Simplified Method for Purification of Clostridium perfringens Type A Enterotoxin

Purification ofClostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin from sporulated cells was simplified. The method consisted of precipitation of the enterotoxin from the extract of sonically treated cells at 40% saturation of ammonium sulfate at pH 7, differential solubilization in 0.02 M phosphate buffer, pH 6.7, and repeated gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The purified enterotoxin was at least 98% pure in ultracentrifugation, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and agar gel double diffusion. Recovery was over 74% from the sporulated cell extract. The toxin had biological activities of at least 4,700 mouse intravenous minimal lethal doses/mg of N, 3,900 capillary permeability-increasing U/mg of N in the guinea pig skin, and 210 rabbit intestinal loop distension U/mg of N. The toxin, containing no hexose, lipid, or nucleic acid, appeared to be identical in sedimentation constant, isoelectric point, and ultraviolet absorption spectrum to the toxin purified previously by different procedures.