Identification and characterization of two novel staphylococcal enterotoxins, types S and T.

ABSTRACT: In addition to two known staphylococcal enterotoxin-like genes (selj and selr), two novel genes coding for two superantigens, staphylococcal enterotoxins S and T (SES and SET), were identified in plasmid pF5, which is harbored by food poisoning-related Staphylococcus aureus strain Fukuoka 5. This strain was implicated in a food poisoning incident in Fukuoka City, Japan, in 1997. Recombinant SES (rSES) specifically stimulated human T cells in a T-cell receptor Vbeta9- and Vbeta16-specific manner in the presence of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II(+) antigen-presenting cells (APC). rSET also stimulated T cells in the presence of MHC class II(+) APC, although its Vbeta skewing was not found in reactive T cells. Subsequently, we examined the emetic activity of SES and SET. We al

SUBMITTER: Ono HK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2573384 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature