Comparison of methods for the production and purification of toxin A from Clostridium difficile

Abstract The production and purification of toxin A from Clostridium difficile were studied. When the toxin was produced in dialysis culture it preicipitated quantitatively at pH 5.5 and after purification it appeard homogeneous in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The toxin probably consists of two noncovalently bound peptides, each with a molecular mass of about 250 dDa. It is resistant to trypsin but sensitive to papain and chymotrypsin. In contrast, toxin A produced in anaerbic chamber culture precipitated poorly at pH 5.5 (yield 14%) and easily formed aggregates as observed in gel filtration and PAGE Accordingly, dialysis culture seems to be a better method for producing and purifying toxin A.     

Toxins A and B of Clostridium difficile

Abstract: The toxins produced by Clostridium difficile share several functional properties with other bacterial toxins, like the heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli and cholera toxin. However, functional and structural differences also exist. Like cholera toxin, their main target is the disruption of the microfilaments in the cell. However, since these effects are not reversible, as found with cholera toxin, additional mechanisms add to the cytotoxic potential of these toxins. Unlike most bacterial toxins, which are built from two structurally and functionally different small polypeptide chains, the functional and binding properties of the toxins of C. difficile are confined within one large polypeptide chain, making them the largest bacterial toxins known so far.     

Characterization of immunogenic p230 as the toxin A of Clostridium difficile

Abstract For the identification of toxin A of Clostridium difficile , a 2-dimensional gel system was used. In its first dimension, samples were separated in the absence of reducing and dissociating agents, conditions which maintained the activity of the enterotoxin. This was followed by reduction and dissociation in the second dimension where a 230 kDa polypeptide was electroeluted. Rabbits were immunized with polyacrylamide gel slices containing entrapped native toxin A and the denatured 230 kDa protein. As revealed by immunoblotting, neutralizing antisera derived from native protein samples recognized the native toxin, the denatured 230 kDa protein and another polypeptide of about M _r 35 000. Using both types of antisera as probes the pI of the enterotoxin was about 5.9. Preliminary evidence suggests that the enterotoxin is a multimeric protein of 230 kDa and 35 kDa subunits.     

Haemagglutination activity of toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile

Abstract Cell extract of Clostridium difficile strains was fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and sulfated cellulofine column chromatography to detect haemagglutination (HA) activity. HA activity without cytotoxicity was detected in fractions eluted at 0.79–0.91 M NaCl in sulfated cellulofine column chromatography of the cell extract in both toxigenic strain VPI 10463 and non-toxigenic strain KZ 1678, while toxin A was detected in fractions eluted at 0.27–0.29 M NaCl. Antisera were prepared with HA substance-containing fractions of the chromatography. Antiserum to the HA substances(s) of strain VPI 10463 neutralised the HA activity of the fractions of strains VPI 10463 and KZ 1678 at nearly the same titres. Antiserum to the HA substance(s) of strain KZ 1678 also neutralised the HA activity of both strains at nearly the same titres as above. These findings suggest that haemagglutinin(s) is commonly produced by C. difficile strains irrespective of toxin A-producing ability.     

酶联免疫吸附试验检测艰难梭菌A毒素

实验用兔单特异抗艰难梭菌Ａ毒素ＩｇＧ包被酶标板,以羊抗艰难梭菌Ａ毒素ＩｇＧ标记辣根过氧化物酶作为第二抗体,采用双抗体夹心ＥＬＩＳＡ法检测艰难梭菌Ａ毒素,可检测出０．９４ｎｇ的精制Ａ毒素,对６１株菌的培养液及６５份健康人粪便标本检测发现此法具有较高的特异性。用平行线定量法对几份典型产毒培养物进行了定量测定,结果表明,在一定剂量范围内线性及平行性好,结果准确、可靠。可用于临床粪便标本中艰难梭菌Ａ毒素的筛查及定量检测。     

Production of monoclonal antibody to Clostridium difficile toxin A which neutralises enterotoxicity but not haemagglutination activity

Nine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to Clostridium difficile toxin A were produced. The isotype of one mAb (37B5) was IgG2b, kappa, and that of the other eight mAbs was IgM, kappa. Immunoblot analysis after non-denatured PAGE showed that with the exception of one mAb (112G6) all mAbs gave a positive reaction with the 540 kDa band of toxin A. Immunoblot analysis showed that four mAbs (2E15, 3B4, 37B5 and 49C4) gave a positive reaction with the 240 kDa major band of toxin A. In neutralisation tests with these mAbs for enterotoxicity, mouse lethality, haemagglutination activity and cytotoxicity, 37B5 neutralised enterotoxicity in a rabbit ileal loop response test but did not neutralise any other biological activities. None of the other eight mAbs showed any neutralising activities at all.     

