15] Production, purification, and assay of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the production, purification, and assay of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. The enterotoxin produced by Clostridium perfringens type A under conditions inducing sporulation is studied and characterized in considerable depth according to its physiochemical, biological, and serological properties. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin is produced primarily by type A strains and then only during sporulation. Therefore, obtaining good sporulation of the organism during culture is of paramount importance. The enterotoxin is shown to bind specifically to a wide range of cell membranes, including the small intestinal brush border membrane, which is the natural target of enterotoxin. After attachment, enterotoxin causes a series of poorly understood events that result in membrane damage characterized by increased permeability and a loss of normal membrane structure and integrity, causing extensive blebbing. Because of these activities, C. perfringens enterotoxin can be an interesting and useful tool in probing membrane components as they relate to structure and function, especially in systems such as the tightly configured microvilli found in the brush border membrane of the intestinal epithelial cell.