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Shrestha A, Mehdizadeh Gohari I, Li J, Navarro M, Uzal FA, McClane BA. The biology and pathogenicity of Clostridium perfringens type F: a common human enteropathogen with a new(ish) name. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024:e0014023. [PMID: 38864615 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00140-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYIn the 2018-revised Clostridium perfringens typing classification system, isolates carrying the enterotoxin (cpe) and alpha toxin genes but no other typing toxin genes are now designated as type F. Type F isolates cause food poisoning and nonfoodborne human gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, which most commonly involve type F isolates carrying, respectivefooly, a chromosomal or plasmid-borne cpe gene. Compared to spores of other C. perfringens isolates, spores of type F chromosomal cpe isolates often exhibit greater resistance to food environment stresses, likely facilitating their survival in improperly prepared or stored foods. Multiple factors contribute to this spore resistance phenotype, including the production of a variant small acid-soluble protein-4. The pathogenicity of type F isolates involves sporulation-dependent C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) production. C. perfringens sporulation is initiated by orphan histidine kinases and sporulation-associated sigma factors that drive cpe transcription. CPE-induced cytotoxicity starts when CPE binds to claudin receptors to form a small complex (which also includes nonreceptor claudins). Approximately six small complexes oligomerize on the host cell plasma membrane surface to form a prepore. CPE molecules in that prepore apparently extend β-hairpin loops to form a β-barrel pore, allowing a Ca2+ influx that activates calpain. With low-dose CPE treatment, caspase-3-dependent apoptosis develops, while high-CPE dose treatment induces necroptosis. Those effects cause histologic damage along with fluid and electrolyte losses from the colon and small intestine. Sialidases likely contribute to type F disease by enhancing CPE action and, for NanI-producing nonfoodborne human GI disease isolates, increasing intestinal growth and colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Shrestha
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Iman Mehdizadeh Gohari
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jihong Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mauricio Navarro
- Instituto de Patologia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Francisco A Uzal
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Bruce A McClane
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Pogány Simonová M, Chrastinová Ľ, Bino E, Kandričáková A, Formelová Z, Lauková A. Application of Autochthonous Biofilm-Forming Enterococcus hirae Kr8 Strain in Relation with Enterocin M in Broiler Rabbits and Their Effect on the Rabbit Meat Quality: Risk or Protection? Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024; 16:1076-1086. [PMID: 37278951 PMCID: PMC11126440 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10097-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Around weaning, rabbits are sensitive to gastrointestinal diseases, mostly of bacterial origin, including enterococci (Enterococcus hirae), clostridia, and coliforms. Preventive use of postbiotics-enterocins-as feed additives can reduce this problem. Therefore, simulation of spoilage/pathogenic environment applying the autochthonous, biofilm-forming E. hirae Kr8+ strain in rabbits and its influence on rabbit meat quality as well as the protective effect of Ent M on rabbit meat properties and quality in infected animals was tested. Ninety-six rabbits aged 35 days, both sexes, meat line M91 breed were divided into one control (CG) and three experimental (EG1, EG2, and EG3) groups. The rabbits in CG received standard diet, without any additives, rabbits in EG1 received 108 CFU/mL of Kr8+ strain (at a dose of 500 μL/animal/day), to rabbits in EG2 the Ent M (50 μL/animal/day), and in EG3, combination of the Kr8+ and Ent M was applied in their drinking water during 21 days. The experiment lasted 42 days. The Kr8+ strain did not attack the gastrointestinal tract and have any adverse effect on the meat quality of rabbits. Moreover, improved weight gains, carcass parameters, and higher essential fatty acid (EAA) and amino acid (EAA) content of rabbit meat point rather to its possible beneficial potential in rabbit nutrition. Administration of Ent M improved most of the tested parameters: animal weight and meat physicochemical and nutritional properties, with a focus on EFA and EAA. During combination of both additives, their synergistic impact was noted, improving the nutritional quality, mostly the EAA content of rabbit meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Pogány Simonová
- Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Ľubica Chrastinová
- Department of Animal Nutrition, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecká 2, 95141, Nitra-Lužianky, Slovakia
| | - Eva Bino
- Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Anna Kandričáková
- Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Formelová
