Staphylococcal alpha-toxin: effects on artificial lipid spherules.

Staphylococcal alpha-toxin induces the release of previously sequestered anions or glucose from artificial phospholipid spherules, an effect abolished by specific antitoxin. Alphatoxin resembles streptolysin S in releasing anions or glucose from spherules prepared without cholesterol, and can be distinguished from the membrane-active polyene amphotericin B, which preferentially disrupts spherules containing cholesterol. It may affect biological structures by a similiar interaction with membrane phospholipids.