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Liu J, Wu S, Zhao H, Ye C, Fu S, Liu Y, Liu T, Qiu Y. Baicalin-aluminum alleviates necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens by inhibiting virulence factors expression of Clostridium perfringens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1243819. [PMID: 37818042 PMCID: PMC10561085 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1243819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens type A is the main cause of necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens. Since the use of antibiotics in feed is withdrawn, it is imperative to find out suitable alternatives to control NE. Baicalin-aluminum complex is synthesized from baicalin, a flavonoid isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The present study investigated the effects of baicalin-aluminum on the virulence-associated traits and virulence genes expression of C. perfringens CVCC2030, it also evaluated the in vivo therapeutic effect on NE. The results showed that baicalin-aluminum inhibited bacterial hemolytic activity, diminished biofilm formation, attenuated cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells, downregulated the expression of genes encoding for clostridial toxins and extracellular enzymes such as alpha toxin (CPA), perfringolysin O (PFO), collagenase (ColA), and sialidases (NanI, NanJ). Additionally, baicalin-aluminum was found to negatively regulate the expression of genes involved in quorum sensing (QS) communication, including genes of Agr QS system (agrB, agrD) and genes of VirS/R two-component regulatory system (virS, virR). In vivo experiments, baicalin-aluminum lightened the intestinal lesions and histological damage, it inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) expression in the jejunal and ileal tissues. Besides, baicalin-aluminum alleviated the upregulation of C. perfringens and Escherichia coli and raised the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the ileal digesta. This study suggests that baicalin-aluminum may be a potential candidate against C. perfringens infection by inhibiting the virulence-associated traits and virulence genes expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuangqi Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Honghao Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chun Ye
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shulin Fu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yinsheng Qiu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Animal Nutrition and Feed Safety, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
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2
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Kiu R, Shaw AG, Sim K, Acuna-Gonzalez A, Price CA, Bedwell H, Dreger SA, Fowler WJ, Cornwell E, Pickard D, Belteki G, Malsom J, Phillips S, Young GR, Schofield Z, Alcon-Giner C, Berrington JE, Stewart CJ, Dougan G, Clarke P, Douce G, Robinson SD, Kroll JS, Hall LJ. Particular genomic and virulence traits associated with preterm infant-derived toxigenic Clostridium perfringens strains. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1160-1175. [PMID: 37231089 PMCID: PMC10234813 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01385-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic toxin-producing bacterium associated with intestinal diseases, particularly in neonatal humans and animals. Infant gut microbiome studies have recently indicated a link between C. perfringens and the preterm infant disease necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), with specific NEC cases associated with overabundant C. perfringens termed C. perfringens-associated NEC (CPA-NEC). In the present study, we carried out whole-genome sequencing of 272 C. perfringens isolates from 70 infants across 5 hospitals in the United Kingdom. In this retrospective analysis, we performed in-depth genomic analyses (virulence profiling, strain tracking and plasmid analysis) and experimentally characterized pathogenic traits of 31 strains, including 4 from CPA-NEC patients. We found that the gene encoding toxin perfringolysin O, pfoA, was largely deficient in a human-derived hypovirulent lineage, as well as certain colonization factors, in contrast to typical pfoA-encoding virulent lineages. We determined that infant-associated pfoA+ strains caused significantly more cellular damage than pfoA- strains in vitro, and further confirmed this virulence trait in vivo using an oral-challenge C57BL/6 murine model. These findings suggest both the importance of pfoA+ C. perfringens as a gut pathogen in preterm infants and areas for further investigation, including potential intervention and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Kiu
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Kathleen Sim
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Harley Bedwell
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Sally A Dreger
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Wesley J Fowler
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Emma Cornwell
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Derek Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gusztav Belteki
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jennifer Malsom
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Sarah Phillips
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Gregory R Young
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Zoe Schofield
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Janet E Berrington
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Newcastle Neonatal Services, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Christopher J Stewart
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Newcastle Neonatal Services, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Clarke
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Gillian Douce
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Stephen D Robinson
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - J Simon Kroll
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lindsay J Hall
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK.
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
- Intestinal Microbiome, School of Life Sciences, ZIEL-Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
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3
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Suzaki A, Hayakawa S. Clinical and Microbiological Features of Fulminant Haemolysis Caused by Clostridium perfringens Bacteraemia: Unknown Pathogenesis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040824. [PMID: 37110247 PMCID: PMC10143116 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteraemia brought on by Clostridium perfringens has a very low incidence but is severe and fatal in fifty per cent of cases. C. perfringens is a commensal anaerobic bacterium found in the environment and in the intestinal tracts of animals; it is known to produce six major toxins: α-toxin, β-toxin, ε-toxin, and others. C. perfringens is classified into seven types, A, B, C, D, E, F and G, according to its ability to produce α-toxin, enterotoxin, and necrotising enterotoxin. The bacterial isolates from humans include types A and F, which cause gas gangrene, hepatobiliary infection, and sepsis; massive intravascular haemolysis (MIH) occurs in 7-15% of C. perfringens bacteraemia cases, resulting in a rapid progression to death. We treated six patients with MIH at a single centre in Japan; however, unfortunately, they all passed away. From a clinical perspective, MIH patients tended to be younger and were more frequently male; however, there was no difference in the toxin type or genes of the bacterial isolates. In MIH cases, the level of θ-toxin in the culture supernatant of clinical isolates was proportional to the production of inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood, suggesting the occurrence of an intense cytokine storm. Severe and systemic haemolysis is considered an evolutionary maladaptation as it leads to the host's death before the bacterium obtains the benefit of iron utilisation from erythrocytes. The disease's extraordinarily quick progression and dismal prognosis necessitate a straightforward and expedient diagnosis and treatment. However, a reliable standard of diagnosis and treatment has yet to be put forward due to the lack of sufficient case analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Suzaki
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Ohyaguchi Kamicho, Itabashiku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hayakawa
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Ohyaguchi Kamicho, Itabashiku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan
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Derix J, Ducatelle R, Pardon B, Croes E, Nibbelink NG, Van Deurzen-Duineveld L, Van Immerseel F, Goossens E. The in vitro effect of lactose on Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin production and the implications of lactose consumption for in vivo anti-alpha toxin antibody production. J Dairy Sci 2022; 106:733-742. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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McGuinness C, Walsh JC, Bayly-Jones C, Dunstone MA, Christie MP, Morton CJ, Parker MW, Böcking T. Single-molecule analysis of the entire perfringolysin O pore formation pathway. eLife 2022; 11:74901. [PMID: 36000711 PMCID: PMC9457685 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholesterol-dependent cytolysin perfringolysin O (PFO) is secreted by Clostridium perfringens as a bacterial virulence factor able to form giant ring-shaped pores that perforate and ultimately lyse mammalian cell membranes. To resolve the kinetics of all steps in the assembly pathway, we have used single-molecule fluorescence imaging to follow the dynamics of PFO on dye-loaded liposomes that lead to opening of a pore and release of the encapsulated dye. Formation of a long-lived membrane-bound PFO dimer nucleates the growth of an irreversible oligomer. The growing oligomer can insert into the membrane and open a pore at stoichiometries ranging from tetramers to full rings (~35 mers), whereby the rate of insertion increases linearly with the number of subunits. Oligomers that insert before the ring is complete continue to grow by monomer addition post insertion. Overall, our observations suggest that PFO membrane insertion is kinetically controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conall McGuinness
