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. 1981 Dec;34(3):915–919. doi: 10.1128/iai.34.3.915-919.1981

Phage-host interactions and the production of type A streptococcal exotoxin in group A streptococci.

L McKane, J J Ferretti
PMCID: PMC350956  PMID: 7037644

Abstract

The infection of Streptococcus pyogenes nontoxigenic strain T 253 with bacteriophage T12 to form lysogen T 253 (T12) resulted in the production of type A streptococcal exotoxin (erythrogenic toxin or streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin). Two lines of evidence indicated that lysogeny per se was not sufficient to promote toxigenic conversion of strain T 253. First, a virulent mutant of phage T12, unable to form stable lysogens, was able to affect type A exotoxin production by strain T 253. An unrelated virulent phage A25 did not affect type A exotoxin production after infection of strain T 253. Second, the temperate phage H4489A, which established stable lysogens with strain T 253 did not promote type A exotoxin production. These results suggest that there is a strain specificity to the phage-host interaction which affects type A exotoxin synthesis. Additional evidence is presented which indicates that type A streptococcal exotoxin was not a structural component of phage T12.

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Selected References

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

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