Expression of the cloned toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 gene (tst) in vivo with a rabbit uterine model.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) toxin 1 (TSST1) is produced by strains of Staphylococcus aureus associated with TSS. Purified TSST1 induces in rabbits a shock-like illness with many features similar to TSS in humans. These symptoms were also induced by TSST1-producing bacteria in diffusion chambers implanted in the rabbit uterus. Naturally occurring TSST1+ strains and a TSST1- strain harboring a pE194-derived plasmid carrying the cloned TSST1 determinant tst gave the same symptoms. TSST1- strains and a TSST1- strain carrying a pE194-tst plasmid with a deletion of the tst gene had no effect in rabbits. The results with the plasmid-carrying TSST1+ and TSST1- strains, which were isogenic apart from tst, show that the toxin is responsible for the illness in rabbits and suggest that it is a major factor in the pathogenesis of TSS.
D000818:Animals; D000992:Antitoxins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010957:Plasmids; D011817:Rabbits; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018089:Superantigens; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects
D000992:Antitoxins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal