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A recombinant C ‐terminal toxin fragment provides evidence that membrane insertion is important for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin cytotoxicity
Author(s) -
Hanna P. C.,
McClane B. A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb01843.x
Subject(s) - enterotoxin , clostridium perfringens , cytotoxicity , biology , membrane , toxin , recombinant dna , pore forming toxin , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , microbial toxins , escherichia coli , in vitro , bacteria , gene , genetics
Summary Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is believed to be involved in several important gastrointestinal illnesses. Recent studies have identified a number of distinct molecular events which occur after CPE treatment of eukaryotic cells or isolated membranes. Additional studies are underway to determine the temporal order and intrinsic importance of each CPE event for cytotoxicity. We now demonstrate that a truncated CPE fragment binds to membranes, but is unable to Insert into membranes or cause any other subsequent post‐insertion event. This is the first experimental evidence supporting the importance of membrane insertion for CPE cytotoxicity. Binding of the CPE fragment is also shown to be irreversible, strongly suggesting that the irreversible binding of wild‐type CPE is not due solely to insertion of CPE into membranes.