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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1994 Jan 18;91(2):489–493. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.2.489

A cytolysin encoded by Salmonella is required for survival within macrophages.

S J Libby 1, W Goebel 1, A Ludwig 1, N Buchmeier 1, F Bowe 1, F C Fang 1, D G Guiney 1, J G Songer 1, F Heffron 1
PMCID: PMC42974  PMID: 8290552

Abstract

A Salmonella gene encoding a cytolysin has been identified by screening for hemolysis on blood agar. DNA sequence analyses together with genetic mapping in Salmonella suggest that it is unrelated to other toxins or hemolysins. The gene (slyA) is present in every strain of Salmonella examined, in Shigella, and in enteroinvasive Escherichia coli but not in other Enterobacteriaceae. SlyA (salmolysin) purified from a derivative of the original clone has hemolytic and cytolytic activity and has a molecular weight predicted by the DNA sequence. The median lethal dose and infection kinetics in mice suggest that the toxin is required for virulence and facilitates Salmonella survival within mouse peritoneal macrophages.

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Selected References

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