Clostridium perfringens type E virulence traits involved in gut colonization.

Leandro M Redondo,Juan M Díaz Carrasco,Fernando Delgado,Enzo A Redondo,Mariano E Fernández Miyakawa,Michel R Popoff

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121305

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens type E disease in ruminants has been characterized by hemorrhagic enteritis or sudden death. Although type E isolates are defined by the production of alpha and iota toxin, little is known about the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type E infections. Thus far, the role of iota toxin as a virulence factor is unknown. In this report, iota toxin showed positive effects on adherence and colonization of C. perfringens type E while having negative effect on the adherence of type A cells. In-vitro and in-vivo models suggest that toxinotype E would be particularly adapted to exploit the changes induced by iota toxin in the surface of epithelial cells. In addition, type E strains produce metabolites that affected the growth of potential intra-specific competitors. These results suggest that the alteration of the enterocyte morphology induced by iota toxin concomitantly with the specific increase of type E cell adhesion and the strong intra-specific growth inhibition of other strains could be competitive traits inherent to type E isolates that improve its fitness within the bovine gut environment.

Highlights

Clostridium perfringens, a Gram positive, anaerobic and spore forming bacteria, is widely distributed in nature and considered an important pathogen of both human and livestock [1]
C. perfringens type E has been identified as a pathogen associated with hemorrhagic enteritis and sudden death in ruminants [6, 7, 10]
Numerous studies describe the mechanism involved in cell intoxication by iota toxin produced by C. perfringens type E strains, little is known about the pathogenesis of this toxinotype

Summary

Introduction

Clostridium perfringens, a Gram positive, anaerobic and spore forming bacteria, is widely distributed in nature and considered an important pathogen of both human and livestock [1]. Isolates are classified into five toxinotypes (A to E) based upon production of four major toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon, and iota) [2]. C. perfringens type E isolates are defined by the production of alpha and iota toxin, additional potential virulence genes encoding beta2-toxin, urease or lambda-toxin can be found in some isolates [3]. Type E isolates cause enteritis or enterotoxaemia in rabbits [4], lambs [2], cattle [5, 6, 7], goats [8] and dogs [1]. C. perfringens type E disease in ruminants is characterized by hemorrhagic enteritis or sudden death and has been described in ovine and bovines. Since first description more than 50 years ago [8], toxinotype E has PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0121305 March 23, 2015

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