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - James C Walsh
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Charles Bayly-Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michelle A Dunstone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michelle P Christie
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Craig J Morton
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincents Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Till Böcking
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Zafar Khan MU, Khalid S, Humza M, Yang S, Alvi MA, Munir T, Ahmad W, Iqbal MZ, Tahir MF, Liu Y, Zhang J. Infection Dynamics of Clostridium perfringens Fingerprinting in Buffalo and Cattle of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:762449. [PMID: 35937290 PMCID: PMC9353052 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.762449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens produces core virulence factors that are responsible for causing hemorrhagic abomasitis and enterotoxemia making food, animals, and humans susceptible to its infection. In this study, C. perfringens was isolated from necropsied intestinal content of buffalo and cattle belonging to four major bovine-producing regions in the Punjab Province of Pakistan for the purpose offind out the genetic variation. Out of total 160 bovine samples (n: 160), thirty-three (n: 33) isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from buffalo (Bubales bubalis) and cattle (Bos indicus) that were further subjected to biochemical tests; 16S rRNA based identification and toxinotyping was done using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and PFGE (Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis) pulsotypesfor genetic diversity. Occurrence of C. perfringens was found to be maximum in zone-IV (Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan) according to the heatmap. Correlation was found to be significant and positive among the toxinotypes (α-toxin, and ε-toxin). Response surface methodology (RSM) via central composite design (CCD) and Box-Behnken design (BBD) demonstrated substantial frequency of C. perfringens based toxinotypes in all sampling zones. PFGE distinguished all isolates into 26 different pulsotypes using SmaI subtyping. Co-clustering analysis based on PFGE further decoded a diversegenetic relationship among the collected isolates. This study could help us to advance toward disease array of C. perfringens and its probable transmission and control. This study demonstrates PFGE patterns from Pakistan, and typing of C. perfringens by PFGE helps illustrate and mitigate the incidence of running pulsotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Umar Zafar Khan
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shumaila Khalid
- Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Humza
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shunli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Mughees Aizaz Alvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Tahir Munir
- Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Waqar Ahmad
- The Equine Clinic, Al-Hashar Stables, Muscat, Oman
| | - Muhammad Zahid Iqbal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Yongsheng Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
- *Correspondence: Yongsheng Liu
| | - Jie Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, China
- Jie Zhang
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Camargo A, Guerrero-Araya E, Castañeda S, Vega L, Cardenas-Alvarez MX, Rodríguez C, Paredes-Sabja D, Ramírez JD, Muñoz M. Intra-species diversity of Clostridium perfringens: A diverse genetic repertoire reveals its pathogenic potential. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:952081. [PMID: 35935202 PMCID: PMC9354469 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.952081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is the causative agent of many enterotoxic diseases in humans and animals, and it is present in diverse environments (soil, food, sewage, and water). Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) have provided a general approach about genetic diversity of C. perfringens; however, those studies are limited to specific locations and often include a reduced number of genomes. In this study, 372 C. perfringens genomes from multiple locations and sources were used to assess the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relatedness of this pathogen. In silico MLST was used for typing the isolates, and the resulting sequence types (ST) were assigned to clonal complexes (CC) based on allelic profiles that differ from its founder by up to double-locus variants. A pangenome analysis was conducted, and a core genome-based phylogenetic tree was created to define phylogenetic groups. Additionally, key virulence factors, toxinotypes, and antibiotic resistance genes were identified using ABRicate against Virulence Factor Database (VFDB), TOXiper, and Resfinder, respectively. The majority of the C. perfringens genomes found in publicly available databases were derived from food (n = 85) and bird (n = 85) isolates. A total of 195 STs, some of them shared between sources such as food and human, horses and dogs, and environment and birds, were grouped in 25 CC and distributed along five phylogenetic groups. Fifty-three percent of the genomes were allocated to toxinotype A, followed by F (32%) and G (7%). The most frequently found virulence factors based on > 70% coverage and 99.95% identity were plc (100%), nanH (99%), ccp (99%), and colA (98%), which encode an alpha-toxin, a sialidase, an alpha-clostripain, and a collagenase, respectively, while tetA (39.5%) and tetB (36.2%), which mediate tetracycline resistance determinants, were the most common antibiotic resistance genes detected. The analyses conducted here showed a better view of the presence of this pathogen across several host species. They also confirm that the genetic diversity of C. perfringens is based on a large number of virulence factors that vary among phylogroups, and antibiotic resistance markers, especially to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, and macrolides. Those characteristics highlight the importance of C. perfringens as a one of the most common causes of foodborne illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Camargo
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Enzo Guerrero-Araya
- ANID, Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Nucleus in the Biology of the Intestinal Microbiota, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laura Vega
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - María X. Cardenas-Alvarez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - César Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia, Facultad de Microbiología, Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Daniel Paredes-Sabja
- ANID, Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Nucleus in the Biology of the Intestinal Microbiota, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- ANID, Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Nucleus in the Biology of the Intestinal Microbiota, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Marina Muñoz,
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Immunogenic and neutralization efficacy of recombinant perfringolysin O of Clostridium perfringens and its C-terminal receptor-binding domain in a murine model. Immunol Res 2022; 70:240-255. [PMID: 35032316 PMCID: PMC8760870 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-021-09254-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive anaerobe ubiquitously present in different environments, including the gut of humans and animals. C. perfringens have been classified in the seven toxinotypes based on the secreted toxins that cause different diseases in humans and animals. Perfringolysin O (PFO), a cholesterol-dependent pore-forming cytolysin, is one of the potent toxins secreted by almost all C. perfringens isolates. The PFO acts in synergy with α-toxin in the progression of gas gangrene in humans and necrohemorrhagic enteritis in the calves.C. perfringens infections spread very fast, and the animals die within a few hours of the onset of infection. This necessitates the use of vaccines to control clostridial infections. Though the vaccine potential of other toxins has been reported, PFO has remained unexplored. The present study describes the immunogenic and protective potential of native recombinant PFO (WTrPFO). Since the PFO is toxic to the host cells, the non-toxic C-terminal domain of PFO (rPFOC-ter) was also assessed for its immunogenicity and protective efficacy. Immunization of mice with the purified soluble recombinant histidine-tagged WTrPFO and rPFOC-ter, expressed in E. coli, generated robust mixed immune response and T cell memory. Pre-incubation of the WTrPFO with anti-WTrPFO and rPFOC-ter antisera negated its hemolytic activity in mice RBCs, as well as its cytotoxic effect in mice peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Thus, immunization with the WTrPFO and its non-toxic C-terminal domain generated neutralizing antibodies, suggesting their vaccine potential against the PFO. Thus, the non-toxic C-terminal domain of PFO could serve as an alternative to PFO as a vaccine candidate.
