Mitogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus Exfoliative Toxin On Murine Lymphocyte Subpopulations

Abstract

In the present study, exfoliative toxin from a nhage type II strain of Staphylococcus aureus was shown to be mitogenic for murine lymphocytes. Exfoliative toxin was mitogenic at similar concentrations as staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) in unseparated spleen cell cultures. Like SEA, exfoliative toxin was also demonstrated to be mitogenic for T cells. However, marked diminution of the SEA mitogenic response in nylon wool separated lymphocytes when compared with the moderate decrease of the exfoliative toxin response, suggests that exfoliative toxin stimulates a different, less nylon wool adherent subpopulation of T cells. Exfoliative toxin however, in contrast with staphylococcal enterotoxins also stimulated a subset of lymphocytes from congenitally athymic mouse (nu/nu) spleens, presumably B cells. Both exfoliative toxin and SEA stimulation were sensitive to colchicine and reacted similarly in competitive binding experiments with several sugars and glycosides, suggesting similarity in the mechanism of action.