Production of heat-stable, methanol-soluble enterotoxin by Yersinia enterocolitica

Abstract

Seven isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 0:8, recovered during an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, were examined for enterotoxin production. All seven strains were enterotoxigenic in the suckling mouse model, and three of five isolates tested produced keratoconjunctivitis in the guinea pig eye model (Sereny test). Enterotoxin was detected in broth supernatant fluid after 12 h of incubation at 25 degrees C. The toxin was not inactivated by exposure to 121 degrees C for 30 min or by storage at 4 or -40 degrees C for at least 5 months. The enterotoxin was also acid stable and methanol soluble. Methanol extraction did not affect its heat stability or enterotoxic activity in suckling mice. These physical characteristics plus limited ultrafiltration studies suggest that the enterotoxin is a low-molecular-weight substance. Y. enterocolitica enterotoxin resembles Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin in heat and pH stability, methanol solubility, and enterotoxic activity in suckling mice. However, its role in the pathogenesis of human diarrhea has not been established.

Role of Iron in Pathogenesis of Guinea Pigs Infected with Yersinia Enterocolitica 0:3

“…However, it should be pointed out that as far as their intensity are concerned, the changes are more strongly expressed in guinea pigs infected with culture in logarithmic phase of development as compared with animals infected with culture in stationary phase. We assume that the appearence of the first pathomorphological changes in guinea pigs infected with bacterial culture in stationary phase of development, grown at 25 "C, on the 3rd day, is due to enterotoxin which is full agreement with the opinions of BOYCE et al, (1979), KAPPERUD and LANGELAND (1981), who having proved that Y. enterocoliticu produces enterotoxin at 25 "C in stationary phase of development. It also seems to us that the changes are slighter in experimental animals injected with culture grown at 37 "C, irrespectively of the phase of development.…”

yst gene expression in Yersinia enterocolitica is positively regulated by a chromosomal region that is highly homologous to Escherichia coli host factor 1 gene (hfq)

“…Yersinia enterocolitica, a common aetiological agent of human gastroenteritis particularly in children (Cornelis et aL, 1987), is known to secrete a heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) called Y-ST that is similar to other methanol-soluble STs (Pal et aL, 1978;Takao et aL, 1984;Boyce et aL, 1979;Okamoto et aL, 1983). However, the relevance of Y-ST to Y. enterocolitica-associated diarrhoea was not clear.…”

Partial purification and characterization of phospholipase C from Yersinia enterocolitica

“…There is little information in the literature on the production, purification and characterization of n_____l\ 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 KCI (6), MgCI, (7), MnC1, (8), MgCI, (9), CuSO, (10). phospholipase C from this organism despite the fact that much is known about its enterotoxin activity (Sakazaki et al 1974;Feeley et al 1979;Boyce et al 1979;Okamoto et al 1980).…”