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Updated: Oct 3, 2025
Functional Evaluation of Biological Neurotoxins in Networked Cultures of Stem Cell-derived Central Nervous System Neurons
Published on: February 5, 2015
NanI sialidase contributes to toxin expression and host cell binding of Clostridium perfringens type G strain CP56 in
Lore Van Damme1, Chana Callens1, Michelle Dargatz2
1Livestock Gut Health Team (LiGHT) Ghent, Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Abstract:
Necrotic enteritis, caused by NetB producing Clostridium perfringens type G strains, is a globally important poultry disease. An initial step in the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis is the colonization and degradation of the intestinal mucus layer, a process in which C. perfringens sialidases - such as NanI sialidase - may play an important role. Sialidases cleave terminal sialic acid from complex carbohydrates on glycoconjugates, such as mucins. This study shows that NE-associated C. perfringens strain CP56 is able to use sialic acid (Neu5Ac) as a carbon source for bacterial growth. It is shown that supplementation of Neu5Ac in the growth medium does not only induce the production of extracellular sialidases of strain CP56, but also increases the production of both alpha toxin and NetB toxin. Moreover, it was found that pre-treating avian hepatocellular carcinoma cells (LMH cells) with the recombinant NanI sialidase increases the adherence of C. perfringens type G strain CP56 to these cells. As such, the data suggest an important role for sialidases in the pathogenesis of the disease.