- Department of Animal Nutrition, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecká 2, 95141, Nitra-Lužianky, Slovakia
| | - Andrea Lauková
- Centre of Biosciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Animal Physiology, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia
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Wang C, Defoirdt T, Rajkovic A. The Effect of Caco-2 Cells on Sporulation and Enterotoxin Expression by Foodborne Clostridium perfringens. Pathogens 2024; 13:433. [PMID: 38921731 PMCID: PMC11206550 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (Cpe)-producing strains cause gastrointestinal infections in humans and account for the second-largest number of all foodborne outbreaks caused by bacterial toxins. The Cpe toxin is only produced during sporulation; this process might be affected when C. perfringens comes into contact with host cells. The current study determined how the cpe expression levels and spore formation changed over time during co-culture with Caco-2 cells (as a model of intestinal epithelial cells). In co-culture with Caco-2 cells, total C. perfringens cell counts first decreased and then remained more or less stable, whereas spore counts were stable over the whole incubation period. The cpe mRNA level in the co-culture with Caco-2 cells increased more rapidly than in the absence of Caco-2 cells (3.9-fold higher levels in coculture than in the absence of Caco-2 cells after 8 h of incubation). Finally, we found that cpe expression is inhibited by a cue released by Caco-2 cells (8.3-fold lower levels in the presence of supernatants of Caco-2 cells than in the absence of the supernatants after 10 h of incubation); as a consequence, the increased expression in co-culture with Caco-2 cells must be caused by a factor associated with the Caco-2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Tom Defoirdt
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
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Bovo S, Ribani A, Schiavo G, Taurisano V, Bertolini F, Fornasini D, Frabetti A, Fontanesi L. Genome-wide association studies for diarrhoea outcomes identified genomic regions affecting resistance to a severe enteropathy in suckling rabbits. J Anim Breed Genet 2024; 141:328-342. [PMID: 38152994 DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Selection and breeding strategies to improve resistance to enteropathies are essential to reaching the sustainability of the rabbit production systems. However, disease heterogeneity (having only as major visible symptom diarrhoea) and low disease heritability are two barriers for the implementation of these strategies. Diarrhoea condition can affect rabbits at different life stages, starting from the suckling period, with large negative economic impacts. In this study, from a commercial population of suckling rabbits (derived from 133 litters) that experienced an outbreak of enteropathy, we first selected a few animals that died with severe symptoms of diarrhoea and characterized their microbiota, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing data. Clostridium genus was consistently present in all affected specimens. In addition, with the aim to identify genetic markers in the rabbit genome that could be used as selection tools, we performed genome-wide association studies for symptoms of diarrhoea in the same commercial rabbit population. These studies were also complemented with FST analyses between the same groups of rabbits. A total of 332 suckling rabbits (151 with severe symptoms of diarrhoea, 42 with mild symptoms and 129 without any symptoms till the weaning period), derived from 45 different litters (a subset of the 133 litters) were genotyped with the Affymetrix Axiom OrcunSNP Array. In both genomic approaches, rabbits within litters were paired to constitute two groups (susceptible and resistant, including the mildly affected in one or the other group) and run case and control genome-wide association analyses. Genomic heritability estimated in the designed experimental structure integrated in a commercial breeding scheme was 0.19-0.21 (s.e. 0.09-0.10). A total of eight genomic regions on rabbit chromosome 2 (OCU2), OCU3, OCU7, OCU12, OCU13, OCU16 and in an unassembled scaffold had significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and/or markers that trespassed the FST percentile distribution. Among these regions, three main peaks of SNPs were identified on OCU12, OCU13 and OCU16. The QTL region on OCU13 encompasses several genes that encode members of a family of immunoglobulin Fc receptors (FCER1G, FCRLA, FCRLB and FCGR2A) involved in the immune innate system, which might be important candidate genes for this pathogenic condition. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that resistance to an enteropathy occurring in suckling rabbits is in part genetically determined and can be dissected at the genomic level, providing DNA markers that could be used in breeding programmes to increase resistance to enteropathies in meat rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Bovo
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anisa Ribani
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Schiavo
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Taurisano
