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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Microbiol. 2013 Dec 10;0:32–37. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2013.11.004

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Membrane-damaging toxins. Alpha-toxin and the bi-component leukotoxins of S. aureus bind to specific receptors, upon which formation of a defined pore occurs. Receptors have been identified for alpha-toxin, PVL, LukAB (LukGH), and LukDE. Probably gamma-toxin also binds to a specific receptor. PSMs are believed to attach to the cytoplasmic membrane in a non-specific fashion and lead to membrane disintegration. Probably the phospholipid composition and membrane charge are important for cell susceptibility to PSMs. Pores formed by PSMs are likely short-lived, as shown for delta-toxin.