Production of Phospholipase C (Alpha-toxin), Haemolysins and Lethal Toxins by Clostridium perfringens Types A to D

Abstract

S U M M A R YTo obtain high yields of extracellular enzymes and toxins for immunological analysis, type culture collection strains of Clostridium perfringens types A to D and 28 fresh isolates of C. perfringens type A from humans were grown in fermenters under controlled conditions in a pre-reduced proteose peptone medium. The type culture collection strains all showed different characteristics with respect to growth rates and pH optima for growth. Production of phospholipase C (alpha-toxin), haemolysin and lethal activity varied considerably between the different types.Growth and extracellular protein production in fermenters with pH control and static or stirred cultures were compared. Production of all extracellular proteins measured was markedly improved by cultivation in fermenters with pH control.Strain A T C C I~I~ produced five times more phospholipase C than any of 28 freshly isolated strains of C. perfringens type A, grown under identical conditions. Haemolytic and lethal activities of the ATCC strain were equal or superior to the activities of any of the freshly isolated strains. There were no differences in the bacterial yields and in the production of extracellular toxins between type A strains isolated from clinical cases of gas ga.ngren.= and abdominal wounds, and those isolated from faecal samples from healthy persons.

Skewed genomic variability in strains of the toxigenic bacterial pathogen, Clostridium perfringens

“…ATCC 13124, the species type strain, was originally isolated from a human gas gangrene patient and produces large quantities of gangrene-associated toxins (Mollby and Holme 1976). C. perfringens SM101, a transformable derivative of C. perfringens food poisoning isolate NCTC 8798, produces C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE).…”

Role of the Upstream Region Containing an Intrinsic DNA Curvature in the Negative Regulation of the Phospholipase C Gene of Clostridium perfringens

“…They largely differ in levels of the alpha-toxin, which seems to be at least partly due to difference in expression of the alpha-toxin gene (Katayama et al, unpublished data). The largest quantities of the toxin are produced by type A (14), which primarily causes wound-infection in humans (8). This highly pathogenic type is also a commensal bacterium living in the human intestine where genes encoding for their detrimental toxins, especially for the alphatoxin, are likely to be repressed.…”

Comparison of single and combination antimicrobial agents for prevention of experimental gas gangrene caused by Clostridium perfringens

“…The inoculum was prepared in basal proteose peptone medium (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) supplemented with amino acids, salts, and vitamins to provide optimal bacterial growth and toxin production (13,(18)(19)(20). The medium contained 2% proteose peptone, 0.5% yeast extract, 0.5% glucose, 0.05% NaCl, and trace amounts of MgSO4, FeSO4, L-cysteine, nicotinic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxamine, and zinc (13,(18)(19)(20). A portion (40 ml) of a 12-h culture of C. perfringens was inoculated into 4 liters of growth medium and incubated at 370C.…”