Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1994 Feb;62(2):421–425. doi: 10.1128/iai.62.2.421-425.1994

Induction of muscle-relaxing factor by staphylococcal alpha-toxin.

S Harshman 1, N Sugg 1
PMCID: PMC186124  PMID: 8300202

Abstract

Brain tissue and serum from mice intracerebrally injected with 1 microgram of staphylococcal alpha-toxin contained elevated amounts of a naturally occurring brain tissue component(s) called muscle-relaxing factor (MRF). MRF induced reversible, generalized, flaccid paralysis of mice after intracerebral but not intraperitoneal or intravenous administration. MRF (i) was soluble in Hanks balanced salt solution and in acidified (pH 2) Hanks balanced salt solution, in which it partitions into ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol; (ii) was separated from some pigments by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel plates; (iii) did not comigrate with prostaglandin and leukotriene standards during high-pressure liquid chromatography with a mu Bondapak fatty acid column; and (iv) did not contain amino acids, exhibit absorption maxima at a wavelength range of 210 to 600 nm, or fluoresce when exposed to UV light. MRF has been detected in rabbit brain that has been stored frozen at -70 degrees C and has been enhanced in vitro in slices of both mouse and rabbit brain following incubation of the brain slices with staphylococcal alpha-toxin. Studies to identify the chemical nature of MRF and the mechanism by which, in mice, it induces reversible, flaccid paralysis of voluntary muscle are continuing.

Full text

PDF
421

Images in this article

423Image
on p.423

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adamo P., Taylor P. B., Fackrell H. B. Staphylococcal alpha toxin induced cardiac dysfunction. Can J Cardiol. 1989 Nov-Dec;5(8):395–400. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cassidy P., Harshman S. Purification of staphylococcal alpha-toxin by adsorption chromatography on glass. Infect Immun. 1976 Mar;13(3):982–986. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.3.982-986.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Edelwejn Z., Jeljaszewicz J., Wadström T., Möllby, Pulverer G. Neurotoxicity of staphylococcal alpha- and beta-hemolysins. Contrib Microbiol Immunol. 1973;1:328–344. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Freer J. H., Arbuthnott J. P. Toxins of Staphylococcus aureus. Pharmacol Ther. 1982;19(1):55–106. doi: 10.1016/0163-7258(82)90042-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Furchgott R. F., Zawadzki J. V. The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature. 1980 Nov 27;288(5789):373–376. doi: 10.1038/288373a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Garthwaite J., Charles S. L., Chess-Williams R. Endothelium-derived relaxing factor release on activation of NMDA receptors suggests role as intercellular messenger in the brain. Nature. 1988 Nov 24;336(6197):385–388. doi: 10.1038/336385a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gulda O., Auclair M. C., Lechat P., Bravený P., Sumbera J. The effect of staphylococcal alpha toxin on the transmembrane potential of myocardial fibres. Physiol Bohemoslov. 1973;22(5):551–556. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harshman S. Action of staphylococcal alpha-toxin on membranes: some recent advances. Mol Cell Biochem. 1979 Feb 9;23(3):143–152. doi: 10.1007/BF00219453. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harshman S., Burt A. M., Robinson J. P., Blankenship M., Harshman D. L. Disruption of myelin sheaths in mouse brain in vitro and in vivo by staphylococcal alpha-toxin. Toxicon. 1985;23(5):801–806. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(85)90011-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Harshman S., Lefferts P. L., Snapper J. R. Staphylococcal alpha toxin: a study with chronically instrumented awake sheep. Infect Immun. 1992 Sep;60(9):3489–3496. doi: 10.1128/iai.60.9.3489-3496.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Harshman S., Sugg N., Cassidy P. Preparation and purification of staphylococcal alpha toxin. Methods Enzymol. 1988;165:3–7. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(88)65004-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lipman J. J., Harshman S. Staphylococcal alpha toxin induced changes in the electroencephalogram of the rat. Toxicon. 1985;23(2):325–330. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(85)90155-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Snyder S. H. Nitric oxide: first in a new class of neurotransmitters. Science. 1992 Jul 24;257(5069):494–496. doi: 10.1126/science.1353273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Stevens C. F. Neurotransmission. A relaxing factor in the brain. Nature. 1988 Nov 24;336(6197):308–309. doi: 10.1038/336308a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Szmigielski S., Blankenship M., Robinson J. P., Harshman S. Injury of myelin sheaths in isolated rabbit vagus nerves by alpha-toxin of Staphylococcus aureus. Toxicon. 1979;17(4):363–371. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(79)90264-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Thelestam M., Blomqvist L. Staphylococcal alpha toxin--recent advances. Toxicon. 1988;26(1):55–65. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(88)90137-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES