title: Dissociation of various biological activities of Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin by chemical modification.
abstract: The effect of N-acetylimidazole, tetranitromethane, maleic anhydride and N-ethylmaleimide on various biological activities of Clostridium perfringens alpha (alpha)-toxin was investigated. Treatment of the toxin with N-acetylimidazole, tetranitromethane or maleic anhydride resulted in significant reduction of lethal, hemolytic and platelet-aggregating activities and phospholipase C activity (EY activity), as measured by increased turbidity in egg yolk emulsions. However, EY activity was more resistant to these reagents than lethal, hemolytic or aggregating activities. Phospholipase C activity (PN activity) as measured by hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine was retained after treatment with N-acetylimidazole, tetranitromethane or maleic anhydride. The activities of the toxin were not inactivated by treatment with N-ethylmaleimide. These data suggest that alpha-toxin contains multiple sites for biological activities of the toxin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007093:Imidazoles; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; C040649:alpha toxin, Clostridium perfringens; C012160:N-acetylimidazole