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Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance
Published on: January 3, 2012
Beta2 toxin, a novel toxin produced by Clostridium perfringens
M Gibert1, C Jolivet-Reynaud, M R Popoff
1Unité des Toxines Microbiennes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Gene
|January 13, 1998
Summary
A novel Clostridium perfringens toxin, Beta2, was identified and found lethal to mice. This toxin, distinct from Beta1, is linked to animal diseases like necrotic enteritis in piglets.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Clostridium perfringens is an opportunistic pathogen causing various animal diseases.
- Toxins produced by C. perfringens play a crucial role in disease pathogenesis.
- Previous research identified Beta toxin (Beta1), but other related toxins remained uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize a novel toxin, designated Beta2, and its gene from C. perfringens.
- To compare Beta2 toxin with the previously identified Beta1 toxin.
- To investigate the association of Beta2 toxin-producing strains with animal diseases.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of a C. perfringens strain from a piglet with necrotic enteritis.
- Amino acid sequence analysis to determine homology between Beta1 and Beta2 toxins.
- Lethality assays in mice and cytotoxicity assays on cell line 1407.
- Localization of toxin genes on C. perfringens plasmids.
Main Results:
- A novel toxin, Beta2 (27670 Da), was identified and its gene characterized.
- Beta2 toxin showed no significant amino acid homology to Beta1 toxin (34861 kDa).
- Both Beta1 and Beta2 toxins were lethal to mice and induced cell rounding and lysis in 1407 cells.
- The genes for Beta1 and Beta2 toxins are located on unlinked large plasmids.
- Beta2 toxin-producing strains were associated with necrotic enteritis in piglets and enterocolitis in horses.
Conclusions:
- Beta2 toxin is a novel C. perfringens toxin distinct from Beta1.
- Beta2 toxin exhibits lethal and cytotoxic effects.
- The genetic basis for Beta2 toxin production resides on large plasmids.
- Beta2 toxin-producing C. perfringens strains are implicated in significant animal diseases.
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