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. 1966 Sep;92(3):575–579. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.3.575-579.1966

Biological Properties of α-Toxin Mutants of Staphylococcus aureus

J K McClatchy a,1, E D Rosenblum a
PMCID: PMC276291  PMID: 5922533

Abstract

McClatchy, J. K. (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas), and E. D. Rosenblum. Biological properties of α-toxin mutants of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 92:575–579. 1966.—Twenty nonhemolytic mutants of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated after treatment of a hemolytic strain with ultraviolet light or nitrous acid. Thirteen strains isolated were completely lacking in the synthesis of α toxin or immunologically related proteins, presumably the result of a single mutational event. Although the strains were nonhemolytic on rabbit blood-agar plates, six of them retained the dermonecrotic and lethal activities usually associated with staphylococcal α toxin, as well as slight hemolytic activity for rabbit erythrocyte suspensions. The active mutants and one inactive mutant produced a protein that reacted immunologically with antibody to α toxin. Mutations which alter the α toxin molecule can effect the lethal, dermonecrotic, and hemolytic activities separately or in varying ratios.

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Selected References

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