such as the toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), (Bukowski et al 2010, Zdzalik et al 2012. A set of identified virulence factors, and additionally slime production, in staphylococcal mastitis are reported (Pejsak andTarasiuk 1989, Krukowski et al 2008).…”

Atypical manifestation in infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrier SCCmec IV and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-producer in experimental sepsis model

“…Its capacity of colonization and pathogenicity is due to its virulence factors, important in adhesion and evasion of the host's immune system (Otto, 2010;Tavares, 2002). the production of toxins, determinants factors of its virulence (Bukowski et al, 2010;Kim et al, 2014;Novick et al, 2010) which are commonly associated with purulent lesions and abscesses due to infiltration of neutrophils at infected site (Cheng et al, 2009;Kim et al, 2014).…”