A NEW-TYPE OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL EXFOLIATIVE TOXIN FROM A STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS STRAIN ISOLATED FROM A HORSE WITH PHLEGMON

A new type of staphylococcal exfoliative toxin (sET) was isolated from the culture filtrate of a Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from a horse with skin infection including phlegmon. The new sET was purifi ed by precipitation with 80% saturated ammonium sulfate, column chroma tography on DEAE-cellulofine A-500, gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75 column, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (7.5% polyacrylamide). The new sET elicited general exfoliation of the epidermis with the so called Nikolsky sign when inoculated into both 3-day-old mice and 1-da y-old chicks, whereas sETA and sETB from human strains of S. aureus ca used exfoliation in a 3-day-old mouse alone and shET from a porcine st rain of Staphylococcus hyicus caused exfoliation in 1-day-old chicks a lone. Intraepidermal splitting was observed at the granular layer of t he epidermis of mice inoculated with the new sET as well as those inoc ulated with sETA. Exfoliation at the germinative layer of the epidermi s was also observed in the chicks inoculated with the new sET as well as those inoculated with shET. The new sET was serologically different from sETA, sETB, and shET and showed the same molecular weight on sod ium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was thermol abile and lost its toxicity after being heated at 60 degrees C for 15 min. We propose that the new sET be designated as sETC.