An altered heart-labile enterotoxin (LT') produced by Escherichia coli serogroup O55 strain

An Escherichia coli serogroup O55 strain produced heat-labile enterotoxin only, which exerted unusual effects on cell cultures; it caused elongation of CHO and HeLa cells but no changes in Y-1 cells. Injection of this substance, designated LT', into mouse foot pad and rabbit skin caused a well-expressed necrotic effect beside the LT-like activity. LT' showed no cytotoxic effect and failed to produce mouse lung oedema. The strain was not haemolytic. According to Sephadex G-100 fractionation, the LT' had a high molecular weight. The LT' and the necrotic activities could not be separated by fractionation. Neutralization experiments suggested an antigenic relationship between LT and LT'. The antigenic deficiency of LT' was closely related to the common antigenic component of LT and choleragen. The necrotic effect caused by crude LT' was neutralized only by the homologous serum.