title: Clostridium difficile toxin A induces multinucleation in the human leukemic T cell line JURKAT.
abstract: Clostridium difficile toxin A is a cytotoxic enterotoxin known to be active on all mammalian cell lines tested up to now. It induces a disruption of the cytoskeleton, particularly the microfilament system, leading to inhibition of cell proliferation. Here, we describe some effects of toxin A on the leukemic T cell line JURKAT. Cells exposed to the toxin did not divide, as cell numbers remained constant for 3 days in the presence of 0.5 to 1.0 micrograms/ml of the toxin. However, these cells were found to become multinucleated, a phenomenon which was time- and dose-dependent. After treatment for 72 h with 0.5 micrograms/ml toxin A, 95% of the cells were multinucleated and had a considerably increased cell diameter. These effects in JURKAT cells were partially reversible upon removal of the toxin within 12 h after the beginning of toxin exposure, but irreversible after 24 h of toxin treatment. These results suggest a continuing nuclear division in the absence of cytoplasmic division, i.e., an effect of toxin A on contractile ring formation. The JURKAT cell is the first cell type reported to respond to toxin A with multinucleation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma/Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mastrantonio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeddi-Tehrani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thelestam
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile