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Adhesion and invasion of Clostridium perfringens type A into epithelial cells

Luis A Llanco1, Viviane Nakano1, Claudia T P de Moraes2

  • 1Anaerobe Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Brazilian Journal of Microbiology : [Publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]
|July 20, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Clostridium perfringens causes necrotic enteritis. This study found the TpeL toxin, not NetB toxin, may be crucial for C. perfringens adherence to intestinal cells, though not invasion.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Poultry Diseases

Background:

  • Clostridium perfringens is a key cause of necrotic enteritis in chickens.
  • Virulence factors like alpha-toxin and NetB-toxin contribute to intestinal damage.
  • The role of TpeL toxin in necrotic enteritis pathogenesis remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of netB and tpeL genes in C. perfringens type A strains from chickens with necrotic enteritis.
  • To evaluate the cytotoxic effects of these strains on epithelial cells.
  • To determine the role of TpeL toxin in bacterial adhesion and invasion.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and identification of C. perfringens type A strains from diseased chickens.
  • Detection of netB and tpeL genes using molecular methods.
  • Assessment of cytotoxic effects on Vero cells.
  • Evaluation of bacterial adhesion and invasion in HEp-2 cells.

Main Results:

  • The tpeL gene was present in 6 out of 22 (27.3%) C. perfringens type A strains.
  • TpeL-producing strains induced morphological changes in Vero cells.
  • None of the strains harbored the netB gene.
  • All tpeL-positive strains adhered to HEp-2 cells, with 66.6% showing invasiveness.
  • TpeL-negative strains caused cell rounding and enlargement.

Conclusions:

  • The tpeL gene and its corresponding toxin may play a role in the adherence of C. perfringens to epithelial cells.
  • The TpeL toxin does not appear to be essential for the invasion of epithelial cells by C. perfringens.
  • NetB toxin was not detected in the studied C. perfringens type A strains associated with necrotic enteritis.
Keywords:
AdhesionClostridium perfringens type AInvasionNecrotic enteritistpeL gene

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