Distribution and expression of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 gene among Staphylococcus aureus isolates of toxic shock syndrome and non-toxic shock syndrome origin.

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of TSS. TSST-1 production is subject to physiologic and environmental constraints. Thus, DNA probes that detect the chromosomal gene encoding the toxin are of value diagnostically, epidemiologically, and for studies of gene expression. Several synthetic oligonucleotide probes complementary to two regions of the TSST-1 gene were used to ascertain the presence of this gene in the chromosomal DNA of 261 strains of S. aureus from various TSS-related and non-TSS-related sources. Isolates were from clinically confirmed menstrual and nonmenstrual cases of TSS and from healthy vaginal carriers of S. aureus. Other strains tested included clinical non-TSS isolates and food poisoning-associated staphylococcal isolates. Detection of the TSST-1 gene by the labeled gene probes correlated in all but two cases with production of TSST-1. Ten Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strains that were isolated from TSS patients and did not produce TSST-1 were also examined, as were several strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from patients with suspected TSS. Neither group of strains possessed the TSST-1 gene. Finally, a 7-kilobase DNA restriction fragment of S. aureus containing the entire TSST-1 gene was transformed into Escherichia coli strains HB101 and DH5 alpha via a plasmid vector.