DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME THEORIES AS TO THE VALUE OF BACTERIAL SUPERANTIGENS
FOR THE BACTERIA THAT MAKE THEM? COMPARING THE STRUCTURE-FUNCTION
RELATIONSHIPS OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN B AND TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME
TOXIN-1, IT SEEMS THAT SIMILAR FUNCTIONS ARE PERFORMED BY DIFFERENT SEQUENCES.
THIS SUGGESTS THAT T CELL ACTIVATION AND BINDING TO MHC CALLASS II ARE IMPORTANT,
AND NOT JUST ACCIDENTS THAT RESULT FROM A PARTICUALAR STRUCTURE.
THERE IS A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR VIRAL SUPERANTIGENS, AND THAT IS THAT
THE VIRUSES INFECT CELLS THAT ARE IN CYCLE, SO IT IS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE TO
STIMULATE MITOSIS.
JACK KOMISAR
DEXPER at WRAIR-EMH1.ARMY.MIL
