Which statement is not associated with Staphylococcus aureus?

• A. Clumping factor production
• B. Endotoxin production
• C. Hemolysin production
• D. Deoxyribonuclease production

Answer: (C)

Endotoxin production is not associated with Staphylococcus aureus. Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharide (LPS) components found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and Staphylococcus aureus is Gram-positive, lacking that outer membrane, so it does not produce endotoxins. Staphylococcus aureus does have several virulence factors it does produce: clumping factor, a surface protein that binds fibrinogen and promotes clumping and adherence; deoxyribonuclease (DNase), an enzyme that degrades DNA and helps spread in tissues; and hemolysins (such as alpha and beta toxins) that lyse red blood cells on blood agar. Thus, endotoxin production does not fit with the characteristic products of Staphylococcus aureus.