Associated with menstruation and certain tampon usage. Other than the toxins associated with toxic shock syndrome and food poisening, no single determinant can be pointed to as essential. Indeed, use of signature tagged mutagenesis in S. aureus identified no single virulence factor. D. Surface proteins 1. Multimerizes in the membrane.
Enymatic activity is that of a sphingomyelinase.
26 amino acid peptide similar to Bee venom, mellitin. Depending on the growth phase of staphylococci the synthesis of virulence factors is adversely regulated. At higher staphylococcal cell concentrations, the bacteria will aggressively secrete virulence factors that can kill host cells and facilitate the spread of the bacteria to new tissues and provide new food sources. For example, hemolysins kill specific target cells, DNAses cleave the DNA of killed neutrophils, and proteases, lipases or hyluronidases facilitate the spread of the bacteria in the infected host's tissues. Mutants in one locus, agr for accessory gene regulator, are defective in sensing the growth state of staphylococci and responding appropriately.