Threonine-74 Is a Key Site for the Activity of Clostridium perfringens Alpha-Toxin

A mutant toxin (MT) that abolished almost 99% of the hemolytic activity of alpha-toxin was isolated by random polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mutagenesis of the gene for Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin. In the mutant toxin, the amino acids at Tyr (Y)-62, Thr (T)-74 and Ile (I)-345 were substituted with His, Ile and Met, respectively. Replacement of T-74 with Ile by site-directed mutagenesis resulted in the loss of hemolytic, phospholipase C and sphingomyelinase activities by 1/250-fold of that of the wild-type. The replacement of Y-62 with Ile or I-345 with Met alone did not affect the activities of the toxin. T74I mutant bound to sheep erythrocyte membranes and specifically bound [⁶⁵Zn]²⁺ in Tris-buffered saline, in the same manner as the wild-type, and contained 2 mol of zinc ions per mol of protein. These results suggest that the T-74 residue plays a key role in these biological activities of C. perfringens alpha-toxin.     

Role of tryptophan-1 in hemolytic and phospholipase C activities of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin

Replacement of the Trp-1 in Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin with tyrosine caused no effect on hemolytic and phospholipase C (PLC) activities or on binding to the zinc ion, but that of the residue with alanine, glycine and histidine led to drastic decreases in these activities and a significant reduction in binding to the zinc ion. The hemolytic and PLC activities of W1H and W1A were significantly increased by the preincubation of these variant toxins with zinc ions, but the preincubation of W1G with the metal ion caused little effect on these activities. Gly-Ile-alpha-toxin, which contained an additional Gly-Ile linked to the N-terminal amino acid of alpha-toxin, did not show hemolytic activity, but showed about 6% PLC activity of the wild-type toxin. A mutant toxin, which contained an additional Gly-Ile linked to the N-terminus of a protein lacking 4 N-terminal residues of alpha-toxin, showed about 1 and 6% hemolytic and PLC activities of the wild-type toxin, respectively. Incubation of the mutant toxin with zinc ions caused a significant increase in PLC activity. These observations suggested that Trp-1 is not essential for toxin activity, but plays a role in binding to zinc ions.     

Analysis of the Phospholipase C Gene of Clostridium perfringens KZ1340 Isolated from Antarctic Soil

Clostridium perfringens KZ1340 isolated from Antarctic soil was first classified as Clostridium plagarum and later as a lecithinase-negative variant of C. perfringens. Although the strain produced no detectable lecithinase (phospholipase C, PLC) activity in the culture supernatant, it was shown by Southern blot hybridization to possess a PLC-encoding gene (plc). To determine the cause of the PLC deficiency, we cloned and sequenced the plc gene from KZ1340. The deduced amino acid sequence consists of 398 amino acid residues, coinciding with those of the plc genes previously determined. Tyrosine was substituted for histidine at amino acid position 148, which is thought to bind a zinc ion essential for PLC activity. Northern blot analysis revealed that KZ1340 expressed the plc gene at an extremely low level. Furthermore, the plc gene cloned from C. perfringens strain 13 into a plasmid was expressed weakly in KZ1340, compared to that in strain 13. This indicates that the former strain represses plc gene expression in trans. When a phylogenetic tree of plc genes was constructed, the KZ1340 plc gene formed a monophyletic branch along with those of various other C. perfringens strains, supporting the classification of the strain as a variant of C. perfringens.     

Role of the C-domain in the biological activities of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin

Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin (370 residues) possesses hemolytic and lethal activities as well as the enzymatic activity of phospholipase C (PLC). In this study we examined the role of the C-domain (251-370 residues; CP251- 370) in biological activities of the toxin. The N-domain (1-250 residues; CP1- 250) of the alpha-toxin as well as the Bacillus cereus phospholipase C (BcPLC) possessed PLC activity, but did not bind to rabbit erythrocytes and lyse them. A hybrid protein (BC-CP251-370) consisting of BcPLC and CP251- 370 bound to the red cells and lysed them. Incubation of CP1-250 with CP251-370 completely complemented hemolytic and PLC activities. CP251-370 also conferred hemolytic activity on BcPLC. CP251-340 (251-340 residues) significantly stimulated PLC activity of CP1-250), but did not confer hemolytic activity on CP1-250. Kinetic analysis suggested that CP251-370 increased affinity toward the substrate of CP1-250. The results suggested that CP251-370 plays an important role in binding to erythrocytes and the hemolytic and enzymatic activities of CP1-250. Acrylodan-labeled CP251-370 variants (S263C and S365C) bound to liposomes and exhibited a marked blue shift, and in addition, an N,N'-dimethyl-N-(iodoacetyl)-N'-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazolyl)ethylene diamine (NBD)-labeled CP251-370 (S365C) variant also bound to liposomes and the fluorescence intensity significantly increased, suggesting movement of CP251-370 to a hydrophobic environment. These observations suggest that interaction of CP251-370 of alpha-toxin with fatty acyl residues of phosphatidylcholine plays an important role in the biological activities of CP1-250.     

产气荚膜梭菌α毒素在干酪乳杆菌中的诱导表达及小鼠口服免疫保护效力的测定

摘要: 【目的】构建产气荚膜梭菌（Clostridium perfringens, C．perfringens）α 毒素基因的重组干酪乳杆菌口服疫苗,为产气荚膜梭菌毒素中毒的防治提供有效方法。【方法】将构建的重组产气荚膜梭菌α毒素基因细胞表面型载体pPG1及分泌表达载体pPG2电转化乳酸乳杆菌（Lactobacillus casei L.casei）,获得阳性重组菌pPG1-α/ L.casei 393 乳酸乳杆菌表面表达系统和pPG2-α/ L.casei393乳酸乳杆菌分泌表达系统。重组菌以1%乳糖为诱导物,在MRS培养基中进行诱导,通过Western-blot和间接免疫荧光方法鉴定,确定目的蛋白的表达。将重组菌口服免疫BALB/c小鼠,收集免疫小鼠粪便及眼冲洗液及外生殖道黏液样本测定小鼠产生抗α毒素的特异性sIgA 抗体水平,采集小鼠血液样本测定血清中抗α毒素的特异性IgG抗体水平。并对免疫小鼠进行α毒素的腹腔攻毒实验及对获得的抗血清进行α毒素中和试验测定。【结果】重组干酪乳杆菌pPG1-α/ L.casei 393及pPG2-/ L.casei 393免疫小鼠能够产生明显的抗α毒素的sIgA 和IgG 抗体水平,其对α毒素中和试验结果为完全保护。腹腔攻毒实验结果为能抵抗3倍最小致死剂量的α毒素攻击。【结论】表达产气荚膜梭菌α毒素免疫保护性抗原的重组乳酸乳杆菌口服免疫动物能够产生良好的局部和系统体液免疫应答和免疫中和效力。     

C型产气荚膜梭菌α毒素基因的克隆与表达

利用PCR技术,从C型产气荚膜梭菌染色体基因组中扩增了1．2kb的α毒素基因,将纯化的PCR产物与载体pGEM-T连接,转化至受体菌JM109中,经NcoI／EcoRI和BamHI／EcoRI酶切鉴定及核苷酸序列测定证实,重组质粒pXCPAl中含有α毒素全基因。随后用NcoI／EcoRI酶切质粒pXCPAl,回收α毒素基因片段,插入到事先经同样酶切处理的载体pET-28c中相应酶切位点,构建了表达质粒pETXAl,经NcoI／EcoRI和BamHI／EcoRI酶切鉴定及核苷酸序列测定证实,表达质粒含有α毒素基因且基因序列和阅读框架正确。重组菌株BL21(DE3)(pETXAl)表达产物经ELISA检测和SDS-PAGE分析,重组菌株表达的α毒素蛋白能够被α毒素单抗识别,其表达量占菌体总蛋白相对含量的16．28％。     

Effect of Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxin on Rat Isolated Aorta

The effect of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin on rat isolated aorta was investigated. The toxin caused contraction of the isolated aorta in a dose-dependent manner. The toxin induced no contraction of the isolated aorta in low-Na medium and of the tissue stored at 4 C for 7 days. However, tetrodotoxin (TTX) had no effect on the toxin-induced contraction. The toxin-induced contraction was significantly inhibited by phentolamine and prazosine, but did not by atropine, mecamylamine, chlorpheniramine and methysergide. These data suggest that the toxin-caused contraction is mediated through nervous system in rat isolated aorta.     