Typing of toxic strains of Clostridium difficile using DNA fingerprints generated with arbitrary polymerase chain reaction primers

Clostridium difficile is the causative agent for pseudomembranous colitis in humans. Toxic strains of C. difficile produce two toxins, toxin A and toxin B. A reliable and definitive method of typing the toxic strains of C. difficile is needed since nosocomial cross infection is a primary concern in hospitals and other health care facilities. A method for typing toxic strains of Clostridium difficile using arbitrary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers is presented in this study. The C. difficile strains were initially characterized for the toxin A genetic determinant using specific PCR primers which differentiate toxin positive from toxin negative strains. These toxic strains were then PCR typed using six arbitrary primers which generated DNA patterns that were unique for all toxic strains examined. The use of this typing scheme in clinical applications is discussed.     

Production of an enterotoxin different from toxin A by Clostridium difficile

Abstract Clostridium difficile has been demonstrated to produce at least two toxins: an enterotoxin (toxin A) which elicits haemorrhagoc fluid accumulation in the rabbit ileal loop (RIL) test and a potent cytotoxin (toxin B). We report the isolation of an enterotoxic factor inducing a positive response in the RIL test without haemorrhage. This factor was separated by ion-exchange chromatography and its molecular weight, as estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was about 45 000.     

Cloning of a Clostridium botulinum type B toxin gene fragment encoding the N-terminus of the heavy chain

Two lambda gt11 clones of the toxin gene of Clostridium botulinum type B were identified by the monoclonal antibody specific to the heavy chain of type B toxin. Neither of the expressed fusion proteins from the lysates of lysogenic E. coli Y1089 showed any botulinal toxic activity. One of the clones hybridized to the oligonucleotide probe which was synthesized according to the amino acid sequence of N-terminus of heavy chain. The sequence analysis revealed that highly homologous regions in N-terminus of heavy chain exist among botulinum neurotoxins (type A, B) and tetanus toxin on the amino acid sequence level.     

The C-terminal ligand-binding domain of Clostridium difficile toxin A (TcdA) abrogates TcdA-specific binding to cells and prevents mouse lethality

We have investigated the ability of a recombinant protein (REP231), derived from Clostridium difficile toxin A C-terminal domain, to protect against toxin A (TcdA) intoxication in vitro and in vivo. REP231 was cloned, expressed and purified by thyroglobulin affinity chromatography, and demonstrated identical binding properties to TcdA. Immunofluorescence experiments and in vitro cytotoxicity assays using mouse teratocarcinoma cells F9 showed that specific binding of TcdA to F9 cells through its C-terminal domain is essential for producing cytotoxic effects. TcdA binding and cytotoxicity was inhibited by REP231 and a monoclonal antibody directed against the C-terminal domain. Toxin B did not bind to F9 cells and was consequently inactive in cytotoxicity assays. Inhibition studies with lectins and a Le^x-specific antibody supported earlier findings that a terminal galactose is part of the bound saccharide but excluded Le^x as a receptor for TcdA. Mice immunised with REP231 were protected against a threefold lethal dose of TcdA. Thus, REP231 appeared to be a suitable candidate to develop an alternative therapeutic agent, which is able to neutralise carbohydrate-mediated TcdA binding and might act as a vaccine.     

