Expression of recombinant Clostridium difficile toxin A and B in Bacillus megaterium.
BACKGROUND
Major Clostridium difficile virulence factors are the exotoxins TcdA and TcdB. Due to the large size and poor stability of the proteins, the active recombinant TcdA and TcdB have been difficult to produce.


RESULTS
The toxin genes tcdA and tcdB were amplified by PCR using chromosomal DNA from a toxigenic strain as a template, and cloned into a shuttle vector pHis1522. The sequences of both tcdA and tcdB genes in the vector have been verified by DNA sequencing. The constructs were transformed into B. megaterium protoplasts and the protein expression was controlled under a xylose promoter. The recombinant toxins (rTcdA and rTcdB) were purified from bacterial crude extracts. Approximately 5 - 10 mg of highly purified recombinant toxins were obtained from one liter of bacterial culture. The resulting rTcdA and rTcdB had similar molecular masses to the native toxins, and their biological activities were found to be similar to their native counterparts after an extensive examination.


CONCLUSIONS
We have generated the full length and active recombinant TcdA and TcdB in Bacillus megaterium.
Yang
Guilin
G
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA. guilinyang@yahoo.com
Zhou
Boping
B
Wang
Jufang
J
He
Xiangyun
X
Sun
Xingmin
X
Nie
Weijia
W
Tzipori
Saul
S
Feng
Hanping
H
D000818:Animals; D001410:Bacillus megaterium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000378:metabolism*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile