Evidence for cell-receptor activity in lymphocyte stimulation by staphylococcal enterotoxin

Abstract

A wide dose-response curve and the inhibitory effect on mitogenicity of specific antitoxin suggest that polyclonal lymphocyte activation by staphylococcal enterotoxin requires direct interaction of toxin with lymphocyte receptors of low avidity for the protein. Staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, and C1 demonstrated equivalent mitogenic activity. Lymphocyte receptors involved in enterotoxin activation thus appear to be specific for nonantigenic regions of the toxin molecule. Monosaccharide (hapten) inhibiton data indicate that lymphocyte receptors for staphylococcal enterotoxin lack alpha-mannoside, galactose, acetylgalactosamine, acetylglucosamine, and fucose (or closely related saccharides) as determinant sugars and thus differ significantly in structure from lectin cell receptors.