title: Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 is encoded by a variable genetic element.
abstract: The primary cause of toxic shock syndrome is toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), a 22,049-dalton exotoxin. Approximately 20% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates produce TSST-1; the production of this toxin is therefore a variable genetic trait. The TSST-1 gene and its flanking sequences are found on a genetic element that is present in TSST-1-positive isolates and absent in TSST-1-negative isolates. Preliminary sequence data and Southern hybridization experiments with the cloned flanking sequences have provided evidence that the TSST-1 element is 4-7 kilobases in size. Hybridization analysis of whole-cell DNA from two genetically mapped TSST-1-positive strains has demonstrated that the TSST-1 element has at least two chromosomal locations. This finding suggests that the element is mobile. Biotyping of 75 TSST-1-positive isolates showed that the large majority were tryptophan-negative, and Southern hybridization analysis of whole-cell DNA from these isolates revealed a common blotting pattern--an observation suggesting that these strains are clonal.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Institute, New York, New York 10016.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Kreiswirth
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Projan
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlievert
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Novick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010641:Phenotype; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018089:Superantigens
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal