α-Hemolysin (Staphylococcus aureus)

α-Hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus is a pore-forming toxin that binds host cell membranes as a heptameric prepore, maturing into a transmembrane channel. This pore disrupts ionic gradients, particularly through K+ and Ca2+ efflux, leading to cell necrosis. It is widely used in vitro to study pore-forming toxin mechanisms, membrane biophysics, and bacterial pathogenesis.