A novel superantigen isolated from pathogenic strains of Streptococcus pyogenes with aminoterminal homology to staphylococcal enterotoxins B and C.

Abstract excerpt

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) has re-emerged in recent years as a cause of severe human disease. Because extracellular products are involved in streptococcal pathogenesis, we explored the possibility that a disease isolate expresses an uncharacterized superantigen. We screened culture supernatants for superantigen activity with a major histocompatibility complex class II-dependent T cell...