noun
- A bacterial toxin that destroys white blood cells, produced by certain pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus.
Usage: technical; microbiology; also spelled leukocidin
Examples
- Leucocidin is a virulence factor that helps pathogenic bacteria evade the immune system.
- The bacterium produces leucocidin to damage neutrophils and macrophages.
- Researchers studied how leucocidin affects white blood cell function in infected tissues.
- Certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus secrete leucocidin as part of their infection strategy.