Identification of functionally active fragments of staphylococcal enterotoxin B. |
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Authors: | Klinsky EYuKolosov" target="_blank">M I Alakhov VYuKlinsky EYuKolosov I Maurer-Fogy Sveshnikov" target="_blank">P G Moskaleva EYuSveshnikov L P Pozdnyakova O B Shemchukova E S Severin |
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Institution: | Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy, Moscow, Russia. |
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Abstract: | It has been found that staphylococcal enterotoxin B contains a proteolysis-sensitive sequence in the cysteine loop formed by two half-cystines located in the middle of the toxin polypeptide chain. Fragments of the enterotoxin formed as a result of its digestion in this region have been isolated, their N-terminal sequences have been determined and sites of proteolysis have been identified. It has been demonstrated that the N-terminal fragment of staphylococcal enterotoxin B is capable of activating T cell proliferation in the culture of human mononuclear cells practically to the same degree as the intact enterotoxin. The toxin's C-terminal fragment possesses an ability to activate calmodulin-dependent enzymes and is probably the toxicogenic part of the enterotoxin. |
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