Characterization of a Toxin-Deficient Clostridium perfringens Strain,KZ1340

Clostridium perfringens KZ1340, previously classified as Clostridium plagarum, is an isolate from Antarctic soil, and was identified as an α, θ-, and κ-toxin non-producing variant. On Southern hybridization, the variant was found to be defective in the pfoA (θ-toxin) gene, but the plc (α-toxin) and colA (κ-toxin) genes were present on the same EcoRI fragment as in the standard strain, NCTC8237. Northern analysis revealed that mature plc mRNA was transcribed in KZ1340 though less efficiently than in NCTC8237, while no mature colA mRNA was present in KZ1340. After transformation of the pfoA and plc genes into the KZ1340 via shuttle vector, pJIR418, the pfoA gene was successfully expressed but the plc gene was not efficiently expressed, suggesting that in KZ1340 there is negative regulation of plc gene expression. Toxin-deficient C. perfringens KZ1340 might be a suitable host for expression analysis of the pfoA gene and other clostridial virulence genes, if expressed efficiently, because it produces a small amount of extracellular toxins.     

Genomic Diversity in the pfoA Region of Theta-Toxin-Deficient Strains of Clostridium perfringens

The genomic structure of the pfoA-colA region in six theta-toxin-deficient strains of Clostridium perfringens was examined by Southern hybridization using the pfoR, pfoA, pbg, arcABDC and colA genes, encoding regulator for pfoA, theta-toxin, beta-galactosidase, arginine metabolism enzymes and kappa-toxin, respectively, as gene probes. It is suggested that the productivity of theta-toxin in these strains is diverse because of the multiple genetic backgrounds including single deletion of pfoA, large deletion of the pfoA-colA region and the putative point mutations.     

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test for Differentiation of Five Toxin Types of Clostridium perfringens

In order to avoid the use of experimental animals, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was applied to differentiate Clostridium perfringens into five toxin types. Twenty-two out of 23 strains tested produced the toxin(s) corresponding to the toxin gene(s) identified by PCR, and vice versa. Consequently, the gene typing was consistent with conventional typing by animal tests. Twenty-five strains were identified as types different from original ones by the PCR method as well as a toxin neutralization test. These findings suggest that the PCR method, which is easy and timesaving, is applicable to identify the toxin types of C. perfringens as an alternative to animal tests, and that beta-, epsilon- and iota-toxin genes might be lost by long-term preservation. The reasons why the strains lost the genes are discussed.     

A型产气荚膜梭菌α-毒素基因的克隆与核苷酸序列分析

利用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)技术,从A型产气莫膜梭菌染色体基因组中扩增了1．2kb的α毒素基因。通过T4 DNA连接酶,将纯化的PCR产物与载体pGEM-T连接,转化受至体菌JM109中,经NcoI/EcoRI和BamHI/EcoRI双酶切分析,证明重组质粒pXCPA02中含有A型产气荚膜棱菌α毒素全基因。经核苷酸序列分析,明确了克隆的α毒素基因在重组质粒中的连接向位且核苷酸序列是正确的。     

产气荚膜梭菌α毒素基因的克隆及结构分析

应用PCR技术,从产气荚膜梭菌菌株NCTC64609中,扩增出A型产气荚膜梭菌α毒素基因C端片段(cpa408),并将其克隆至pMDl8-T载体中．经转化,α互补蓝白菌落选择培养,提取质粒,进行PCR和Eco RⅠ、PstⅠ双酶切鉴定,筛选出阳性重组克隆．经核苷酸序列分析证实,cpa408基因阅读开放框架由372个核苷酸组成,编码124个氨基酸．经计算机分析,cpa408基因序列与国外文献报道的A型产气荚膜梭菌α毒素基因C端片段同源性达99％以上,表明所克隆的基因即为α毒素基因C端片段．     

