Exfoliatin is a '' Staphylococcus aureus'' exotoxin that causes a blistering of the skin known as

staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a dermatological condition caused by ''Staphylococcus aureus''. Signs and symptoms The disease presents with the widespread formation of fluid-filled blisters that are thin walled and easily rupture ...

, usually in infants. Exfoliatins are glutamate-specific

serine protease Serine proteases (or serine endopeptidases) are enzymes that cleave peptide bonds in proteins. Serine serves as the nucleophilic amino acid at the (enzyme's) active site. They are found ubiquitously in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Seri ...

s highly specific to desmoglein I, a cadherin (adhesion protein) in the

desmosomes A desmosome (; "binding body"), also known as a macula adherens (plural: maculae adherentes) (Latin for ''adhering spot''), is a cell structure specialized for cell-to- cell adhesion. A type of junctional complex, they are localized spot-like ad ...

of the

stratum granulosum The stratum granulosum (or granular layer) is a thin layer of cells in the epidermis lying above the stratum spinosum and below the stratum corneum ( stratum lucidum on the soles and palms).James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005) '' ...

that facilitates intercellular adhesion between

keratinocytes Keratinocytes are the primary type of cell found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells. Basal cells in the basal layer (''stratum basale'') of the skin are sometimes referre ...

. The resulting vesicle is an intraepidermal cleft located above the basal cells (suprabasal), between the stratum corneum and

stratum spinosum The stratum spinosum (or spinous layer/prickle cell layer) is a layer of the epidermis found between the stratum granulosum and stratum basale. This layer is composed of polyhedral keratinocytes. These are joined with desmosomes. Their spiny (La ...

. A very similar non-infectious condition is seen in the autoimmune skin disorder pemphigus vulgaris in which there is an

IgG Immunoglobulin G (Ig G) is a type of antibody. Representing approximately 75% of serum antibodies in humans, IgG is the most common type of antibody found in blood circulation. IgG molecules are created and released by plasma B cells. Each IgG ...

antibody against the cadherin

desmoglein 3 Desmoglein-3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''DSG3'' gene. In the skin epidermis Desmoglein-3 is expressed in the basal lower layers of the epidermis, and dominates in terms of expression on mucosal surfaces compared to Desmoglein-1. ...

References

{{Toxins Staphylococcaceae Bacterial toxins

See also

References