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Bertolini
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniela Fornasini
- Gruppo Martini S.p.A., Centro Genetica Conigli (Rabbit Genetic Center), Longiano, Italy
| | - Andrea Frabetti
- Gruppo Martini S.p.A., Centro Genetica Conigli (Rabbit Genetic Center), Longiano, Italy
| | - Luca Fontanesi
- Animal and Food Genomics Group, Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Mehdizadeh Gohari I, A. Navarro M, Li J, Shrestha A, Uzal F, A. McClane B. Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridium perfringens. Virulence 2021; 12:723-753. [PMID: 33843463 PMCID: PMC8043184 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1886777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is an extremely versatile pathogen of humans and livestock, causing wound infections like gas gangrene (clostridial myonecrosis), enteritis/enterocolitis (including one of the most common human food-borne illnesses), and enterotoxemia (where toxins produced in the intestine are absorbed and damage distant organs such as the brain). The virulence of this Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobe is largely attributable to its copious toxin production; the diverse actions and roles in infection of these toxins are now becoming established. Most C. perfringens toxin genes are encoded on conjugative plasmids, including the pCW3-like and the recently discovered pCP13-like plasmid families. Production of C. perfringens toxins is highly regulated via processes involving two-component regulatory systems, quorum sensing and/or sporulation-related alternative sigma factors. Non-toxin factors, such as degradative enzymes like sialidases, are also now being implicated in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. These factors can promote toxin action in vitro and, perhaps in vivo, and also enhance C. perfringens intestinal colonization, e.g. NanI sialidase increases C. perfringens adherence to intestinal tissue and generates nutrients for its growth, at least in vitro. The possible virulence contributions of many other factors, such as adhesins, the capsule and biofilms, largely await future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Mehdizadeh Gohari
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mauricio A. Navarro
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Jihong Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Archana Shrestha
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Francisco Uzal
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Bruce A. McClane
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Rajkovic A, Jovanovic J, Monteiro S, Decleer M, Andjelkovic M, Foubert A, Beloglazova N, Tsilla V, Sas B, Madder A, De Saeger S, Uyttendaele M. Detection of toxins involved in foodborne diseases caused by Gram‐positive bacteria. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2020; 19:1605-1657. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreja Rajkovic
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Jelena Jovanovic
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Silvia Monteiro
- Laboratorio Analises, Instituto Superior TecnicoUniversidade de Lisboa Lisbon Portugal
| | - Marlies Decleer
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Mirjana Andjelkovic
- Operational Directorate Food, Medicines and Consumer SafetyService for Chemical Residues and Contaminants Brussels Belgium
| | - Astrid Foubert
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Natalia Beloglazova
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent University Ghent Belgium
- Nanotechnology Education and Research CenterSouth Ural State University Chelyabinsk Russia
| | - Varvara Tsilla
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Benedikt Sas
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Annemieke Madder
- Laboratorium for Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry, Department of Organic and Macromolecular ChemistryGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Sarah De Saeger
- Laboratory of Food Analysis, Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Mieke Uyttendaele
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent University Ghent Belgium
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Solans L, Arnal JL, Sanz C, Benito A, Chacón G, Alzuguren O, Fernández AB. Rabbit Enteropathies on Commercial Farms in the Iberian Peninsula: Etiological Agents Identified in 2018-2019. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9121142. [PMID: 31847230 PMCID: PMC6940908 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Digestive disorders are the main cause of economic damage in rabbit farms and, usually, antibiotic treatment is the first choice to control them. Nevertheless, a broad range of infectious agents can be involved in such disorders, as we have observed in our diagnosis work as a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. In this study, a global and updated overview of the frequency of detection of those etiological agents is provided. We have seen differences depending on the age of the affected rabbits, with young rabbits (<15 days old) being the most affected by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains, while in preweaning and growing rabbits, a