Isolation of extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid for exfoliative toxin production from phage group II Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

The ability of phage group II staphylococcal strain UT 0101 to produce exfoliative toxin and bacteriocin could be eliminated at a high frequency after growth at high temperatures or in the presence of ethidium bromide or sodium dodecyl sulfate. Extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid, associated with the genes for exfoliative toxin and bacteriocin production, was isolated from strain UT 0101 but was absent from an ethidium bromide-cured substrain. The molecular weight of the exfoliative toxin plasmid, determined by co-sedimentation with the penicillinase plasmid, PI258, was 3.3 times 10-7. The 56S covalently closed circular form of the exfoliative toxin plasmid converted to a 38S open circular form after storage or exposure to sodium dodecyl sulfate. Plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid associated with penicillin resistance could not be identified in the penicillin-resistance Tox+ strains, UT 0007 and UT 0001.

Plasmids in Epidermolytic Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

“…Rogolsky and his co-workers in a series of studies have attempted to define the genetic basis of ET production in S. aureus (Rogolsky et al, , 1976Warren et al, 1974Warren et al, , 1975Wiley 8z Rogolsky, 1977). In early studies no evidence was obtained for linkage of ET determinants to lysogenic phages.…”

“…In some cases the loss of ET coincided with the loss of bacteriocin production which suggested that the two determinants might be carried on the same plasmid . Finally, a plasmid of '56s' in the covalently closed circular form was identified by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and was correlated with the ET and bacteriocin markers (Warren et al, 1975).…”

Production and properties of a staphylococcin genetically controlled by the staphylococcal plasmid for exfoliative toxin synthesis

“…Recent studies made in this laboratory have revealed that certain phage group 2 staphylococcal strains harbor an unstable 56S virulence plasmid with a molecular weight of approximately 3 x 107 (18,19,24). The covalently closed circular structure of this large plasmid spontaneously converts to the open circular form, and this conversion is enhanced in the presence of either sodium dodecyl sulfate, Pronase, or ethidium bromide (19,24).…”

Guest Lecture*

“…The genetic information controlling enterotoxin production in Escherichia coli is located on transmissible plasmids (Smith & Gyles 1970;Gyles et al 1974) and in certain strains of Staph. aureus production of epidermolytic toxin is plasmid controlled (Warren et al 1975). The advanced state of development of E. coli plasmid genetics has naturally facilitated elucidation of genetic control of E. coli enterotoxin production.…”