title: Evaluation of the proposed interaction of nucleic acid with Clostridium difficile toxins A and B and the effects of nucleases on cytotoxicity.
abstract: Both DNA and RNA were found to co-purify with Clostridium difficile toxin B but not toxin A. DNAase treatment greatly reduced the cytotoxicity of toxin B but not of toxin A. RNAase had no effect on either toxin. The effects on toxin B were shown to be due to a contaminating protease and could be inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenicity Research Group, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, U.K.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Borriello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Seddon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000378:metabolism*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C031884:CPB protein, Clostridium perfringens; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D012260:Ribonucleases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; C040649:alpha toxin, Clostridium perfringens