coinfection of two or three pathogens is the most prevalent situation. Clostridium spiroforme and E. coli are the main bacterial agents detected in preweaning rabbits, but enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis has just appeared as a new possible emergent pathogen. Coinfections between bacteria (C. spiroforme and E. coli), parasites (Eimeria spp.), and viruses (rotavirus) are much more frequent than simple infections in growing rabbits; for this reason, complete laboratory studies are required to establish on-farm disease control measures. Abstract Digestive disorders are the main cause of economic damage to rabbit farms. This article provides a global and updated overview of the diverse etiological agents causing them, since 757 clinical cases were analyzed during 2018 and 2019—Ninety-five from young rabbits (<15 days old), 117 from preweaning rabbits (15–35 days old), and 545 from growing rabbits. Etiological diagnosis was carried out by bacteriological culture and a set of real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests for the detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Clostridium spiroforme, C. perfringens, rotavirus A, Bacteroides fragilis, and Eimeria spp. Also, 40 EPEC and 38 non EPEC isolates were investigated for the presence of other colonization factors (afr2, ral, liftA, and paa) by qPCR. EPEC is the most prevalent agent in young rabbits, and although different virulence profiles have been found among EPEC isolates, the liftA+, ral+, and paa+ profile is the most prevalent. C. spiroforme and EPEC are the more frequently detected pathogens in preweaning rabbits, but B. fragilis appears to be a new possible emergent pathogen. In growing rabbits, diverse co-infections between C. spiroforme, Eimeria spp., EPEC, and rotavirus are much more frequent than infections due to only one of them. Other pathogens detected in very few cases are Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus hirae.
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Distinct Microbial Populations Exist in the Mucosa-associated Microbiota of Diarrhea Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis. J Clin Gastroenterol 2019; 53:660-672. [PMID: 29210899 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000000961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
GOALS The goal of this study was to observe the bacterial colonization in the intestinal mucosa in the patients with diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) and ulcerative colitis (UC), and compare the mucosa-associated microbiota among the IBS-D patients, UC patients and the healthy control, and explore the correlation of the mucosa-associated microbiota with clinical manifestations. STUDY A total of 20 IBS-D patients, 28 patients with UC (16 active, 12 inactive) and 16 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. They all underwent colonoscopies in the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from June 2016 to October 2016. The mucosa specimens were taken at the junction of rectum and sigmoid colon for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Then the observed mucosa-associated microbiota was counted and compared. RESULTS (1) In the IBS-D patients, the mucosa-associated bacteria were found to colonize in the surface of mucosa and the adjacent mucin layer. And in active UC, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides were found in the lamina propria, in addition to bacterial colonization in the above-mentioned areas. (2) The total count of mucosa-associated bacteria and the individual counts of E. coli, Clostridium, and Bacteroides were significantly increased, and Bifidobacteria significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the IBS-D patients and UC patients. Counts of Lactobacillus were decreased only in UC patients compared with the healthy control. And a significantly larger variation of the above-mentioned bacterial counts was found in the patients with UC, particularly in those with active UC, compared with those with IBS-D (P<0.05); the counts in the UC group were 1.3 to 5.3 times more or less than those in the IBS-D group. (3) Compared with healthy controls and IBS-D, the total count of bacteria and the individual counts of E. coli and Bacteroides in the lamina propria in active UC were significantly increased (P<0.05). (4) A significant negative correlation of the counts of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria with the defecation frequency and fecal characteristics (P<0.05) was found in the IBS-D patients; in those with UC, both the total count of bacteria and the individual counts of E. coli, Clostridium, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacteria were significantly correlated, positively or negatively, with the related clinical manifestations and the activity of the disease (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Compared with the healthy control, intestinal microecology was changed most obviously in UC with much smaller differences though in the same direction in IBS-D. The translocation of some bacteria into the lamina propria was found in UC, particularly in active UC. The changes of mucosa-associated microbiota were related more or less to some clinical manifestations in IBS-D and UC.
