Abstract
The Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins are a superfamily of secreted virulence factors that share structural and functional similarities and possess potent superantigenic activity causing disruptions in adaptive immunity. The enterotoxins can be separated into two groups; the classical (SEA-SEE) and the newer (SEG-SElY and counting) enterotoxin groups. Many members from both these groups contribute to the pathogenesis of several serious human diseases, including toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, and sepsis-related infections. Additionally, many members demonstrate emetic activity and are frequently responsible for food poisoning outbreaks. Due to their robust tolerance to denaturing, the enterotoxins retain activity in food contaminated previously with S. aureus. The genes encoding the enterotoxins are found mostly on a variety of different mobile genetic elements. Therefore, the presence of enterotoxins can vary widely among different S. aureus isolates. Additionally, the enterotoxins are regulated by multiple, and often overlapping, regulatory pathways, which are influenced by environmental factors. In this review, we also will focus on the newer enterotoxins (SEG-SElY), which matter for the role of S. aureus as an enteropathogen, and summarize our current knowledge on their prevalence in recent food poisoning outbreaks. Finally, we will review the current literature regarding the key elements that govern the complex regulation of enterotoxins, the molecular mechanisms underlying their enterotoxigenic, superantigenic, and immunomodulatory functions, and discuss how these activities may collectively contribute to the overall manifestation of staphylococcal food poisoning.
Highlights
Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous human pathogen whose virulence potential predominantly relies on the production of an impressive catalog of protein toxins
The classical enterotoxins have historically been considered the predominant contributors to staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), a number of molecular studies suggest that many of the newer staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) have a prominent role
In order to better determine which SEs are responsible for SFP, it is best for studies investigating SFP outbreaks to employ methods that can detect all SE genes as well as the physical presence of toxin in suspected contaminated foods
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus is a dangerous human pathogen whose virulence potential predominantly relies on the production of an impressive catalog of protein toxins. Since the first characterization of the classical SEs (SEA to SEE) in S. aureus (Bergdoll et al, 1965, 1971, 1973; Casman et al, 1967; Marrack and Kappler, 1990), advancements in the area of molecular biology during the 1980s led to the identification of a new set of genes encoding closely-related proteins with superantigenic and emetic activities (Table 1).
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