Answer to Question #193907 in Microbiology for Mhlanga Gracious

Question

Describe the enterotoxins, endotoxins and staphylokinase and coagulase enzymes produced by staphylococci and the role they play in disease: 

Answer 1

S. aureus expresses many potential virulence factors: (1) surface proteins that promote colonization of host tissues; (2) invasins that promote bacterial spread in tissues (leukocidin, kinases, hyaluronidase); (3) surface factors that inhibit phagocytic engulfment (capsule, Protein A); (4) biochemical properties that enhance their survival in phagocytes (carotenoids, catalase production); (5) immunological disguises (Protein A, coagulase); (6) membrane-damaging toxins that lyse eucaryotic cell membranes (hemolysins, leukotoxin, leukocidin; (7) exotoxins that damage host tissues or otherwise provoke symptoms of disease (SEA-G, TSST, ET); and (8) inherent and acquired resistance to antimicrobial agents.