Qualitative and quantitative methods for detecting staphylococcal epidermolytic toxin (Plates XIII-XV)

Abstract

Concentrated supernates of cultures of 98 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were screened for the production of epidermolytic toxin by (1) biological tests in 3-day-old mice, (2) double-diffusion precipitation tests against specific antiserum, and (3) the appearance of characteristic protein bands on thin-layer-gel isoelectric focusing. Positive results were obtained in all three of these tests with supernates from 11 of these cultures; the same 11 strains, and no others, produced epidermal splitting when newborn mice were challenged with viable organisms. Of the 14 phage-group-II strains included in the survey, eight (58 %) produced epidermolytic toxin. Three toxinogenic strains belonged to phage groups other than group II.