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Elvin, Stephen John
(1998).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000feca
Abstract
Toxic shock syndrome toxin -1 (TSST-1) is a 22kDa extracellular protein produced by some strains of Staphylococcus aureus. It is implicated in the pathogenesis of toxic shock syndrome, an acute life-threatening multisystem disease.
Eight hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies with high binding affinity to TSST-1 have been produced and a monoclonal antibody based enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay developed. This assay is specific for TSST-1 and no cross reaction with a number of other bacterial toxins has been observed. The ELISA has been amplified enzymically using biotinylated tyramine and streptavidin peroxidase to detect as little as 0.1ng ml-1 of toxin.
Competitive binding studies have indicated the presence of at least three antigenic sites on the toxin. The ability of these antibodies to inhibit the mitogenic activity of the toxin in T-cell proliferation assays using mouse and human lymphocytes has been assessed and results of this work indicate that one of the major antigenic sites has an important role in the mitogenicity of the toxin. Binding of the antibodies has been localised to the carboxyl terminal region which has been implicated in the biological activity of the toxin and several antigenic determinants were identified in this region by epitope mapping using polyclonal antibody.