Production of exoenzyme S by clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Exoenzyme S differs from toxin A and diphtheria toxin in that it does not adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylate elongation factor-2, but rather catalyzes the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to a number of different proteins in extracts of eucaryotic cells. Polyoma-transformed BHK-21 cells were isolated which were resistant to diphtheria toxin and toxin A. Extracts from these cells are ADP-ribosylated by exoenzyme S but not toxin A or diphtheria toxin, providing an assay which distinguishes between S and A activities. A total of 124 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were analyzed for production of toxin A and exoenzyme S. Exoenzyme S production was detected in 38% of the strains, whereas 80% of the strains produced toxin A.