Dynamics of plc gene transcription and alpha-toxin production during growth of Clostridium perfringens strains with contrasting alpha-toxin production.
The aim of the present study was to investigate transcription dynamics of the alpha-toxin-encoding plc gene relative to two housekeeping genes (gyrA and rplL) in batch cultures of three Clostridium perfringens strains with low, intermediate, and high levels of alpha-toxin production, respectively. The plc transcript level was always low in the low alpha-toxin producing strain. For the two other strains, plc transcription showed an inducible pattern and reached a maximum level in the late exponential growth phase. The transcription levels were however inversely correlated to alpha-toxin production for the two strains. We propose that this discrepancy is due to differences in plc translation rates between the strains and that strain-specific translational rates therefore must be determined before alpha-toxin production can be extrapolated from transcript levels in C. perfringens.
Abildgaard
Lone
L
Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark.
Schramm
Andreas
A
Rudi
Knut
K
Højberg
Ole
O
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; C040649:alpha toxin, Clostridium perfringens