Genomic map of Clostridium perfringens strain 13

A physical and genetic map of Clostridium perfringens strain 13 was constructed. C. perfringens strain 13 was found to have a 3.1-Mb chromosome and a large 50-kb plasmid, indicating that strain 13 has a relatively small genome among C. perfringens strains. A total of 313 genetic markers were mapped on the chromosome of strain 13. Compared with the physical and genetic map of C. perfringens CPN50, strain 13 had a quite similar genome organization, but with a large deletion (approximately 400 kb) in a particular segment of the chromosome. Among several toxin genes, a beta2 toxin gene that is a novel virulence gene in C. perfringens was found to be located on the 50-kb plasmid.     

产气荚膜梭菌a毒素分子生物学研究进展

a毒素是产气英膜梭菌主要的毒力因子,具有磷脂酶C和鞘磷脂酶等2种酶的活性,能同时水解细胞膜上的磷脂酰胆碱和鞘磷脂,导致细胞裂解,因而具有细胞毒性、溶血活性、致死性和血小板聚集等特性。我们对产气荚膜梭菌a毒素的生物学特性、基因克隆与转录调控、基因表达与基因融合、基因定点突变与结构分析、N端和C端的结构与功能等方面的研究进展进行简要综述。     

Lambda-Toxin of Clostridium perfringens Activates the Precursor of Epsilon-Toxin by Releasing Its N- and C-Terminal Peptides

The effect of γ-toxin, a thermolysin-like metalloprotease of Clostridium perfringens, on the inactive ε-prototoxin produced by the same organism was examined. When the purified ε-prototoxin was incubated with the purified γ-toxin at 37 C for 2 hr, the 32.5-kDa ε-prototoxin was processed into a 30.5-kDa polypeptide, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A mouse lethality test showed that the treatment activated the prototoxin: the 50% lethal doses (LD₅₀) of the prototoxin with and without γ-toxin treatment were 110 and 70,000 ng/kg of body weight, respectively. The lethal activity of the prototoxin activated by γ-toxin was comparable to that with trypsin plus chymotrypsin and higher than that with trypsin alone: LD₅₀ of the prototoxin treated with trypsin and trypsin plus chymotrypsin were 320 and 65 ng/kg of body weight, respectively. The ε-toxin gene was cloned and sequenced. Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of each activated ε-prototoxin revealed that γ-toxin cleaved between the 10th and 11th amino acid residues from the N-terminus of the prototoxin, while trypsin and trypsin plus chymotrypsin cleaved between the 13th and 14th amino acid residues. The molecular weight of each activated ε-prototoxin was also determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The C-terminus deduced from the molecular weight is located at the 23rd or 30th amino acid residue from the C-terminus of the prototoxin, suggesting that removal of not only N-terminal but also C-terminal peptide is responsible for activation of the prototoxin.     

Lethal and Dermonecrotic Activities of Clostridium perfringens Iota Toxin: Biological Activities Induced by Cooperation of Two Nonlinked Components

The effect of separate injections of two components of Clostridium perfringens iota toxin, designated I_a and I_b components, on the biological activities of the toxin was investigated. The intravenous injection of one component within 120 min after the injection of the other component killed mice. The activity of iota toxin was abolished by anti-I_a or anti-I_b antiserum. On the other hand, when I_b component was intravenously administered to mice given anti-I_a antiserum within 120 min after the intravenous injection of I_a component, the lethal activity was completely neutralized, but when I_a component was injected into mice that were given anti-I_b antiserum over 5 min after the injection of I_b component, the activity was not neutralized. The separate injections of I_a and I_b components in skin of guinea pigs indicated dermonecrosis at the injection site of I_b components, but not at the site of I_a components. Furthermore, when one component was intradermally injected in guinea pigs and then the other intraperitoneally, the dermonecrotic activity of the toxin was observed at the intradermal injection site of I_b component, but not at that of I_a component. From the data, it appears that the lethal and dermonecrotic activities of iota toxin are initiated by the binding of I_b component to specific sites on tissues.     