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10
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Abstract
In humans and livestock, Clostridium perfringens is an important cause of intestinal infections that manifest as enteritis, enterocolitis, or enterotoxemia. This virulence is largely related to the toxin-producing ability of C. perfringens. This article primarily focuses on the C. perfringens type F strains that cause a very common type of human food poisoning and many cases of nonfoodborne human gastrointestinal diseases. The enteric virulence of type F strains is dependent on their ability to produce C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). CPE has a unique amino acid sequence but belongs structurally to the aerolysin pore-forming toxin family. The action of CPE begins with binding of the toxin to claudin receptors, followed by oligomerization of the bound toxin into a prepore on the host membrane surface. Each CPE molecule in the prepore then extends a beta-hairpin to form, collectively, a beta-barrel membrane pore that kills cells by increasing calcium influx. The cpe gene is typically encoded on the chromosome of type F food poisoning strains but is encoded by conjugative plasmids in nonfoodborne human gastrointestinal disease type F strains. During disease, CPE is produced when C. perfringens sporulates in the intestines. Beyond type F strains, C. perfringens type C strains producing beta-toxin and type A strains producing a toxin named CPILE or BEC have been associated with human intestinal infections. C. perfringens is also an important cause of enteritis, enterocolitis, and enterotoxemia in livestock and poultry due to intestinal growth and toxin production.
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Suzuki H, Hosomi K, Nasu A, Kondoh M, Kunisawa J. Development of Adjuvant-Free Bivalent Food Poisoning Vaccine by Augmenting the Antigenicity of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2320. [PMID: 30356722 PMCID: PMC6189403 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is a common cause of food poisoning and hyperkalemia-associated death. Previously, we reported that fusion of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) to C-terminal fragment of CPE (C-CPE) efficiently bound mucosal epithelium so that PspA-specific immune responses could be provoked. In this study, we found that fusion of C-CPE with PspA augmented the antigenicity of C-CPE itself. These findings allowed us to hypothesize that fusion of C-CPE and another food poisoning vaccine act as a bivalent food poisoning vaccine. Therefore, we constructed an adjuvant-free bivalent vaccine against CPE and cholera toxin (CT), which is a major food poisoning in developing country, by genetically fusing CT B subunit to C-CPE. Because of the low antigenicity of C-CPE, immunization of mice with C-CPE alone did not induce C-CPE-specific immune responses. However, immunization with our vaccine induced both C-CPE- and CT-specific neutralizing antibody. The underlying mechanism of the augmented antigenicity of C-CPE included the activation of T cells by CTB. Moreover, neutralizing antibodies lasted for at least 48 weeks and the quality of the antibody was dependent on the binding activity of CTB–C-CPE to its receptors. These findings suggest that our fusion protein is a potential platform for the development of an adjuvant-free bivalent vaccine against CPE and CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiko Suzuki
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koji Hosomi
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ayaka Nasu
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Masuo Kondoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Jun Kunisawa
- Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and Laboratory of Gut Environmental System, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine and Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Benz R, Popoff MR. Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin: The Toxin Forms Highly Cation-Selective Channels in Lipid Bilayers. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10090341. [PMID: 30135397 PMCID: PMC6162509 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10090341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the numerous toxins produced by Clostridium perfringens is Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 35.5 kDa exhibiting three different domains. Domain one is responsible for receptor binding, domain two is involved in hexamer formation and domain three has to do with channel formation in membranes. CPE is the major virulence factor of this bacterium and acts on the claudin-receptor containing tight junctions between epithelial cells resulting in various gastrointestinal diseases. The activity of CPE on Vero cells was demonstrated by the entry of propidium iodide (PI) in the cells. The entry of propidium iodide caused by CPE was well correlated with the loss of cell viability monitored by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. CPE formed ion-permeable channels in artificial lipid bilayer membranes with a single-channel conductance of 620 pS in 1 M KCl. The single-channel conductance was not a linear function of the bulk aqueous salt concentration indicating that point-negative charges at the CPE channel controlled ion transport. This resulted in the high cation selectivity of the CPE channels, which suggested that anions are presumably not permeable through the CPE channels. The possible role of cation transport by CPE channels in disease caused by C. perfringens is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Benz
