Derivation of high enterotoxin B-producing mutants of Staphylococcus aureus from the parent strains.

Certain pH-sensitive (membrane) mutants of Staphylococcus aureus, strains 14458 and 778, produce significantly more type-B enterotoxin (SEB) than the parent type. Some carbohydrate mutants (car) from these parent strains also are superior to the parent in SEB formation. By isolating car mutants from high-SEB-producing membrane mutants, it is possible to derive a double mutant producing from six to 50 times as much SEB as the parent type. Inversion of the sequence by isolating pH-sensitive mutants from car mutants does not yield clones with strikingly higher SEB production than the parent strain. The successful isolation sequence (pH-sensitive mutant first and car mutants derived from it) is relatively simple and virtually assures detection of a truly high-SEB-producing clone. The total number of clones whose direct assay for SEB formation is necessary for detection of a high-producing mutant is on the order of 50 to 60.