Composition of staphylococcal bi-component toxins determines pathophysiological reactions.
Staphylococcus aureus produces numerous bi-component toxins, e.g., Panton-Valentine leukocidin (Luk-PVL) and gamma-haemolysin, which consist of type S and F proteins. Previous studies showed that Luk-PVL induces inflammatory mediator release from human granulocytes that might reflect the in-vivo effects, e.g., dermonecrosis by Luk-PVL. Clinical isolates not only harbour the two genes coding for Luk-PVL (S-protein: LukS-PVL, F-protein: LukF-PVL) but also the three genes encoding gamma-haemolysin (S-protein: HlgA, HlgB; F-protein: HlgC). The interaction of all the possible potential toxins with human granulocytes was studied with regard to the generation of oxygen metabolites (chemiluminescence response), enzyme activity (beta-glucuronidase) and histamine release as well as interleukin (IL)-8 generation. The data clearly show that the individual subunits (S, F) differ in their activities. The following activities were obtained for the S components: LukS-PVL > HlgC > HlgA; the F components LukF-PVL and HlgB were similarly active. Thus, the toxins LukS-PVL/LukF-PVL and LukS-PVL/HlgB were the most potent inducers of inflammatory mediator release from human granulocytes, followed by HlgC/LukF-PVL and HlgC/HlgB and to a lesser degree by the toxins HlgA/LukF-PVL and HlgA/HlgB. The data indicate that class S components and class F components are interchangeable and give toxins with genuine biological activities.
König
B
B
Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie, Infektabwehr, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
Prévost
G
G
König
W
W
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014343:Trypan Blue
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007956:Leukocidins; C037956:gamma-hemolysin, Staphylococcus aureus; D005966:Glucuronidase; D014343:Trypan Blue