title: Toxin A of Clostridium difficile is a potent cytotoxin.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is the cause of antibiotic-associated colitis in humans. The organism produces toxin A, which is generally known as the enterotoxin, and toxin B, which is known as the cytotoxin. Toxin A has been reported to have slight cytotoxic activity; in this study we show that cell lines (F9, OTF9-63, and P19) which express a carbohydrate to which toxin A binds are more sensitive to the toxin. These cell lines can be used as research tools for determining concentrations of biologically active toxin A and should also prove useful for studies of the mechanism of action of the toxin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaerobic Microbiology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Carrig
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wilkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001665:Binding Sites; D001681:Biological Assay; D002460:Cell Line; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004768:Enterotoxins; D006801:Humans; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003603:Cytotoxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D014312:Trisaccharides; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile