DSG1 and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome: Interestingly, in the toxin-mediated disease bullous impetigo (and its generalized form staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS)), the bacterium S. aureus produces exfoliative toxins (glutamic-specific serine proteases) that cleave Dsg1 between extracellular domains 3 and 4 [7].