Recent progress in Staphylococcus aureus α-hemolysin / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) secretes a variety of pathogenic toxins and one of the most prominent toxins is α-hemolysin,which is considered as the main virulence factor in skin necrosis and severe infections caused by S.aureus infection. α-hemolysin is so named because of its ability to dissolve red blood cells. However,it has a wide range of effects on various cells and may cause different pathogenic re-sponses in different host cells. This review summarizes recent studies on the structure of α-hemolysin and its interaction with different cells in order to better understand the role of α-hemolysin in the process of S.aureus infection,which may provide a reference for developing new approaches to the prophylaxis and treatment of S.aureus infection.