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Abdel-Glil MY, Thomas P, Linde J, Jolley KA, Harmsen D, Wieler LH, Neubauer H, Seyboldt C. Establishment of a Publicly Available Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Clostridium perfringens. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0053321. [PMID: 34704797 PMCID: PMC8549748 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00533-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a spore-forming anaerobic pathogen responsible for a variety of histotoxic and intestinal infections in humans and animals. High-resolution genotyping aiming to identify bacteria at strain level has become increasingly important in modern microbiology to understand pathogen transmission pathways and to tackle infection sources. This study aimed at establishing a publicly available genome-wide multilocus sequence-typing (MLST) scheme for C. perfringens. A total of 1,431 highly conserved core genes (1.34 megabases; 50% of the reference genome genes) were indexed for a core genome-based MLST (cgMLST) scheme for C. perfringens. The scheme was applied to 282 ecologically and geographically diverse genomes, showing that the genotyping results of cgMLST were highly congruent with the core genome-based single-nucleotide-polymorphism typing in terms of resolution and tree topology. In addition, the cgMLST provided a greater discrimination than classical MLST methods for C. perfringens. The usability of the scheme for outbreak analysis was confirmed by reinvestigating published outbreaks of C. perfringens-associated infections in the United States and the United Kingdom. In summary, a publicly available scheme and an allele nomenclature database for genomic typing of C. perfringens have been established and can be used for broad-based and standardized epidemiological studies. IMPORTANCE Global epidemiological surveillance of bacterial pathogens is enhanced by the availability of standard tools and sharing of typing data. The use of whole-genome sequencing has opened the possibility for high-resolution characterization of bacterial strains down to the clonal and subclonal levels. Core genome multilocus sequence typing is a robust system that uses highly conserved core genes for deep genotyping. The method has been successfully and widely used to describe the epidemiology of various bacterial species. Nevertheless, a cgMLST typing scheme for Clostridium perfringens is currently not publicly available. In this study, we (i) developed a cgMLST typing scheme for C. perfringens, (ii) evaluated the performance of the scheme on different sets of C. perfringens genomes from different hosts and geographic regions as well as from different outbreak situations, and, finally, (iii) made this scheme publicly available supported by an allele nomenclature database for global and standard genomic typing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Y. Abdel-Glil
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Sharkia Province, Egypt
| | - Prasad Thomas
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Jörg Linde
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Keith A. Jolley
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dag Harmsen
- Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | | | - Heinrich Neubauer
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Seyboldt
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
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10
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Suzaki A, Ohtani K, Komine-Aizawa S, Matsumoto A, Kamiya S, Hayakawa S. Pathogenic Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Strains Isolated From Patients With Massive Intravascular Hemolysis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:713509. [PMID: 34385995 PMCID: PMC8353389 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.713509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis caused by Clostridium perfringens infection is rare but often fatal. The most serious complication leading to poor prognosis is massive intravascular hemolysis (MIH). However, the molecular mechanism underlying this fulminant form of hemolysis is unclear. In the present study, we employed 11 clinical strains isolated from patients with C. perfringens septicemia and subdivided these isolates into groups H and NH: septicemia with (n = 5) or without (n = 6) MIH, respectively. To elucidate the major pathogenic factors of MIH, biological features were compared between these groups. The isolates of two groups did not differ in growth rate, virulence-related gene expression, or phospholipase C (CPA) production. Erythrocyte hemolysis was predominantly observed in culture supernatants of the strains in group H, and the human erythrocyte hemolysis rate was significantly correlated with perfringolysin O (PFO) production. Correlations were also found among PFO production, human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytotoxicity, and production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) by human PBMCs. Analysis of proinflammatory cytokines showed that PFO induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-5, IL-6, and IL-8 production more strongly than did CPA. PFO exerted potent cytotoxic and proinflammatory cytokine induction effects on human blood cells. PFO may be a major virulence factor of sepsis with MIH, and potent proinflammatory cytokine production induced by PFO may influence the rapid progression of this fatal disease caused by C. perfringens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Suzaki
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaori Ohtani
- Division of Host Defense Mechanism, Department of Bacteriology and Bacterial Infection, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan
| | - Shihoko Komine-Aizawa
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asami Matsumoto
- R&D Division, Miyarisan Pharmaceutical Co., LTD., Saitama, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kamiya
- R&D Division, Miyarisan Pharmaceutical Co., LTD., Saitama, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hayakawa
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Geier RR, Rehberger TG, Smith AH. Comparative Genomics of Clostridium perfringens Reveals Patterns of Host-Associated Phylogenetic Clades and Virulence Factors. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:649953. [PMID: 34177831 PMCID: PMC8220089 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.649953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium that infects both animals and humans. Clostridium perfringens genomes encode a diverse array of toxins and virulence proteins, which continues to expand as more genomes are sequenced. In this study, the genomes of 44 C. perfringens strains isolated from intestinal sections of diseased cattle and from broiler chickens from diseased and healthy flocks were sequenced. These newly assembled genomes were compared to 141 publicly available C. perfringens genome assemblies, by aligning known toxin and virulence protein sequences in the assemblies using BLASTp. The genes for alpha toxin, collagenase, a sialidase (nanH), and alpha-clostripain were present in at least 99% of assemblies analyzed. In contrast, beta toxin, epsilon toxin, iota toxin, and binary enterotoxin of toxinotypes B, C, D, and E were present in less than 5% of assemblies analyzed. Additional sequence variants of beta2 toxin were detected, some of which were missing the leader or signal peptide sequences and therefore likely not secreted. Some pore-forming toxins involved in intestinal diseases were host-associated, the netB gene was only found in avian isolates, while netE, netF, and netG were only present in canine and equine isolates. Alveolysin was positively associated with canine and equine strains and only present in a single monophyletic clade. Strains from ruminant were not associated with known virulence factors and, except for the food poisoning associated clade, were present across the phylogenetic diversity identified to date for C. perfringens. Many C. perfringens strains associated with food poisoning lacked the genes for hyaluronidases and sialidases, important for attaching to and digesting complex carbohydrates found in animal tissues. Overall, the diversity of virulence factors in C. perfringens makes these species capable of causing disease in a wide variety of hosts and niches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexandra H. Smith
- Arm and Hammer Animal and Food Production, Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Waukesha, WI, United States
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12
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Vaccination against pathogenic clostridia in animals: a review. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:284. [PMID: 33891221 PMCID: PMC8062623 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02728-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, and spore-forming bacterium, which is found in the surrounding environments throughout the world. Clostridium species cause botulism, tetanus, enterotoxaemia, gas gangrene, necrotic enteritis, pseudomembranous colitis, blackleg, and black disease. Clostridium infection causes severe economic losses in livestock and poultry industries. Vaccination seems to be an effective way to control Clostridial diseases. This review discusses the toxins and vaccine development of the most common pathogenic Clostridium species in animals, including Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium novyi, Clostridium chauvoei, and Clostridium septicum. In this comprehensive study, we will review different kinds of clostridial toxins and the vaccines that are experimentally or practically available and will give a short description on each vaccine focusing on its applications, advantages, and disadvantages.
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13
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Khan MUZ, Humza M, Yang S, Alvi MA, Iqbal MZ, Zain-ul-Fatima H, Khalid S, Munir T, Cai J. Occurrence and Toxicogenetic Profiling of Clostridium perfringens in Buffalo and Cattle: An Update from Pakistan. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13030212. [PMID: 33805744 PMCID: PMC7999003 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13030212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive bacterium that possess seven toxinotypes (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G) that are responsible for the production of six major toxins, i.e., α, β, ε, ι, CPE, and NetB. The aim of this study is to find out the occurrence of toxinotypes in buffalo and cattle of Punjab province in Pakistan and their corresponding toxin-encoding genes from the isolated toxinotypes. To accomplish this aim, six districts in Punjab province were selected (i.e., Lahore, Sahiwal, Cheecha Watni, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur) and a total of 240 buffalo and 240 cattle were selected for the collection of samples. From isolation and molecular analysis (16S rRNA), it was observed that out of seven toxinotypes (A–G), two toxinotypes (A and D) were found at most, whereas other toxinotypes, i.e., B, C, E, F, and G, were not found. The most frequently occurring toxinotype was type A (buffalo: 149/240; cattle: 157/240) whereas type D (buffalo: 8/240 cattle: 7/240) was found to occur the least. Genes encoding toxinotypes A and D were cpa and etx, respectively, whereas genes encoding other toxinotypes were not observed. The occurrence of isolated toxinotypes was studied using response surface methodology, which suggested a considerable occurrence of the isolated toxinotypes (A and D) in both buffalo and cattle. Association between type A and type D was found to be significant among the isolated toxinotypes in both buffalo and cattle (p ≤ 0.05). Correlation was also found to be positive and significant between type A and type D. C. perfringens exhibits a range of toxinotypes that can be diagnosed via genotyping, which is more reliable than classical toxinotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Umar Zafar Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (M.U.Z.K.); (S.Y.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Muhammad Humza
- Key Laboratory of Agro-products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/ Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shunli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (M.U.Z.K.); (S.Y.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mughees Aizaz Alvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Zahid Iqbal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Outfall Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Hafiza Zain-ul-Fatima
- Veterinary Research Institute, Zarrar Shaheed Road, Lahore Cantt., Lahore 54810, Pakistan;
| | - Shumaila Khalid
- Department of Livestock and Dairy Development, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (S.K.); (T.M.)
