PATHOGENICITY VIRULENCE FACTORS: EXTRACELLULAR ORGANISMS

Toxin Hyaluronidase and Collagenase

Invasiveness or a combination of these  invasive bacteria reach epithelial surface
Colonization  bacteria produce hyaluronidase and collagenase
 bacteria invade deeper tissues
Pathogenicity
Infectivity Coagulase and Kinase
Immunogenicity  bacteria produce coagulase
 clot forms
Virulence
 bacteria later produce kinase, dissolving clot and releasing bacteria
Toxigenicity

 Very few lymphocytes react when the immune system is exposed to a

Mucus – proteins produced in intestines microbial antigen.
 Some bacterial exotoxins function as superantigens and stimulate the
TOXINS immune system to produce large numbers of T cells that are ineffective
 Endotoxin in the immune response.
 heat stable  Toxic shock syndrome toxin, staphylococcal exfoliation and
 such as LPS of Gram negative cells staphylococcal enterotoxin A (all produced by Staphylococcus aureus),
and streptococcal exotoxin A (produced by Streptococcus pyogenes)
 inside or within the cell
are examples of superantigens.
 Exotoxin
 These antigens bind simultaneously to the class II MHC molecule and
 soluble proteins found in cell extracts or in the growth
to the β chain of the T cell, resulting in the secretion of high levels of
medium
cytokines and the production of many T cells.
 outside/excrete it outside
 The excess T lymphocyte stimulation and cytokine production results in
an overwhelming cell-mediated response characterized by symptoms
Types of Exotoxins such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and shock.
 Enterotoxin – the action is on the human intestinal tract  With so many T cells activated, many of them die, leaving the body
 Cytotoxin – acts on the host cell susceptible to growth of the invading pathogen and infection by other
 Neurotoxin – interferes with the normal transmission of a nerve cell microbes.