Date of Award

1999

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Biology, Microbiology.

Supervisor

Fechrell, H. B.,

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The growing prevalence of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, an important community acquired and nosocomial pathogen for compromised hosts, threatens the effectiveness of current strategies and demonstrates the need for other means of control and prevention. Designing vaccines against bacterial toxins is a challenge---a protective immune response must be induced in the absence of toxic biological activity. Previous development of anti-toxic immunity involved indiscriminate chemical or proteolytic inactivation of alpha toxin, a major pathogenicity factor of Staphylococcus aureus. In this study we used isoelectric focusing to isolate the 28 kD naturally occurring fragment of alpha toxin that was the product of auto-digestion by staphylococcal proteases. Many questions remain unanswered about events occurring between membrane receptor binding, oligomerization and pore formation. In young cells alpha toxin binds to Band 3, aggregates into an oligomeric pore and causes leakage of ions from the cell. Old cells with degraded Band 3 exhibit a monomeric pattern of lysis. Anti alpha toxin Monoclonal Antibodies (MABs) were used to dissect these events. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Biological Sciences. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1999 .S34. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 39-02, page: 0449. Adviser: H. B. Fechrell. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1999.

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