| | - Tahir Munir
- Department of Livestock and Dairy Development, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (S.K.); (T.M.)
| | - Jianping Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China; (M.U.Z.K.); (S.Y.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence:
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14
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Verma AK, Abdel-Glil MY, Madesh A, Gupta S, Karunakaran AC, Inbaraj S, Abhishek, Nagaleekar VK, Chaudhuri P, Agarwal RK, Thomas P. Multilocus sequence typing of Clostridium perfringens strains from neonatal calves, dairy workers and associated environment in India. Anaerobe 2020; 63:102212. [PMID: 32413405 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2020.102212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a globally recognized zoonotic pathogen. We report isolation and genotyping of C. perfringens from neonatal calves, dairy workers and their associated environment in India. A total of 103 fecal samples from neonatal calves, 25 stool swabs from the dairy workers and 50 samples from their associated environment were collected from two dairy farms. C. perfringens was detected in 26 out of 103 (25.2%) neonatal calf samples, 7 out of 25 (28%) human stool samples and 17 out of 50 (34%) environmental samples. C. perfringens type A strains were predominant in neonatal calves (24/26; 92.3%) and associated environment (15/17; 88.2%). In contrast, strains from dairy workers mostly belonged to type F (5/7; 71.4%), which also carried the beta2 toxin gene. Seventeen strains were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for studying genotypic relationship along with 188 C. perfringens strains available from public databases. A total of 112 sequence types (STs) were identified from 205 C. perfringens strains analyzed. A Clonal complex (CC) represented by three STs (ST 98, ST 41 and ST 110) representing predominantly type F (18/20 strains) were mostly associated with human illnesses. Among predominant STs, ST 54 was associated with enteritis cases in foals and dogs and ST 58 associated with necrotic enteritis in poultry. Seventeen Indian strains were assigned to 13 STs. Genetic relatedness among strains of calves, dairy worker and associated environments indicate inter-host transfers and zoonotic spreads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Kumari Verma
- Division of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mostafa Y Abdel-Glil
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Angappan Madesh
- Division of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shailendri Gupta
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Athira Cheruplackal Karunakaran
- Division of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sophia Inbaraj
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Abhishek
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Viswas Konasagara Nagaleekar
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pallab Chaudhuri
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar Agarwal
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prasad Thomas
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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15
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Liu S, Yang X, Zhang H, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Wang T, Hu N, Deng X, Bai X, Wang J. Amentoflavone Attenuates Clostridium perfringens Gas Gangrene by Targeting Alpha-Toxin and Perfringolysin O. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:179. [PMID: 32180727 PMCID: PMC7059699 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) type A strains are the main cause of gas gangrene in humans and animals. Treatment of this lethal disease is limited, and the prognosis is not good. Alpha-toxin (CPA) and perfringolysin O (PFO) secreted by C. perfringens play irreplaceable roles in cytotoxicity to host cells, persistence in host tissues, and lethality of gas gangrene pathology. This work determined the influence of amentoflavone, a biflavonoid isolated from Selaginella tamariscina and other plants, on hemolysis and cytotoxicity mediated by CPA and PFO and evaluated the in vivo therapeutic effect on gas gangrene. Our data showed that amentoflavone could block the hemolysis and cytotoxicity induced by CPA and PFO in vitro, thereby mediating significant protection against mortality of infected mice in a mouse gas gangrene model, efficient bacterial clearance in tissues and alleviation of histological damage in vivo. Based on the above results, amentoflavone may be a potential candidate against C. perfringens infection by reducing CPA and PFO-mediated virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shui Liu
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yonglin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Naiyu Hu
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuming Deng
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaoxue Bai
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jianfeng Wang
- Cadre's Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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16
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Forti K, Cagiola M, Pellegrini M, Anzalone L, Di Paolo A, Corneli S, Severi G, De Giuseppe A. Generation of recombinant baculovirus expressing atoxic C-terminal CPA toxin of Clostridium perfringens and production of specific antibodies. BMC Biotechnol 2020; 20:7. [PMID: 31992276 PMCID: PMC6986089 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0597-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridium perfringens is the causative agent of several diseases and enteric infections in animals and humans. The virulence of C. perfringens is largely attributable to the production of numerous toxins; of these, the alpha toxin (CPA) plays a crucial role in histotoxic infections (gas gangrene). CPA toxin consists of two domains, i.e., the phospholipase C active site, which lies in the N-terminal domain amino acid (aa residues 1–250), and the C-terminal region (aa residues 251–370), which is responsible for the interaction of the toxin with membrane phospholipids in the presence of calcium ions. All currently produced clostridial vaccines contain toxoids derived from culture supernatants that are inactivated, mostly using formalin. The CPA is an immunogenic antigen; recently, it has been shown that mice that were immunized with the C-terminal domain of the toxin produced in E. coli were protected against C. perfringens infections and the anti-sera produced were able to inhibit the CPA activity. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were produced only against full-length CPA and not against the truncated forms. Results In the present study, we have reported for the first time; about the generation of a recombinant baculovirus capable of producing a deleted rCPA toxin (rBacCPA250–363H6) lacking the N-terminal domain and the 28 amino acids (aa) of the putative signal sequence. The insertion of the L21 consensus sequence upstream of the translational start codon ATG, drastically increases the yield of recombinant protein in the baculovirus-based expression system. The protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and the lack of toxicity in vitro was confirmed in CaCo-2 cells. Polyclonal antibodies and eight hybridoma-secreting Monoclonal antibodies were generated and tested to assess specificity and reactivity. The anti-sera obtained against the fragment rBacCPA250–363H6 neutralized the phospholipase C activity of full-length PLC. Conclusions The L21 leader sequence enhanced the expression of atoxic C-terminal recombinant CPA protein produced in insect cells. The monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies obtained were specific and highly reactive. The availability of these biologicals could contribute to the development of diagnostic assays and/or new recombinant protein vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Forti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy. .,Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Monica Cagiola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Martina Pellegrini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lucia Anzalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Paolo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Sara Corneli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giulio Severi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio De Giuseppe
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Via G. Salvemini 1, 06126, Perugia, Italy
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17
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Xu C, She Y, Lin Y, Xu C. Molecular structure and function of the carboxy-terminus of the alpha-toxin from Clostridium perfringens type A. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2019; 104:725-734. [PMID: 31872485 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In order to interpret the molecular structure and biological characteristics of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin (CPA), the CPA251-370 gene was cloned and the 120 amino acid carboxy terminal of CPA (CPA251-370) was obtained. The secondary and three-dimensional (3D) structures of CPA251-370 were predicted. The secondary structure of CPA251-370 consisted primarily of 35.48% β-sheets and 44.35% random coils. Compared with the CPA toxin consisting of 10 α-helices and eight β-sheets, the 3D structure of CPA251-370 only contained eight β-sheets. The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum detection showed that the CD spectrum of CPA251-370 changed slightly compared with the CD spectrum of CPA. Biological activity assays showed that CPA251-370 had lost the phospholipase C (PLC) activity and haemolytic activity of CPA. More importantly, the mice immunized with CPA251-370 were protected against a challenge with 1 MLD C. perfringens type A strain C57-1. This study laid a solid foundation for explaining the relationship between molecular structure and biological characteristics of CPA in the future. Our research also provides CPA251-370 as a candidate strains for genetic engineering subunit vaccines of C. perfringens type A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongli Xu