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University, Campusring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Michel R Popoff
- Bacterial Toxins, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
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Mechanisms of Action and Cell Death Associated with Clostridium perfringens Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10050212. [PMID: 29786671 PMCID: PMC5983268 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10050212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens uses its large arsenal of protein toxins to produce histotoxic, neurologic and intestinal infections in humans and animals. The major toxins involved in diseases are alpha (CPA), beta (CPB), epsilon (ETX), iota (ITX), enterotoxin (CPE), and necrotic B-like (NetB) toxins. CPA is the main virulence factor involved in gas gangrene in humans, whereas its role in animal diseases is limited and controversial. CPB is responsible for necrotizing enteritis and enterotoxemia, mostly in neonatal individuals of many animal species, including humans. ETX is the main toxin involved in enterotoxemia of sheep and goats. ITX has been implicated in cases of enteritis in rabbits and other animal species; however, its specific role in causing disease has not been proved. CPE is responsible for human food-poisoning and non-foodborne C. perfringens-mediated diarrhea. NetB is the cause of necrotic enteritis in chickens. In most cases, host–toxin interaction starts on the plasma membrane of target cells via specific receptors, resulting in the activation of intracellular pathways with a variety of effects, commonly including cell death. In general, the molecular mechanisms of cell death associated with C. perfringens toxins involve features of apoptosis, necrosis and/or necroptosis.
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Native or Proteolytically Activated NanI Sialidase Enhances the Binding and Cytotoxic Activity of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin and Beta Toxin. Infect Immun 2017; 86:IAI.00730-17. [PMID: 29038129 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00730-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Many Clostridium perfringens strains produce NanI as their major sialidase. Previous studies showed that NanI could potentiate C. perfringens epsilon toxin cytotoxicity by enhancing the binding of this toxin to host cells. The present study first determined that NanI exerts similar cytotoxicity-enhancing effects on C. perfringens enterotoxin and beta toxin, which are also important toxins for C. perfringens diseases (enteritis and enterotoxemia) originating in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Building upon previous work demonstrating that purified trypsin can activate NanI activity, this study next determined that purified chymotrypsin or mouse intestinal fluids can also activate NanI activity. Amino acid sequencing then showed that this effect involves the N-terminal processing of the NanI protein. Recombinant NanI (rNanI) species corresponding to major chymotrypsin- or small intestinal fluid-generated NanI fragments possessed more sialidase activity than did full-length rNanI, further supporting the proteolytic activation of NanI activity. rNanI species corresponding to proteolysis products also promoted the cytotoxic activity and binding of enterotoxin and beta toxin more strongly than did full-length rNanI. Since enterotoxin and beta toxin are produced in the intestines during human and animal disease, these findings suggest that intestinal proteases may enhance NanI activity, which in turn could further potentiate the activity of intestinally active toxins during disease. Coupling these new results with previous findings demonstrating that NanI is important for the adherence of C. perfringens to enterocyte-like cells, NanI sialidase is now emerging as a potential auxiliary virulence factor for C. perfringens enteritis and enterotoxemia.
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Eichner M, Augustin C, Fromm A, Piontek A, Walther W, Bücker R, Fromm M, Krause G, Schulzke JD, Günzel D, Piontek J. In Colon Epithelia, Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin Causes Focal Leaks by Targeting Claudins Which are Apically Accessible Due to Tight Junction Derangement. J Infect Dis 2017; 217:147-157. [DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Eichner
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Augustin
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Fromm
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Piontek
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Roland Bücker
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Fromm
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerd Krause
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Dorothee Günzel
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Piontek
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
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Liang ZY, Kang X, Chen H, Wang M, Guan WX. Effect of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin on gastric cancer cells SGC7901 which highly expressed claudin-4 protein. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2017; 9:153-159. [PMID: 28451062 PMCID: PMC5390300 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v9.i4.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the effects of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) on gastric cancer cells which highly expressed claudin-4 (CL4) protein.
