Staphylococcal Superantigen-like Protein 5 (SSL5), a Prothrombotic Exotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus Infections and Potential Novel Treatment Strategies

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a commonly occurring bacterium which is capable of causing life-threatening thrombotic diseases. One of the many potent toxins it is known to secrete is Staphylococcal superantigen-like protein 5 (SSL5) that is now known to bind P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). PSGL-1 is structurally and functionally related to the glycoprotein (GP) Ibα receptor on platelets. Therefore, we assessed the ability of SSL5 to interact with GPIbα and other platelet glycoprotein receptors using flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, surface plasmon resonance and platelet adhesion.