- College of Medical Technology, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuhan She
- College of Medical Technology, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, China
| | - Yimin Lin
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Chongbo Xu
- Yingdong College of Life Sciences, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China
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18
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Kiu R, Brown J, Bedwell H, Leclaire C, Caim S, Pickard D, Dougan G, Dixon RA, Hall LJ. Genomic analysis on broiler-associated Clostridium perfringens strains and exploratory caecal microbiome investigation reveals key factors linked to poultry necrotic enteritis. Anim Microbiome 2019; 1:12. [PMID: 32021965 PMCID: PMC7000242 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-019-0015-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridium perfringens is a key pathogen in poultry-associated necrotic enteritis (NE). To date there are limited Whole Genome Sequencing based studies describing broiler-associated C. perfringens in healthy and diseased birds. Moreover, changes in the caecal microbiome during NE is currently not well characterised. Thus, the aim of this present study was to investigate C. perfringens virulence factors linked to health and diseased chickens, including identifying putative caecal microbiota signatures associated with NE. Results We analysed 88 broiler chicken C. perfringens genomes (representing 66 publicly available genomes and 22 newly sequenced genomes) using different phylogenomics approaches and identified a potential hypervirulent and globally-distributed clone spanning 20-year time-frame (1993-2013). These isolates harbored a greater number of virulence genes (including toxin and collagen adhesin genes) when compared to other isolates. Further genomic analysis indicated exclusive and overabundant presence of important NE-linked toxin genes including netB and tpeL in NE-associated broiler isolates. Secondary virulence genes including pfoA, cpb2, and collagen adhesin genes cna, cnaA and cnaD were also enriched in the NE-linked C. perfringens genomes. Moreover, an environmental isolate obtained from farm animal feeds was found to encode netB, suggesting potential reservoirs of NetB-positive C. perfringens strains (toxinotype G). We also analysed caecal samples from a small sub-set of 11 diseased and healthy broilers for exploratory microbiome investigation using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, which indicated a significant and positive correlation in genus Clostridium within the wider microbiota of those broilers diagnosed with NE, alongside reductions in beneficial microbiota members. Conclusions These data indicate a positive association of virulence genes including netB, pfoA, cpb2, tpeL and cna variants linked to NE-linked isolates. Potential global dissemination of specific hypervirulent lineage, coupled with distinctive microbiome profiles, highlights the need for further investigations, which will require a large worldwide sample collection from healthy and NE-associated birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Kiu
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Harley Bedwell
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Shabhonam Caim
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Derek Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Lindsay J Hall
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK.
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19
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Kiu R, Caim S, Painset A, Pickard D, Swift C, Dougan G, Mather AE, Amar C, Hall LJ. Phylogenomic analysis of gastroenteritis-associated Clostridium perfringens in England and Wales over a 7-year period indicates distribution of clonal toxigenic strains in multiple outbreaks and extensive involvement of enterotoxin-encoding (CPE) plasmids. Microb Genom 2019; 5. [PMID: 31553300 PMCID: PMC6861862 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a major enteric pathogen known to cause gastroenteritis in human adults. Although major outbreak cases are frequently reported, only limited whole-genome sequencing (WGS) based studies have been performed to understand the genomic epidemiology and virulence gene content of outbreak-associated C. perfringens strains. We performed phylogenomic analysis on 109 C. perfringens isolates (human and food) obtained from disease cases in England and Wales between 2011 and 2017. Initial findings highlighted the enhanced discriminatory power of WGS in profiling outbreak C. perfringens strains, when compared to the current Public Health England referencing laboratory technique of fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. Further analysis identified that isogenic C. perfringens strains were associated with nine distinct care-home-associated outbreaks over the course of a 5-year interval, indicating a potential common source linked to these outbreaks or transmission over time and space. As expected, the enterotoxin cpe gene was encoded in all but 4 isolates (96.3 %; 105/109), with virulence plasmids encoding cpe (particularly pCPF5603 and pCPF4969 plasmids) extensively distributed (82.6 %; 90/109). Genes encoding accessory virulence factors, such as beta-2 toxin, were commonly detected (46.7 %; 51/109), and genes encoding phage proteins were also frequently identified. Overall, this large-scale genomic study of gastroenteritis-associated C. perfringens suggested that three major cpe-encoding (toxinotype F) genotypes underlie these outbreaks: strains carrying (1) pCPF5603 plasmid, (2) pCPF4969 plasmid and (3) chromosomal-cpe strains. Our findings substantially expanded our knowledge on type F C. perfringens involved in human-associated gastroenteritis, with further studies required to fully probe the dissemination and regional reservoirs of this enteric pathogen, which may help devise effective prevention strategies to reduce the food-poisoning disease burden in vulnerable patients, such as the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Kiu
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Shabhonam Caim
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Anais Painset
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Derek Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Craig Swift
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Alison E Mather
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.,Microbes in the Food Chain, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Corinne Amar
- Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Lindsay J Hall
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
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Brito C, Mesquita FS, Bleck CKE, Sellers JR, Cabanes D, Sousa S. Perfringolysin O-Induced Plasma Membrane Pores Trigger Actomyosin Remodeling and Endoplasmic Reticulum Redistribution. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11070419. [PMID: 31319618 PMCID: PMC6669444 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11070419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens produces an arsenal of toxins that act together to cause severe infections in humans and livestock animals. Perfringolysin O (PFO) is a cholesterol-dependent pore-forming toxin encoded in the chromosome of virtually all C. perfringens strains and acts in synergy with other toxins to determine the outcome of the infection. However, its individual contribution to the disease is poorly understood. Here, we intoxicated human epithelial and endothelial cells with purified PFO to evaluate the host cytoskeletal responses to PFO-induced damage. We found that, at sub-lytic concentrations, PFO induces a profound reorganization of the actomyosin cytoskeleton culminating into the assembly of well-defined cortical actomyosin structures at sites of plasma membrane (PM) remodeling. The assembly of such structures occurs concomitantly with the loss of the PM integrity and requires pore-formation, calcium influx, and myosin II activity. The recovery from the PM damage occurs simultaneously with the disassembly of cortical structures. PFO also targets the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by inducing its disruption and vacuolation. ER-enriched vacuoles were detected at the cell cortex within the PFO-induced actomyosin structures. These cellular events suggest the targeting of the endothelium integrity at early stages of C. perfringens infection, in which secreted PFO is at sub-lytic concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Brito
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
- Programa Doutoral em Biologia Molecular e Celular (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel, Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisco S Mesquita
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Christopher K E Bleck
- Electron Microscopy Core, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James R Sellers
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Didier Cabanes
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Sousa
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal.
