Autolytic Enzyme System of Clostridium botulinum

The mode of action of the autolytic enzymes of Clostridium botulinum type A strain 190L was investigated using a partially purified autolysin. The autolysin completely solubilized SDS-treated cell walls of the organism, liberating 1.2 moles of NH₂-terminal-L-alanine and 0.6 moles of reducing groups per mole of glutamic acid. Neither the NH₂-termini of other amino acids nor COOH-termini of any amino acids were released. These results show that the autolysin contains an N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase and a hexosaminidase. A disaccharide and peptides were isolated from the wall lysate in a chromatographically homogeneous state. The reducing end of the disaccharide was elucidated to be N-acetylglucosamine by borohydride reduction. This fact indicates that the hexosaminidase is likely to be an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase. A possible structure of the cell wall peptidoglycan is proposed.     

Autolytic Enzyme System of Clostridium botulinum

Isolated cell walls of Clostridium botulinum type A strain 190L released an autolysin during autolysis of the cell walls. The autolysin was isolated from the cell walls, and partially purified 18.6-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration through Sephadex G-100. The purified preparation of the autolysin showed 2 major and 2 minor protein bands on Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Some properties of the autolysin were examined using SDS-treated cell walls of the organisms as a substrate. The autolysin was active over a pH range of 6 to 8, with a maximum near pH 6.8. The lytic activity was stimulated by 10^?4 M each of Co⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ in the order, whereas it was inhibited markedly by Cu⁺⁺. Mercaptoethanol (10^?4–10^?3 M) significantly activated the lytic action. Trypsin and nagarse (10 μg/ml) also stimulated the lytic activity. The lytic spectrum of the autolysin toward the SDS-treated cell walls obtained from various types of C. botulinum and C. perfringens indicated a relatively high specificity. After treatment with hot formamide the cell walls of C. botulinum increased in susceptibility to the autolysin.     

Characteristics of spore formation in Clostridium botulinum type C]

Electron microscope study of C1. botulinum, tyep C, showed that microbial cells were surrounded with a five-layer wall. Structures characteristic of sporulating cells and phage particles whose intracellular development led to reduction and lysis of the cytoplasm were revelaed in the area of the cytoplasm. Mature spores were encountered rarely. Formation of prespore, cortex was observed, but the elements of the spore membrane were chaotically dispersed in the whole cytoplasm. Such disturbances could be connected with the presence of phage in the culture.     

In vitro autolysis of plant cell walls

Primary cell walls of Zea mays prepared in a glycerol medium are capable of autolysis in vitro. Autolysis results in solubilization of about 10% of the wall substance during an 8 hour incubation period. Approximately 10% of the solubilized material is glucose and the remainder consists of an unidentified polymer which yields only glucose upon hydrolysis. Cell wall autolysis is a linear function of time of incubation and of wall concentration. The autolytic process occurs optimally over the pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. The possible relationship between autolytic capacity and capacity for elongation is discussed.     

Identification of DnaJ-like chaperone in Clostridium botulinum type A

Clostridium botulinum type A cells, when challenged to elevated temperature (45°C), increased the expression of at least nine heat shock proteins (HSPs). Simultaneously with the induction of HSPs, changes in the synthesis rates of other cellular proteins were observed. A 40-kDa stress protein was induced and its synthesis rate was enhanced when the cells were shifted to 45°C. Using heterologous antibodies raised against E. coli DnaJ heat shock proteins, the 40-kDa stress protein of C. botulinum type A has been identified as a DnaJ-like chaperone. The DnaJ chaperone might be involved in translocation of the neurotoxin and other cellular proteins across the cell membrane, repair of damaged proteins, and organism survival inside the host. This is the first report of the existence of a DnaJ-like chaperone in this organism.     

Clostridium botulinum type C toxin

Summary The purification and crystallization of type C botulinum toxin along with its physical characteristics are described. The shape of Clostridium botulinum type C toxin molecule is globular like a pressed ball with a 7.4 nm diameter and a 4.3 urn thickness. The molecular volume is approximately 185 nl and the molecular weight is 141 000. The toxin molecule is composed of two parts, which are separable under appropriate conditions. These parts have some differences in the electrophoretic properties, amino acid distribution, immunological, and functional characteristics. The toxin molecule can be reconstituted by association of S-S bond between the two chains. The expression of the toxicity requires that the fragments of the polypeptide chain carrying the necessary information be functionally organized for the proper development of the specific tertiary structure for active conformation.     

Immunodiffusion method for detection of type A Clostridium botulinum

A simple gel immunodiffusion agar procedure was developed for detecting toxigenic strains of Clostridium botulinum type A. The method consisted of overlaying colonies grown on thin-layer tryptone-peptone-glucose-yeast extract agar with gel diffusion agar containing desired levels of C. botulinum type A antitoxin. Concentric precipitin zones formed around colonies of C. botulinum type A. Strains of C. botulinum type A were detected by this procedure. However, C. botulinum type B reacted to a lesser degree with this system. No reaction was noted with types E, F, Langeland, F8G, Clostridium perfringens, or with strains of nontoxigenic Clostridium sporogenes. Thickness of the plating medium, incubation time and temperature, environmental growth conditions, and levels of both agar an antitoxin were important factors affecting the efficiency of the procedure, whereas the age of the culture (used as inoculum) was not critical. Thin agar medium (5 ml per plate [15 by 100 mm]) containing 1.5% agar gave consistent results, but more agar limited diffusion, and lower levels encouraged spreaders. The optimal concentration of antitoxin incorporated in to the gel diffusion agar overlay was 1.2 IU/ml gel diffusion agar. Rabbit type A antitoxin prepared with purer immunizing agent gave similar reactions. The addition of type A antitoxin in tryptone-peptone-glucose-yeast extract agar medium before inoculation with type A C. botulinum showed promising results.     

Detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type A using immuno-PCR

AIMS: An immuno-polymerase chain reaction (immuno-PCR) has been developed for the sensitive detection of antigens, which greatly extends the detection limits of immunoassays. In the current study, the method was applied to the detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type A (BTx-A). METHODS AND RESULTS: Anti-BTx-A antibody-DNA conjugates were synthesized using a heterobifunctional cross-linker reagent to covalently link the reporter DNA and the antibodies. The antibody-DNA conjugates with antigens were amplified by PCR, and dose-dependent relationships for each analyte were demonstrated. Detection limits of immuno-PCR for BTx-A (3.33 x 10(-17) mol) exceeded the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (3.33 x 10(-14) mol) by a 1000-fold enhancement in detection sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Detection of BTx-A antigens by immuno-PCR demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in 100-fold magnitude below the detection limit of ELISA. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: It is concluded that the immuno-PCR method could be used to detect a very low level of BTx-A for clinical diagnosis.