Further Studies on Corynebacterium Species Capable of Producing Diphtheria Toxin (C. diphtheriae, C. ulcerans, C. ovis)

Abstract

Corynebacterium ulcerans and C. ovis. In addition to diphtheria toxin, lysogenic C. ulcerans and C. ovis strains each produce their own specific toxin; they also maintain their specific morphology and urease production whilst C. diphtheriae strains lysogenized by C. ulcerans phagesproduce only diphtheria toxin. The majority of C. ulcerans phages are unable to induce the production of diphtheria toxin in strains of C. ulcerans.Phage typing with Corynebacterium ulcerans phages is a practical possibility. Thirteen well-defined phage types were established by this technique in 172 C. ulcerans and 62 C. ovis strains with only one of the phage types (111 C) occurring in both species. C. ulcerans can be distinguished from C. ovis by the pathogenicity test in mice. C. ovis kills mice by any route of inoculation whilst C. ulcerans strains cause only arthritis. C. ulcerans wild strains could be identified in this way and C. ulcerans and C. ovis strains from different type culture collections could be distinguished from each other by these well-defined characteristics.

Coryneform bacteria in infectious diseases: clinical and laboratory aspects

“…One survey found that 2 of 16 (13%) C. pseudotuberculosis isolates produced diphtheria toxin (135). There have not, however, been any clinical cases of diphtheria attributed to C. pseudotuberculosis infection (23).…”

A pyrolysis-mass spectrometry study of Corynebacterium spp.

“…jeikeium and D2 organisms are often resistant to many antimicrobial agents (Gill et al, 1981;Soriano et al, 1987;van Bosterhaut et al, 1987). Several other species are recognised: C. ulcerans is a toxinproducing pathogen (Gilbert and Stewart, 1926-27;Maximescu et al, 1974); C . striatum (synonymous with C .…”

The exotoxins ofCorynebacterium ulcerans

“…Although the production of diphtheria antitoxin may result from occasional unrecognized or inapparent infection of horses with true C. diphtheriae, C. ovis has never been found in indigenous sheep, cattle or horses in Great Britain. However, Maximescu et al (1974) have reported the isolation of 35 strains of C. ulcerans from the nasopharyngeal flora of normal horses in Romania, where 50 % of those examined were found to be carriers. Although C. ulcerans infections of the throat in man and of the mammary glands in cows are not common in the U.K., no report of the occurrence of this organism in horses has yet been published.…”