The enteric toxins of Clostridium perfringens

Abstract

The Gram-positive pathogen Clostridium perfringens is a major cause of human and veterinary enteric disease largely because this bacterium can produce several toxins when present inside the gastrointestinal tract. The enteric toxins of C. perfringens share two common features: (1) they are all single polypeptides of modest (approximately 25-35 kDa) size, although lacking in sequence homology, and (2) they generally act by forming pores or channels in plasma membranes of host cells. These enteric toxins include C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), which is responsible for the symptoms of a common human food poisoning and acts by forming pores after interacting with intestinal tight junction proteins. Two other C. perfringens enteric toxins, epsilon-toxin (a bioterrorism select agent) and beta-toxin, cause veterinary enterotoxemias when absorbed from the intestines; beta- and epsilon-toxins then apparently act by forming oligomeric pores in intestinal or extra-intestinal target tissues. The action of a newly discovered C. perfringens enteric toxin, beta2 toxin, has not yet been defined but precedent suggests it might also be a pore-former. Experience with other clostridial toxins certainly warrants continued research on these C. perfringens enteric toxins to develop their potential as therapeutic agents and tools for cellular biology.

Molecular Typing of Clostridium perfringens Isolates from Faecal Samples of Healthy and Diarrhoeic Sheep and Goats in Kashmir

“…However, when the microbial balance of the gastrointestinal flora is disrupted, these bacteria proliferate in large numbers and produce disease, which is thought mainly to be mediated by toxins. Goats and lambs fed on high fiber diets are considered at a higher risk of epsilon toxin induced enterotoxemia (Smedley et al, 2004).…”

Analysis of Core Housekeeping and Virulence Genes Reveals Cryptic Lineages ofClostridium perfringensThat Are Associated With Distinct Disease Presentations

“…Pathogenic strains of C. perfringens cause a variety of human and animal diseases including food poisoning, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, gas gangrene, necrotic enteritis, necrotizing colitis, sudden death syndrome, and enterotoxemia (Lindsay 1996;Songer 1996;Gibert et al 1997;Rood 1998;Brynestad and Granum 2002;Bos et al 2005). C. perfringens causes this wide array of diseases as a result of being able to produce at least 15 toxins (Rood 1998;Petit et al 1999;Smedley et al 2004). Many of these toxins lie on plasmids, whereas others are found in the C. perfringens chromosome.…”

Disruption of a toxin gene by introduction of a foreign gene into the chromosome of Clostridium perfringens using targetron-induced mutagenesis

“…Certain C. perfringens also produce minor toxins, such as theta toxin, and enteric toxins, such as C. perfringens enterotoxin or beta2 toxin, that are involved in human and animal enteric disease. C. perfringens ATCC3624 used for the delivery vector development in these studies classifies as type A and is negative for production of enteric toxins (C. perfringens enterotoxin and beta 2 toxin), but produces alpha toxin, and theta toxin Smedley et al, 2004).…”

“…Due to the unique characteristics of the C. perfringens enterotoxin (cpe) promoter and the biology of the organism, the vector can express and deliver a large amount of foreign protein in intact form to the terminal ileum after oral administration (Chen et al, 2004). The C. perfringens type A transformant used for the delivery vehicle is negative for enterotoxin and β-2 toxin and considered safe for oral administration Smedley et al, 2004). However, to ensure the safety of the C. perfringens based vehicle, the alpha toxin gene (plc) in C. perfringens chromosome has been inactivated using mobile group II intron based targetron technology (Chen et al, 2005).…”