Alpha-hemolysin

α-Hemolysin is a pore-forming toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus. This virulence factor is responsible for the lysis of red blood cells and can also damage various cell types, contributing to the pathogenesis of infections. The toxin acts by forming pores in cell membranes, leading to cell swelling and eventual lysis.

Hemolysins or haemolysins are lipids and proteins that cause lysis of red blood cells by destroying their cell membrane. Although the lytic activity of some microbe-derived hemolysins on red blood cells may be of great importance for nutrient acquisition, many hemolysins produced by pathogens do not cause significant destruction of red blood cells during infection. Although hemolysins are capable of doing this for red blood cells in vitro.