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Interference by Trypsin in the Interaction of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B and Cell Cultures of Human Embryonic Intestine¹

^a Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

ABSTRACT

The inhibitory effect of trypsin on the cytotoxicity of staphylococcal enterotoxin B acting with human embryonic intestine cell cultures was examined. Trypsin treatment of the cells rendered them resistant to enterotoxin for a period of 48 hr. The resistance increased proportionally with increased time of exposure of the cells to trypsin. Neither ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid nor scraping, which were used as alternate means of cell suspension, caused any resistance to the toxin. The effect is enzymatic and appears to be similar to the inhibitory action of trypsin and chymotrypsin on the attachment of polioviruses and coxsackieviruses to HeLa cells.

² Present address: Department of Medical Microbiology, California College of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90031.

¹ Contribution 1006 from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science.