A nonsense mutation abrogates production of a functional enterotoxin A in Clostridium difficile toxinotype VIII strains of serogroups F and X

Clostridium difficile strains of toxinotype VIII from serogroups F and X are described as toxin B-positive, toxin A-negative (TcdB+ A-), although they harbour almost the entire tcdA gene. To identify the reason for the lack of TcdA detection, we analyzed catalytic and ligand domains of TcdA-1470 of the type strain of serogroup F, strain 1470. Using recombinant fragments, the C-terminal immunodominant ligand domain TcdA3-1470, spanning amino acid residues 1694-2711 (corresponding to VPI 10463 sequence), was detected in Western blots. Similar experiments using the recombinant N-terminal catalytic fragment TcdAc1-2-1470 (amino acid positions 1-544) failed. In addition, this fragment showed no glucosylation activity. We determined the size and the position of alterations in the ligand domain tcdA3-1470 by DNA sequencing. Within the N-terminal fragment tcdAc1-2-1470, a nonsense mutation was identified introducing a stop codon at amino acid position 47. Identical mutations were found in the two serogroup X strains 17663 and 10355. The mutation might explain the lack of TcdA production observed in strains of serotypes F and X.     

艰难梭菌A毒素的细胞致死活性研究

本文报道艰难梭菌Ａ毒素对４种培养细胞的细胞致死活性的探讨。４种培养细胞为Ｖｅｒｏ（非洲绿猴肾细胞）细胞、ＴＰＣ─１（人甲状腺肿瘤细胞）细胞、ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞（小鼠成纤维细胞）及将ｒａｓ癌基因转基因于ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３ｒａｓ细胞。应用台酚蓝排除能试验、噻唑蓝（ＭＴＳ）比色、细胞膜损害测定试验、荧光显微术观察细胞核的形态变化等测定Ａ毒素细胞致死活性。实验表明：４种培养细胞系对Ａ毒素细胞圆缩化作用的敏感性依次为ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３ｒａｓ,ＴＰＣ─１,Ｖｅｒｏ,ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞。而对Ａ毒素细胞致死活性的敏感性依次为ＴＰＣ─１,ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３,Ｖｅｒｏ,ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３ｒａｓ细胞。从而得知Ａ毒素的细胞致死活性不但依细胞种类不同而不同,而且也不一定与Ａ毒素的细胞圆缩化作用有关。肿瘤细胞ＴＰＣ─１细胞对Ａ毒素致死活性有特殊敏感性。以上结果对探索抗癌新药的研制具有重要意义。     

Binary toxin producing Clostridium difficile strains

Clostridium difficile produces three toxins, TcdA, TcdB and CDT. TcdA and TcdB are single-stranded molecules acting as glucosyltransferases specific for small GTPases. CDT is an actin specific ADP-ribosylating binary toxin characteristically composed of two independent components, enzymatic CDTa (48 kDa) and binding CDTb (99 kDa). The cdtA and cdtB genes were sequenced in two CDT-positive strains of C. difficile (CD 196 and 8864) and at least two CDT-negative strains with truncated form of binary toxin genes are known (VPI 10463 and C. difficile genome strain 630). The prevalence of binary toxin producing strains is estimated to be from 1.6% to 5.5%, although a much higher proportion has been reported in some studies. The role of the binary toxin as an additional virulence factor is discussed.     

Detection of fimbriae amongst strains of Clostridium difficile

Abstract Five of 15 strains of Clostridium difficile possessed multiple polar fimbriae which were 4–9 nm in diameter and up to 6 μm long. There was no direct correlation between the presence or absence of fimbriae and the toxigenic status of the organism.     

Non-radioactive restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing of Clostridium difficile

A typing method for Clostridium difficile based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) is described. The technique utilizes commercially available Escherichia coli ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) as probe material. Probe labelling, hybridization and detection was performed using the Enhanced Chemiluminescence (ECL) gene detection system. The probe labelling procedure was easy to perform, taking only 20 min. The complete typing method was comparatively simple, reproducible and readily adaptable to most bacterial genera.     

艰难梭菌细胞毒素B功能区的克隆及序列分析

目的克隆艰难梭菌(Clostridium difficile,C.d)细胞毒素B羧基末端功能区(CDB3)基因,并对其进行测序及生物信息学分析。方法利用PCR技术扩增CDB3基因,并将其定向插入pET-22b( )载体中,以DNA自动分析仪进行序列测定,并以生物信息学软件分析其生物学特性。结果成功克隆了艰难梭菌CDB3基因,经测序表明与GenBank中分布的Clostridium difficile VPI10463的ToxinB3基因序列完全一致。DNAstar软件预测其蛋白质的相对分子量(Mr)约为71.3 kD,并显示出良好的抗原性。结论研究获得了序列正确的CDB3基因,为其重组表达及其相关研究奠定了良好基础。