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21
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Study of the Structure and Biological Activity of the Amino-Terminus of the α-Toxin from Clostridium welchii Type A. Curr Microbiol 2019; 76:1175-1185. [PMID: 31286181 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-019-01733-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
To explore the biological activity of Clostridium welchii α-toxin (CPA), the Asp56 residue of CPA was mutated to glycine (CPA D56G) by site-directed mutagenesis, and the 250 amino acid amino-terminal phospholipase C (PLC)-containing domain of CPA (PLC1-250) was isolated. The secondary and three-dimensional (3D) structures of CPA D56G and PLC1-250 were predicted, and the results showed that the secondary structures of CPA D56G and PLC1-250 were composed of α-helices and random coils. The 3D structures of CPA D56G and PLC1-250 were similar to the 3D structures of CPA. The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of CPA D56G differed from the CD spectrum of CPA, but the CD spectrum of PLC1-250 was similar to the CD spectrum of CPA. Biological activity assays showed that CPA D56G lost the PLC activity of CPA and that mice immunized with CPA D56G were protected against a challenge with 1 MLD C. welchii type A strain C57-1. In addition, PLC1-250 contained the PLC activity of CPA. This study laid a solid foundation for future studies on the relationship between the molecular structure and biological function of CPA and its molecular mechanism. Our study also provided CPA D56G as a candidate strain for engineering a CPA subunit vaccine for C. welchii type A.
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22
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Kiu R, Hall LJ. An update on the human and animal enteric pathogen Clostridium perfringens. Emerg Microbes Infect 2018; 7:141. [PMID: 30082713 PMCID: PMC6079034 DOI: 10.1038/s41426-018-0144-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens, a rapid-growing pathogen known to secrete an arsenal of >20 virulent toxins, has been associated with intestinal diseases in both animals and humans throughout the past century. Recent advances in genomic analysis and experimental systems make it timely to re-visit this clinically and veterinary important pathogen. This Review will summarise our understanding of the genomics and virulence-linked factors, including antimicrobial potentials and secreted toxins of this gut pathogen, and then its up-to-date clinical epidemiology and biological role in the pathogenesis of several important human and animal-associated intestinal diseases, including pre-term necrotising enterocolitis. Finally, we highlight some of the important unresolved questions in relation to C. perfringens-mediated infections, and implications for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Kiu
- Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.,Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Lindsay J Hall
- Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine M Simpson
- Livestock Medicine and Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, Colorado State University, 300 West Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1678, USA.
| | - Robert J Callan
- Livestock Medicine and Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, Colorado State University, 300 West Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1678, USA
| | - David C Van Metre
- Livestock Medicine and Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, Colorado State University, 300 West Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1678, USA
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24
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Kiu R, Caim S, Alcon-Giner C, Belteki G, Clarke P, Pickard D, Dougan G, Hall LJ. Preterm Infant-Associated Clostridium tertium, Clostridium cadaveris, and Clostridium paraputrificum Strains: Genomic and Evolutionary Insights. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2707-2714. [PMID: 29044436 PMCID: PMC5647805 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium species (particularly Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani and Clostridium perfringens) are associated with a range of human and animal diseases. Several other species including Clostridium tertium, Clostridium cadaveris, and Clostridium paraputrificum have also been linked with sporadic human infections, however there is very limited, or in some cases, no genomic information publicly available. Thus, we isolated one C. tertium strain, one C. cadaveris strain and three C. paraputrificum strains from preterm infants residing within neonatal intensive care units and performed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) using Illumina HiSeq. In this report, we announce the open availability of the draft genomes: C. tertium LH009, C. cadaveris LH052, C. paraputrificum LH025, C. paraputrificum LH058, and C. paraputrificum LH141. These genomes were checked for contamination in silico to ensure purity, and we confirmed species identity and phylogeny using both 16S rRNA gene sequences (from PCR and in silico) and WGS-based approaches. Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) was used to differentiate genomes from their closest relatives to further confirm speciation boundaries. We also analysed the genomes for virulence-related factors and antimicrobial resistance genes, and detected presence of tetracycline and methicillin resistance, and potentially harmful enzymes, including multiple phospholipases and toxins. The availability of genomic data in open databases, in tandem with our initial insights into the genomic content and virulence traits of these pathogenic Clostridium species, should enable the scientific community to further investigate the disease-causing mechanisms of these bacteria with a view to enhancing clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Kiu
- The Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Norwich Medical School, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Shabhonam Caim
- The Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Alcon-Giner
- The Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Gusztav Belteki
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Clarke
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Derek Pickard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay J Hall
- The Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Goossens E, Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez PR, Van Immerseel F. Rethinking the role of alpha toxin in Clostridium perfringens-associated enteric diseases: a review on bovine necro-haemorrhagic enteritis. Vet Res 2017; 48:9. [PMID: 28209206 PMCID: PMC5314468 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-017-0413-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine necro-haemorrhagic enteritis is an economically important disease caused by Clostridium perfringens type A strains. The disease mainly affects calves under intensive rearing conditions and is characterized by sudden death associated with small intestinal haemorrhage, necrosis and mucosal neutrophil infiltration. The common assumption that, when causing intestinal disease, C. perfringens relies upon specific, plasmid-encoded toxins, was recently challenged by the finding that alpha toxin, which is produced by all C. perfringens strains, is essential for necro-haemorrhagic enteritis. In addition to alpha toxin, other C. perfringens toxins and/or enzymes might contribute to the pathogenesis of necro-haemorrhagic enteritis. These additional virulence factors might contribute to breakdown of the protective mucus layer during initial stage of pathogenesis, after which alpha toxin, either or not in synergy with other toxins such as perfringolysin O, can act on the mucosal tissue. Furthermore, alpha toxin alone does not cause intestinal necrosis, indicating that other virulence factors might be needed to cause the extensive tissue necrosis observed in necro-haemorrhagic enteritis. This review summarizes recent research that has increased our understanding of the pathogenesis of bovine necro-haemorrhagic enteritis and provides information that is indispensable for the development of novel control strategies, including vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evy Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bonnie R Valgaeren
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Richard Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Piet R Deprez
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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26
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Verherstraeten S, Goossens E, Valgaeren B, Pardon B, Timbermont L, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez P, Van Immerseel F. Non-toxic perfringolysin O and α-toxin derivatives as potential vaccine candidates against bovine necrohaemorrhagic enteritis. Vet J 2016; 217:89-94. [PMID: 27810219 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2016.09.008] [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: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bovine necrohaemorrhagic enteritis is a fatal Clostridium perfringens type A-induced disease that is characterised by sudden death. Recently the involvement of perfringolysin O and α-toxin in the development of necrohaemorrhagic lesions in the gut of calves was suggested, and thus derivatives of these toxins are potentially suitable as vaccine antigens. In the current study, the perfringolysin O derivative PFOL491D, alone or in combination with α-toxin derivative GST-cpa247-370, was evaluated as possible vaccine candidate, using in vitro assays. PFOL491D showed no haemolytic effect on horse red blood cells and no cytotoxic effect on bovine endothelial cells. Furthermore, calves immunised with PFOL491D raised antibodies against perfringolysin O that could inhibit the perfringolysin O-associated haemolytic activity on horse red blood cells. Antisera from calves immunised with PFOL491D had a significantly higher neutralising capacity against the cytotoxic effect of C. perfringens culture supernatant to bovine endothelial cells than serum from control calves (P <0.05). Immunisation of calves with PFOL491D in combination with GST-cpa247-370 elicited antibodies against perfringolysin O and α-toxin and consequently inhibited both the perfringolysin O-associated haemolytic activity and the α-toxin-associated lecithinase activity in vitro. Additionally, the neutralising ability of these antisera on the cytotoxic effect of C. perfringens culture supernatant to bovine endothelial cells was significantly higher than that from calves immunised with PFOL491D (P <0.001). In conclusion, perfringolysin O derivative PFOL491D is an immunogenic antigen that can potentially be used to produce vaccine against bovine necrohaemorrhagic enteritis. Including α-toxin derivative GST-cpa247-370 has an additional protective effect and therefore vaccination of calves with a combination of both antigens seems even more promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Verherstraeten
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - E Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - B Valgaeren
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - B Pardon
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - L Timbermont
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - F Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - R Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - P Deprez
