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Clostridium perfringens and its arsenal of toxins
Author(s) -
Leutenegger Christian M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.i1090
Subject(s) - clostridium perfringens , citation , library science , computer science , biology , genetics , bacteria
TOXINS produced by strains of Clostridium perfringens have a long history of research. The most studied toxin to date, the α toxin of type A C perfringens , achieved notoriety because of its role in gas gangrene in the trenches of the First World War. But it didn't stop there; many additional toxins have been characterised since and it seems that the arsenal of toxins has reached new heights with recent discoveries.A short communication by Mehdizadeh Gohari and others (2016), which is summarised on p 216 in this week's Veterinary Record , highlights the identification of the novel netF -positive type A C perfringens in foals with enteritis and enterocolitis in Kentucky. The NetF toxin is one of a series of recently discovered toxins belonging to the pore-forming leukocidin/haemolysin superfamily. Additionally, NetF protein was found in the autogenous bacterin-toxoid vaccine utilising a Kentucky C perfringens type A strain that also carries genes for the α toxin (CPA), β-2 toxin (CPB2) and enterotoxin (CPE). This bacterin-toxoid vaccine was specifically developed for the local induction of lactogenic immunity in prepartum mares on Kentucky breeding farms with histories of foal diarrhoea (Timoney and others 2005).Foal necrotising enterocolitis has long …