Main description:

This volume combines protocols that encompass the true variety of investigation done on superantigens in the fields of microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and cellular biology, with a strong focus on disease models utilized to determine the role of superantigens in human disease. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Thorough and cutting-edge, Superantigens: Methods and Protocols contains a detailed and wide breadth of subject coverage that any scientist, clinician, or industry professional interested in this field will find valuable.

Contents:

1. Animal Models Used to Study Superantigen-Mediated Diseases
Amanda J. Brosnahan
2. Identification, Purification, and Characterization of Staphylococcal Superantigens
Joseph A. Merriman and Patrick M. Schlievert
3. Strain Discrimination of Staphylococcus Aureus Using Superantigen Profiles
Hau-Yang Tsen, Sheng-Chih Li, Yu-Cheng Chiang, and Shuo-Wen Tsai
4. Crystallization and Structure Determination of Superantigens and Immune Receptor Complexes
Karin E. J. Roedstroem and Karin lindkvist-Petersson
5. Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Toxic Shock Syndrome in Rabbits
Christopher S. Stach and Patrick M. Schlievert
6. Aortic Valve Damage for the Study of Left-Sided, Native Valve Infective Endocarditis in Rabbits
Wilmara Salgado-Pabon and Patrick M. Schlievert
7. Rabbit Model for Superantigen-Mediated Lethal Pulmonary Disease
Kristi L. Strandberg, Jessica H. Rotschafer, and Patrick M. Schlievert
8. Nasopharyngeal Infection of Mice with Streptococcus Pyogenes and In Vivo Detection of Superantigen Activity
Joseph J. Zeppa, Adrienne T. Wakabayashi, Katherine J. Kasper, Stacey X. Xu, S.M. Mansour Haeryfar, and John K. McCormick
9. Mini-Osmotic Pump Infusion Model to Investigate the Systemic Effects of Chronic Continuous Exposure to Staphylococcal Superantigen in Mice
Ashton L. Krogman, Vaidehi Chowdhary, and Govindarajan Rajagopalan
10. A Sub-Lethal Swine Model for Defining In Vivo Superantigen-Induced Responses Following Exposure to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B
Kenneth L. Bost, Kenneth J. Piller, Jack Odle, and Chad H. Stahl
11. Monkey Feeding Assay for Testing Emetic Activity of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin
Keun Seok Seo
12. Use of an Ex-Vivo Porcine Mucosal Model to Study Superantigen Penetration
Christopher A. Squier and Mary J. Mantz
13. Protocol for Examining Human Vaginal Epithelial Cell Signaling in Response to Staphylococcal Superantigens
Laura M. Breshears and Marnie L. Peterson
14. Organ Culture as a Model System for Studies on Enterotoxin Interactions with the Intestinal Epithelium
Ulver Spangsberg Lorenzen, Gert H. Hansen, and E. Michael Danielsen
15. Quantification of a Selective Expansion of T Cell Receptor V by Superantigen Using Real Time PCR
Joo Youn Park and Keun Seok Seo
16. Induction of Human Regulatory T Cells with Bacterial Superantigens
Stefano Caserta, Amanda L. Taylor, Nadia Terrazzini, and Martin J. Llewelyn
17. Construction of Recombinant Single Chain Variable Fragment (ScFv) Antibody Superantigen for Immunodetection Using Antibody Phage Display Technology
Pawan Kumar Singh, Ranu Agrawal, D.V. Kamboj, and Lokendra Singh