METHODS In this study, we detected expression of CL4 protein in different gastric cancer cell lines. Then, we investigated the effects of CPE on SGC7901 cells which highly expressed CL4 protein and the effects of CPE on subcutaneous tumor in nude mice models.
RESULTS CL4 are highly expressed in SGC7901 cells. CPE expressed significant cytotoxicity in SGC7901 cells. Suppression of CL4 expression significantly decreased CPE-mediated cytotoxicity. CPE also inhibited tumor growth in subcutaneous tumor xenograft models.
CONCLUSION CPE showed CL4 mediated cytotoxicity on gastric cancer cells SGC7901 and inhibited tumor growth in nude mice models.
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CodY Promotes Sporulation and Enterotoxin Production by Clostridium perfringens Type A Strain SM101. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00855-16. [PMID: 28052992 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00855-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens type D strains cause enterotoxemia and enteritis in livestock via epsilon toxin production. In type D strain CN3718, CodY was previously shown to increase the level of epsilon toxin production and repress sporulation. C. perfringens type A strains producing C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) cause human food poisoning and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Sporulation is critical for C. perfringens type A food poisoning since spores contribute to transmission and resistance in the harsh food environment and sporulation is essential for CPE production. Therefore, the current study asked whether CodY also regulates sporulation and CPE production in SM101, a derivative of C. perfringens type A food-poisoning strain NCTC8798. An isogenic codY-null mutant of SM101 showed decreased levels of spore formation, along with lower levels of CPE production. A complemented strain recovered wild-type levels of both sporulation and CPE production. When this result was coupled with the earlier results obtained with CN3718, it became apparent that CodY regulation of sporulation varies among different C. perfringens strains. Results from quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analysis clearly demonstrated that, during sporulation, codY transcript levels remained high in SM101 but rapidly declined in CN3718. In addition, abrB gene expression patterns varied significantly between codY-null mutants of SM101 and CN3718. Compared to the levels in their wild-type parents, the level of abrB gene expression decreased in the CN3718 codY-null mutant strain but significantly increased in the SM101 codY-null mutant strain, demonstrating CodY-dependent regulation differences in abrB expression between these two strains. This difference appears to be important since overexpression of the abrB gene in SM101 reduced the levels of sporulation and enterotoxin production, supporting the involvement of AbrB repression in regulating C. perfringens sporulation.
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Arroyo L, Costa M, Guest B, Plattner B, Lillie B, Weese J. Duodenitis-Proximal Jejunitis in Horses After Experimental Administration of Clostridium difficile Toxins. J Vet Intern Med 2017; 31:158-163. [PMID: 27906466 PMCID: PMC5259639 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Duodenitis-proximal jejunitis (DPJ) is an acute sporadic gastrointestinal disorder of horses of unknown cause. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES We hypothesize that Clostridium difficile toxins are involved in the pathogenesis of DPJ in horses. The objective of this study was to determine whether experimentally delivered C. difficile toxins cause clinical signs and histologic lesions similar to those of naturally occurring DPJ. ANIMALS Six healthy mature mixed breed horses. METHODS Experimental study: animal model of animal disease. Fasted horses were administered crude C. difficile toxins via gastroscopy and monitored for up to 48 hour. Blood was collected for complete blood cell count, biochemistry profile, and plasma fibrinogen assay, and abdominal fluid was collected for cytologic analysis and total solids before and after toxin administration. Physical examination and abdominal ultrasonography were performed throughout the study period. Tissues were collected from the gastrointestinal tract and processed for routine histologic analysis, and lesions were scored. RESULTS Clinical signs were observed in 2 of 6 horses that are typical although not specific for horses with naturally occurring DPJ. Histopathologic lesions were observed in 6 of 6 horses and were similar to those reported in horses with naturally occurring DPJ. Two horses were severely affected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Duodenitis-proximal jejunitis is likely a syndrome with multiple causes that result in the same clinical and pathologic findings, and our data suggest that the toxins of C. difficile represent one cause of this syndrome. Toxin dose and variation in individual animal susceptibility might affect the clinical signs and lesions after administration of C. difficile toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- L.G. Arroyo
- Department of Clinical StudiesOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - M.C. Costa
- Department of Clinical StudiesOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - B.B. Guest
- Department of Clinical StudiesOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - B.L. Plattner
