The effect of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A on proliferation of lymphoid and nerve cells.

The effects of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A (SEA) on proliferative activities of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, B-lymphoma cells of the Namalva line, and nerve cells of the PC12 line have been studied. It has been shown that SEA affects these cells in identical ways, producing either a mitogenic or an antiproliferative effect. Studies on the dynamics of cellular responses to the action of SEA have demonstrated that the effects of the toxin are mediated by its interaction with different binding sites on the membranes of target cells. It has been established also that the antiproliferative effect of SEA is not associated with changes in 2',5'-oligo(A)-synthetase activity or in the level of interferon secretion.