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - F Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Goossens E, Verherstraeten S, Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Timbermont L, Schauvliege S, Rodrigo-Mocholí D, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez PR, Van Immerseel F. Toxin-neutralizing antibodies protect against Clostridium perfringens-induced necrosis in an intestinal loop model for bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis. BMC Vet Res 2016; 12:101. [PMID: 27297520 PMCID: PMC4906594 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0730-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis is caused by Clostridium perfringens type A. Due to the rapid progress and fatal outcome of the disease, vaccination would be of high value. In this study, C. perfringens toxins, either as native toxins or after formaldehyde inactivation, were evaluated as possible vaccine antigens. We determined whether antisera raised in calves against these toxins were able to protect against C. perfringens challenge in an intestinal loop model for bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis. Results Alpha toxin and perfringolysin O were identified as the most immunogenic proteins in the vaccine preparations. All vaccines evoked a high antibody response against the causative toxins, alpha toxin and perfringolysin O, as detected by ELISA. All antibodies were able to inhibit the activity of alpha toxin and perfringolysin O in vitro. However, the antibodies raised against the native toxins were more inhibitory to the C. perfringens-induced cytotoxicity (as tested on bovine endothelial cells) and only these antibodies protected against C. perfringens challenge in the intestinal loop model. Conclusion Although immunization of calves with both native and formaldehyde inactivated toxins resulted in high antibody titers against alpha toxin and perfringolysin O, only antibodies raised against native toxins protect against C. perfringens challenge in an intestinal loop model for bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evy Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Verherstraeten
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bonnie R Valgaeren
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Leen Timbermont
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Stijn Schauvliege
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Diego Rodrigo-Mocholí
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Richard Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Piet R Deprez
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Goossens E, Verherstraeten S, Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Timbermont L, Schauvliege S, Rodrigo-Mocholí D, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez PR, Van Immerseel F. The C-terminal domain of Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin as a vaccine candidate against bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis. Vet Res 2016; 47:52. [PMID: 27121298 PMCID: PMC4847199 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0336-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis is caused by Clostridium perfringens and leads to sudden death. Alpha toxin, together with perfringolysin O, has been identified as the principal toxin involved in the pathogenesis. We assessed the potential of alpha toxin as a vaccine antigen. Using an intestinal loop model in calves, we investigated the protection afforded by antisera raised against native alpha toxin or its non-toxic C-terminal fragment against C. perfringens-induced intestinal necrosis. Immunization of calves with either of the vaccine preparations induced a strong antibody response. The resulting antisera were able to neutralize the alpha toxin activity and the C. perfringens-induced endothelial cytotoxicity in vitro. The antisera raised against the native toxin had a stronger neutralizing activity than those against the C-terminal fragment. However, antibodies against alpha toxin alone were not sufficient to completely neutralize the C. perfringens-induced necrosis in the intestinal loop model. The development of a multivalent vaccine combining the C-terminal fragment of alpha toxin with other C. perfringens virulence factors might be necessary for complete protection against bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evy Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Verherstraeten
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bonnie R Valgaeren
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Leen Timbermont
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Stijn Schauvliege
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Diego Rodrigo-Mocholí
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Richard Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Piet R Deprez
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Jiang Z, De Y, Chang J, Wang F, Yu L. Induction of potential protective immunity against enterotoxemia in calves by single or multiple recombinant Clostridium perfringens toxoids. Microbiol Immunol 2015; 58:621-7. [PMID: 25197030 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cattle enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens toxins is a noncontagious, sporadic, and fatal disease characterized by sudden death. Strategies for controlling and preventing cattle enterotoxemia are based on systematic vaccination of herds with toxoids. Because the process of producing conventional clostridial vaccines is dangerous, expensive, and time-consuming, the prospect of recombinant toxoid vaccines against diseases caused by C. perfringens toxins is promising. In this study, nontoxic recombinant toxoids derived from α-, β- and ε-toxins of C. perfringens, namely, rCPA247-370 , rCPB and rEtxHP, respectively, were expressed in Escherichia coli. High levels of specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against the toxins were detected in sera from calves vaccinated with either a single recombinant toxoid or a mixed cocktail of all three recombinant toxoids, indicating the potential of these recombinant toxoids to provide calves with protective immunity against enterotoxemia caused by C. perfringens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Jiang
- Division of Livestock Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 427, Maduan Street, Harbin, 150001, China
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La Sala LF, Redondo LM, Díaz Carrasco JM, Pereyra AM, Farber M, Jost H, Fernández-Miyakawa ME. Carriage of Clostridium perfringens by benthic crabs in a sewage-polluted estuary. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 97:365-372. [PMID: 26130524 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The Estuary of Bahía Blanca (EBB), Argentina, is an important wetland under intense sewage pollution. We investigated the occurrence of Clostridium perfringens (CP) in populations of two benthic crabs (Neohelice granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus) and in sediment from the EBB. CP was found in 49.1% of the crabs and all of the isolates were identified as type A. The alpha (cpa) and enterotoxin (cpe) encoding genes were identified. Genetic analyses identified 13 novel sequence types, and found no clustering among isolates, suggesting that CP is not part of the crabs' commensal flora. CP carriage was 51 times more likely in crabs from the area nearest sewage outfalls compared with crabs from a reference site. Our in vitro experiments suggest that the carriage of CP in crabs is transient. The use of these benthic crabs as monitoring organisms of sewage pollution in coastal habitats is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano F La Sala
- GEKKO, Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Leandro M Redondo
- Instituto de Patobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Calle Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Casilla de Correo 25, 1712 Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan M Díaz Carrasco
- Instituto de Patobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Calle Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Casilla de Correo 25, 1712 Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana María Pereyra
- Instituto de Patobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Calle Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Casilla de Correo 25, 1712 Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marisa Farber
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Biotecnología, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Calle Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Casilla de Correo 25, 1712 Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Helen Jost
- Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Mariano E Fernández-Miyakawa
- Instituto de Patobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Calle Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Casilla de Correo 25, 1712 Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, 1033 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Verherstraeten S, Goossens E, Timbermont L, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Van Immerseel F, Deprez P. Haemorrhagic enteritis in newborn calves associated with Clostridium perfringens and colostrum delivery. JMM Case Rep 2015. [DOI: 10.1099/jmmcr.0.000088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie R. Valgaeren
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Verherstraeten
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Evy Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Leen Timbermont
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Richard Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Piet Deprez
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Goossens E, Verherstraeten S, Roelandt S, Timbermont L, Van Der Vekens N, Stuyvaert S, Gille L, Van Driessche L, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Van Immerseel F, Deprez P. Veal Calves Produce Less Antibodies against C. Perfringens Alpha Toxin Compared to Beef Calves. Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:2586-97. [PMID: 26184311 PMCID: PMC4516930 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7072586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxaemia is a disease with a high associated mortality rate, affecting beef and veal calves worldwide, caused by C. perfringens alpha toxin and perfringolysin. A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the dynamics of antibodies against these toxins in 528 calves on 4 beef and 15 veal farms. The second study aimed to determine the effect of solid feed intake on the production of antibodies against alpha toxin and perfringolysin. The control group only received milk replacer, whereas in the test group solid feed was provided. Maternal antibodies for alpha toxin were present in 45% of the veal calves and 66% of the beef calves. In beef calves a fluent transition from maternal to active immunity was observed for alpha toxin, whereas almost no veal calves developed active immunity. Perfringolysin antibodies significantly declined both in veal and beef calves. In the second study all calves were seropositive for alpha toxin throughout the experiment and solid feed intake did not alter the dynamics of alpha and perfringolysin antibodies. In conclusion, the present study showed that veal calves on a traditional milk replacer diet had significantly lower alpha toxin antibodies compared to beef calves in the risk period for enterotoxaemia, whereas no differences were noticed for perfringolysin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie R. Valgaeren
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +32-9-264-75-90; Fax: +32-9-264-77-96
| | - Bart Pardon
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Evy Goossens
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Stefanie Verherstraeten
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Sophie Roelandt
- Unit for Coordination of Veterinary Diagnosis, Epidemiology and Risk Assessment (CVD-ERA), Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (VAR-CODA-CERVA), Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Uccle, Brussels, Belgium; E-Mail:
| | - Leen Timbermont
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Nicky Van Der Vekens
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Sabrina Stuyvaert
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Linde Gille
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Laura Van Driessche
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Richard Ducatelle
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (E.G.); (S.V.); (L.T.); (F.H.); (R.D.); (F.V.I.)
