Description
α-Hemolysin is a 33 kDa extracellular protein secreted by most strains of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus. It is selectively hemolytic and has a marked preference for rabbit red blood cells. It induces dermonecrosis, spastic muscle paralysis, and it is lethal for laboratory animals. The toxin must be in the monomeric form to initially bind to a membrane and specific receptors are not required for binding. Upon binding to biological membranes and/or artificial membranes, self-oligomerization occurs, resulting in ring structures (hexameric aggregates) believed to represent transmembrane pores, which are permeable to ions and small metabolites.
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