Exfoliative Toxins of Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Virulent strains of Staphylococcus aureus secrete exfoliative toxins (ETs) that cause the loss of cell-cell adhesion in the superficial epidermis. S. aureus ETs are serine proteases, which exhibit exquisite substrate specificity, and their mechanisms of action are extremely complex. To date, four different serotypes of ETs have been identified and three of them (ETA, ETB and ETD) are associated with toxin-mediated staphylococcal syndromes related to human infections leading to diseases of medical and veterinary importance.

Staphylococcus aureus Toxins and Their Molecular Activity in Infectious Diseases

“…Exfoliative toxins (ETs), also known as epidermolytic toxins, are extremely specific serine proteases secreted by S. aureus . These proteases recognize and hydrolyse desmosome cadherins in the superficial layers of the skin [ 144 , 145 ]. ETs are exotoxins associated with the cleavage of keratinocytes junctions and cell-cell adhesion in the epidermis of the host, which can induce skin peeling and blister formation ( Figure 4 ) [ 146 , 147 , 148 , 149 ].…”

“…The principal ETs are known so far are the exfoliative toxin A/B/C/D (ETA, ETB, ETC, ETD). ETA and ETB are the most implicated in human skin damage, while ETC was only isolated from a horse infection and no association with human disease was found [ 144 , 153 ]. ETD was only identified in 2002 in a clinical sample of S. aureus [ 146 ].…”

“…These ETs are produced by approximately 5% of S. aureus strains, ETA being most prevalent in Europe, Africa and America and ETB more common in Japan [ 154 ]. The production of ETs in certain S. aureus strains is related to localized epidermal infections such as bullous impetigo and generalized diseases like SSSS [ 144 ].…”

Distribution of Virulence Genes Among Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus of Clinical and Environmental Origin

“…Both sea and seb gene are associated with food poisoning [3]. The exfoliative toxins which are serine proteases also known as epidermolytic toxin, mainly associated with the loss of keratinocytes, cell-cell adhesion, inducing blister formation [4]. CNA (collagen binding adhesion) is a virulence factor belongs to the family of adhesions.…”

Investigation of mecA gene, virulence traits and antibiotic resistance profiles in methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from dairy products

“…Currently, exfoliative toxins eta and etb are implicated in human skin damage, while etd has been identified in a clinical sample of S. aureus . Additionally, exfoliative toxin gene etc was isolated from a horse infection (Mariutti et al, ). Panton‐Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a leucocytolytic toxin, which causes leucocyte destruction and tissue necrosis.…”