| | - Piet Deprez
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; E-Mails: (B.P.); (N.V.D.V.); (S.S.); (L.G.); (L.V.D.); (P.D.)
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Perfringolysin O: The Underrated Clostridium perfringens Toxin? Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:1702-21. [PMID: 26008232 PMCID: PMC4448169 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7051702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic bacterium Clostridium perfringens expresses multiple toxins that promote disease development in both humans and animals. One such toxin is perfringolysin O (PFO, classically referred to as θ toxin), a pore-forming cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC). PFO is secreted as a water-soluble monomer that recognizes and binds membranes via cholesterol. Membrane-bound monomers undergo structural changes that culminate in the formation of an oligomerized prepore complex on the membrane surface. The prepore then undergoes conversion into the bilayer-spanning pore measuring approximately 250–300 Å in diameter. PFO is expressed in nearly all identified C. perfringens strains and harbors interesting traits that suggest a potential undefined role for PFO in disease development. Research has demonstrated a role for PFO in gas gangrene progression and bovine necrohemorrhagic enteritis, but there is limited data available to determine if PFO also functions in additional disease presentations caused by C. perfringens. This review summarizes the known structural and functional characteristics of PFO, while highlighting recent insights into the potential contributions of PFO to disease pathogenesis.
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Roos S, Wyder M, Candi A, Regenscheit N, Nathues C, van Immerseel F, Posthaus H. Binding studies on isolated porcine small intestinal mucosa and in vitro toxicity studies reveal lack of effect of C. perfringens beta-toxin on the porcine intestinal epithelium. Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:1235-52. [PMID: 25860161 PMCID: PMC4417965 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7041235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta-toxin (CPB) is the essential virulence factor of C. perfringens type C causing necrotizing enteritis (NE) in different hosts. Using a pig infection model, we showed that CPB targets small intestinal endothelial cells. Its effect on the porcine intestinal epithelium, however, could not be adequately investigated by this approach. Using porcine neonatal jejunal explants and cryosections, we performed in situ binding studies with CPB. We confirmed binding of CPB to endothelial but could not detect binding to epithelial cells. In contrast, the intact epithelial layer inhibited CPB penetration into deeper intestinal layers. CPB failed to induce cytopathic effects in cultured polarized porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and primary jejunal epithelial cells. C. perfringens type C culture supernatants were toxic for cell cultures. This, however, was not inhibited by CPB neutralization. Our results show that, in the porcine small intestine, CPB primarily targets endothelial cells and does not bind to epithelial cells. An intact intestinal epithelial layer prevents CPB diffusion into underlying tissue and CPB alone does not cause direct damage to intestinal epithelial cells. Additional factors might be involved in the early epithelial damage which is needed for CPB diffusion towards its endothelial targets in the small intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Roos
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
| | - Marianne Wyder
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
| | - Ahmet Candi
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
| | - Nadine Regenscheit
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
| | - Christina Nathues
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
| | - Filip van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
| | - Horst Posthaus
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
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Synergistic effects of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin and beta toxin in rabbit small intestinal loops. Infect Immun 2014; 82:2958-70. [PMID: 24778117 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01848-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of Clostridium perfringens type C to cause human enteritis necroticans (EN) is attributed to beta toxin (CPB). However, many EN strains also express C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), suggesting that CPE could be another contributor to EN. Supporting this possibility, lysate supernatants from modified Duncan-Strong sporulation (MDS) medium cultures of three CPE-positive type C EN strains caused enteropathogenic effects in rabbit small intestinal loops, which is significant since CPE is produced only during sporulation and since C. perfringens can sporulate in the intestines. Consequently, CPE and CPB contributions to the enteropathogenic effects of MDS lysate supernatants of CPE-positive type C EN strain CN3758 were evaluated using isogenic cpb and cpe null mutants. While supernatants of wild-type CN3758 MDS lysates induced significant hemorrhagic lesions and luminal fluid accumulation, MDS lysate supernatants of the cpb and cpe mutants caused neither significant damage nor fluid accumulation. This attenuation was attributable to inactivating these toxin genes since complementing the cpe mutant or reversing the cpb mutation restored the enteropathogenic effects of MDS lysate supernatants. Confirming that both CPB and CPE are needed for the enteropathogenic effects of CN3758 MDS lysate supernatants, purified CPB and CPE at the same concentrations found in CN3758 MDS lysates also acted together synergistically in rabbit small intestinal loops; however, only higher doses of either purified toxin independently caused enteropathogenic effects. These findings provide the first evidence for potential synergistic toxin interactions during C. perfringens intestinal infections and support a possible role for CPE, as well as CPB, in some EN cases.
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Goossens E, Verherstraeten S, Timbermont L, Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez PR, Van Immerseel F. Clostridium perfringens strains from bovine enterotoxemia cases are not superior in in vitro production of alpha toxin, perfringolysin O and proteolytic enzymes. BMC Vet Res 2014; 10:32. [PMID: 24479821 PMCID: PMC3913962 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine enterotoxemia is a major cause of mortality in veal calves. Predominantly veal calves of beef cattle breeds are affected and losses due to enterotoxemia may account for up to 20% of total mortality. Clostridium perfringens type A is considered to be the causative agent. Recently, alpha toxin and perfringolysin O have been proposed to play an essential role in the development of disease. However, other potential virulence factors also may play a role in the pathogenesis of bovine enterotoxemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether strains originating from bovine enterotoxemia cases were superior in in vitro production of virulence factors (alpha toxin, perfringolysin O, mucinase, collagenase) that are potentially involved in enterotoxemia. To approach this, a collection of strains originating from enterotoxemia cases was compared to bovine strains isolated from healthy animals and to strains isolated from other animal species. Results Strains originating from bovine enterotoxemia cases produced variable levels of alpha toxin and perfringolysin O that were not significantly different from levels produced by strains isolated from healthy calves and other animal species. All tested strains exhibited similar mucinolytic activity independent of the isolation source. A high variability in collagenase activity between strains could be observed, and no higher collagenase levels were produced in vitro by strains isolated from enterotoxemia cases. Conclusions Bovine enterotoxemia strains do not produce higher levels of alpha toxin, perfringolysin O, mucinase and collagenase, as compared to strains derived from healthy calves and other animal species in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Filip Van Immerseel
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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