- Department of PathobiologyOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - B.N. Lillie
- Department of PathobiologyOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | - J.S. Weese
- Department of PathobiologyOntario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
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Targeting and alteration of tight junctions by bacteria and their virulence factors such as Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. Pflugers Arch 2016; 469:77-90. [DOI: 10.1007/s00424-016-1902-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Larcombe S, Hutton ML, Lyras D. Involvement of Bacteria Other Than Clostridium difficile in Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea. Trends Microbiol 2016; 24:463-476. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Abbona CC, Stagnitta PV. Clostridium perfringens: Comparative effects of heat and osmotic stress on non-enterotoxigenic and enterotoxigenic strains. Anaerobe 2016; 39:105-13. [PMID: 27012900 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens isolates associated with food poisoning carries a chromosomal cpe gene, while non-foodborne human gastrointestinal disease isolates carry a plasmid cpe gene. The enterotoxigenic strains tested produced vegetative cells and spores with significantly higher resistance than non-enterotoxigenic strains. These results suggest that the vegetative cells and spores have a competitive advantage over non-enterotoxigenic strains. However, no explanation has been provided for the significant associations between chromosomal cpe genotypes with the high resistance, which could explain the strong relationship between chromosomal cpe isolates and C. perfringens type A food poisoning. Here, we analyse the action of physical and chemical agent on non-enterotoxigenic and enterotoxigenic regional strains. And this study tested the relationship between the sensitivities of spores and their levels SASPs (small acid soluble proteins) production in the same strains examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinthia Carolina Abbona
- IBAM-CONICET and Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Patricia Virginia Stagnitta
- Departamento de Química Biológica Facultad de Química Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina.
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Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin: Action, Genetics, and Translational Applications. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8030073. [PMID: 26999202 PMCID: PMC4810218 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8030073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is responsible for causing the gastrointestinal symptoms of several C. perfringens food- and nonfood-borne human gastrointestinal diseases. The enterotoxin gene (cpe) is located on either the chromosome (for most C. perfringens type A food poisoning strains) or large conjugative plasmids (for the remaining type A food poisoning and most, if not all, other CPE-producing strains). In all CPE-positive strains, the cpe gene is strongly associated with insertion sequences that may help to assist its mobilization and spread. During disease, CPE is produced when C. perfringens sporulates in the intestines, a process involving several sporulation-specific alternative sigma factors. The action of CPE starts with its binding to claudin receptors to form a small complex; those small complexes then oligomerize to create a hexameric prepore on the membrane surface. Beta hairpin loops from the CPE molecules in the prepore assemble into a beta barrel that inserts into the membrane to form an active pore that enhances calcium influx, causing cell death. This cell death results in intestinal damage that causes fluid and electrolyte loss. CPE is now being explored for translational applications including cancer therapy/diagnosis, drug delivery, and vaccination.
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Freedman JC, Theoret JR, Wisniewski JA, Uzal FA, Rood JI, McClane BA. Clostridium perfringens type A-E toxin plasmids. Res Microbiol 2014; 166:264-79. [PMID: 25283728 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens relies upon plasmid-encoded toxin genes to cause intestinal infections. These toxin genes are associated with insertion sequences that may facilitate their mobilization and transfer, giving rise to new toxin plasmids with common backbones. Most toxin plasmids carry a transfer of clostridial plasmids locus mediating conjugation, which likely explains the presence of similar toxin plasmids in otherwise unrelated C. perfringens strains. The association of many toxin genes with insertion sequences and conjugative plasmids provides virulence flexibility when causing intestinal infections. However, incompatibility issues apparently limit the number of toxin plasmids maintained by a single cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Freedman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James R Theoret
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Francisco A Uzal
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, San Bernadino Branch, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, San Bernadino, CA, USA
| | - Julian I Rood
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bruce A McClane
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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