Chromosomal locus for staphylococcal enterotoxin B.

The genetic locus of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was investigated in the Staphylococcus aureus food-poisoning isolates, strains S6 and 277. Direct neutral sucrose gradient centrifugation analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-sodium chloride-mediated cleared lysates demonstrated that strain S6 contained a single 37S plasmid. Transductional analysis revealed that the 37S plasmid in S6 encoded for cadmium resistance (Cad) but not SEB. Additionally, elimination of cadmium resistance in S6 provided a plasmid-negative derivative that produced SEB at the same level as the parent. Examination of strain 277 showed two plasmids, a 37S species encoding for penicillin resistance (Penr) and a 21S species containing the gene(s) responsible for tetracycline resistance (Tetr). Elimination of the 37S, penr plasmid in 277 had no effect on SEB production, whereas introduction of the 21S tetr plasmid via transformation into strain 8325 (SEB--) did not confer enterotoxigenesis upon the transformants. The data obtained in this investigation suggest that the SEB gene(s) in these food-poisoning isolates of S. aureus is chromosomal.