title: Identification and functional analysis of the cytolethal distending toxin gene from Avibacterium paragallinarum.
abstract: Avibacterium paragallinarum is the causative agent of infectious coryza, an important respiratory disease of chickens. Cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) are a family of protein cytotoxins that cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in eukaryotic cells. Whole-genome sequencing analysis showed that Av. paragallinarum contains cdtABC genes. Filter-sterilized lysates prepared from Av. paragallinarum or from recombinant Escherichia coli expressing cdtABC genes exhibited CDT activity on HeLa cells and chicken embryo fibroblast (DF-1) cells. In vitro DNase assays showed that purified recombinant CdtB has DNase activity. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis revealed that the cdtABC genes are present in all strains of Av. paragallinarum examined in this study. This is the first report of the identification and functional analysis of cdtABC genes from Av. paragallinarum. The gene products of cdtABC genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease caused by Av. paragallinarum.
authors.affiliation: a Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung Hsing University , Taichung , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D-H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shien
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: T-Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: P-C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D001483:Base Sequence; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000166:cytology; D002645:Chickens; D017931:DNA Primers; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D015661:Pasteurellaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D017931:DNA Primers; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C067044:cytolethal distending toxin