Open AccessComparison of Clostridium sordellii toxins HT and LT with toxins A and B of C. difficile
Author(s) -
Rafael Martínez,
Tracy D. Wilkins
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/00222615-36-1-30
Subject(s) - toxin , clostridium difficile toxin b , clostridium difficile toxin a , clostridium difficile , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , epitope , antibody , clostridiaceae , immunodiffusion , enterotoxin , clostridium tetani , antigen , virology , escherichia coli , biochemistry , immunology , antibiotics , vaccination , tetanus , gene
Clostridium sordellii produces two toxins, designated HT (haemorrhagic toxin) and LT (lethal toxin), that are similar to toxins A and B of C. difficile. The physicochemical properties of toxins HT and A were remarkably similar. The specific biological activities of toxin HT were almost the same as those of toxin A, and their NH2-terminal sequences shared close homology. The properties of toxins LT and B were similar, as were their NH2-terminal sequences, but toxin B was much more cytotoxic than toxin LT. Immunodiffusion analysis with specific antibodies showed that although toxins B and LT shared major antigenic determinants, each had unique epitopes. The results suggest that toxins B and LT have diverged more than toxins A and HT. Immunoblotting with antibodies to the toxins of C. difficile showed that toxins HT and LT had common antigenic determinants.