Genetic analysis of the ycgJ-metB-cysK-ygaG operon negatively regulated by the VirR/VirS system in Clostridium perfringens

The 5'-flanking region of the metB-cysK-ygaG operon, whose expression is negatively regulated by the VirR/VirS system in C. perfringens, was analyzed. The region contained the ycgJ, mscL, and colA genes encoding a hypothetical protein, a large conductance mechanosensitive channel protein, and kappa-toxin (collagenase), respectively. Northern analysis revealed that the ycgJ gene was transcribed as a 4.9-kb operon together with the metB-cysK-ygaG genes and that this operon was negatively regulated by the VirR/VirS system. It is indicated that the pfoA (theta-toxin or perfringolysin O), colA, and ycgJ-metB-cysK-ygaG genes that belong to the VirR/VirS regulon are situated very close together in a 26.5-kb region of the chromosome, but do not form a pathogenic island.     

Nosocomial Diarrhoea in the Elderly Due to Enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens

To diagnose sporadic diarrhoea due to Clostridium perfringens infection, faecal specimens from elderly patients were examined directly for C. perfringens enterotoxin using reverse passive latex agglutination assay, and then cultured for this organism. C. perfringens isolates from those samples were grouped by slide agglutination and by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Fifty of the 60 isolates agglutinated with newly raised antiserum WX2 and 38 shared the same genomic PFGE pattern. Characteristics of the epidemics and experimental data suggest that the diarrhoea was caused by a nosocomial spread of C. perfringens, and not by a food-borne outbreak.     

The role of histidine residues in the alpha toxin of Clostridium perfringens

The α -toxin (phospholipase C) of Clostridium perfringens has been reported to contain catalytically essential zinc ions We report here that histidine residues are essential for the co-ordination of these ion(s). Incubation of alpha toxin with diethylpyrocarbonate, a histidine modifying reagent, did not result in the loss of phospholipase C activity unless the protein was first incubated with EDTA, suggesting that zinc ions normally protect the susceptible histidine residues. When the amino acid sequences of three phospholipase C's were aligned, essential zinc binding histidine residues in the non-toxic B. cereus phospholipase C were found in similar positions in the toxic C. perfringens enzyme and the weakly toxic C. bifermentans phospholipase C.     

Susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens to C-C fatty acids

AIMS: To determine susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens strains CCM 4435(T) and CNCTC 5459 to C(2)-C(18) fatty acids, and evaluate influence of pH in cultures grown on glucose. Straw particles were added to cultures to simulate the presence of solid phase of the digestive tract milieu. METHODS AND RESULTS: Antimicrobial activity of fatty acids was expressed as a concentration at which only 50% of the initial glucose was utilized. Lauric acid showed the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by myristic, capric, oleic and caprylic acid. Only strain CNCTC 5459 was susceptible to linoleic acid. Neither caproic acid and acids with a shorter carbon chain nor palmitic and stearic acid influenced substrate utilization. The antimicrobial activity of myristic, oleic and linoleic acid decreased when clostridia were grown in the presence of straw particles. In cultures of both strains treated with capric and lauric acid at pH 5.0-5.3, the number of viable cells was <10(2) ml(-1). Only lauric acid reduced number of viable cells of both strains below 10(2) ml(-1) at pH > 6. Transmission electron microscopy revealed separation of inner and outer membranes and cytoplasma disorganization in cells treated with lauric acid. CONCLUSIONS: Lauric acid had the highest activity towards C. perfringens among fatty acid tested. Its activity was not influenced by the presence of solid particles and did not cease at pH > 6. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Lauric acid might be a means for control of clostridial infections in farm animals.