The gene for toxic shock toxin is carried by a family of mobile pathogenicity islands in Staphylococcus aureus

Tst, the gene for toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1 (TSST‐1), is part of a 15.2 kb genetic element in Staphylococcus aureus that is absent in TSST‐1‐negative strains. The prototype, in RN4282, is flanked by a 17 nucleotide direct repeat and contains genes for a second possible superantigen toxin, a Diche...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular microbiology 1998-07, Vol.29 (2), p.527-543
Main Authors: Lindsay, Jodi A., Ruzin, Alexey, Ross, Hope F., Kurepina, Natasha, Novick, Richard P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Bacterial Toxins
Base Sequence
DNA Transposable Elements
Enterotoxins - genetics
Genetic Variation
Molecular Sequence Data
Rec A Recombinases - genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Sequence Deletion
Species Specificity
Staphylococcus aureus - genetics
Staphylococcus aureus - pathogenicity
Staphylococcus Phages - genetics
Superantigens
Transduction, Genetic
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Tst, the gene for toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1 (TSST‐1), is part of a 15.2 kb genetic element in Staphylococcus aureus that is absent in TSST‐1‐negative strains. The prototype, in RN4282, is flanked by a 17 nucleotide direct repeat and contains genes for a second possible superantigen toxin, a Dichelobacter nodosus VapE homologue and a putative integrase. It is readily transferred to a recA− recipient, and it always inserts into a unique chromosomal copy of the 17 nucleotide sequence in the same orientation. It is excised and circularized by staphylococcal phages φ13 and 80α and replicates during the growth of the latter, which transduces it at very high frequency. Because of its site and orientation specificity and because it lacks other identifiable phage‐like genes, we consider it to be a pathogenicity island (PI) rather than a transposon or a defective phage. The tst element in RN4282, near tyrB, is designated SaPI1. That in RN3984 in the trp region is only partially homologous to SaPI1 and is excised by phage 80 but not by 80α. It is designated SaPI2. These PIs are the first in any Gram‐positive species and the first for which mobility has been demonstrated. Their mobility may be responsible for the spread of TSST‐1 production among S. aureus strains.
ISSN:0950-382X
1365-2958
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2958.1998.00947.x