A toxic shock syndrome toxin mutant of Staphylococcus aureus isolated by allelic replacement lacks virulence in a rabbit uterine model.
The gene coding for toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in S. aureus was inactivated by allelic replacement in two TSS-associated strains. One mutant derived from FRI1169 (a non-enterotoxigenic strain) lacked virulence in the rabbit uterine chamber infection model. This suggests that TSST-1 is the only determinant produced by this strain that can induce the symptoms of shock in rabbits. A novel method for allelic replacement involving transduction of plasmid integrants is described.
Sloane
R
R
Microbiology Department, Moyne Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
de Azavedo
J C
JC
Arbuthnott
J P
JP
Hartigan
P J
PJ
Kreiswirth
B
B
Novick
R
R
Foster
T J
TJ
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D011817:Rabbits; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018089:Superantigens; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal