RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin acts on MDCK cells by forming a large membrane complex.
JF Journal of Bacteriology
JO J. Bacteriol.
FD American Society for Microbiology
SP 6480
OP 6487
DO 10.1128/jb.179.20.6480-6487.1997
VO 179
IS 20
A1 Petit, L
A1 Gibert, M
A1 Gillet, D
A1 Laurent-Winter, C
A1 Boquet, P
A1 Popoff, M R
YR 1997
UL http://jb.asm.org/content/179/20/6480.abstract
AB Epsilon-toxin is produced by Clostridium perfringens types B and D and is responsible for a rapidly fatal enterotoxemia in animals, which is characterized by edema in several organs due to an increase in blood vessel permeability. The Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line has been found to be susceptible to epsilon-toxin (D. W. Payne, E. D. Williamson, H. Havard, N. Modi, and J. Brown, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 116:161-168, 1994). Here we present evidence that epsilon-toxin cytotoxic activity is correlated with the formation of a large membrane complex (about 155 kDa) and efflux of intracellular K+ without entry of the toxin into the cytosol. Epsilon-toxin induced swelling, blebbing, and lysis of MDCK cells. Iodolabeled epsilon-toxin bound specifically to MDCK cell membranes at 4 and 37 labeled C and was associated with a large complex (about 155 kDa). The binding of epsilon-toxin to the cell surface was corroborated by immunofluorescence staining. The complex formed at 37 degrees C was more stable than that formed at 4 degrees C, since it was not dissociated by 5% sodium dodecyl sulfate and boiling.