Phage conversion of toxigenicity in Clostridium botulinum types C and D was accomplished by using nontoxigenic strains and phages purified from plaques. Although the morphology of the converting phages seemed to be the same, they were divided into three groups on the basis of their conversion spectrum. The first group consists of phages obtained from toxogenic strains C-Stockholm and C-468. The second group consists of phages from strains D-1873 and C-203. The third group consists of phages from strains D-South African and D-4947. These converting phages were also classified into the same three groups by a neutralization test with specific antiphage sera. Cross-neutralization, however, was observed between phages belonging to group 1 and group 2,by both the neutralization test of converting ability and by a plaque experiment in which the surviving rates of phages were calculated after treatment with each antiphage serum. The antigenic differences among these converting phages should probably comprise one of the reasons for the existence of the specific infection spectrum in C. botulinum types C and D.

Antigens, Viral↗

PubMed1976

Phage conversion to hemagglutinin production in Clostridium botulinum types C and D.

Five toxigenic strains of Clostridium botulinum types C and D were incubated at 37 degrees C for 7 days in 15 ml of the following media: LYG medium, cooked-meat medium, egg meat medium, and N-Z-amine medium. The supernatants of these cultures were tested for hemagglutinin production with 1% erythrocytes obtained from mice, guinea pigs, chickens, sheep, monkeys, and humans. Four toxigenic strains produced hemagglutinin. The highest hemagglutinin titer was obtained with a combination of human erythrocytes and cultures incubated in LYG medium. When the same experiment was carried out with many nontoxigenic strains, hemagglutination was observed in only one strain, C-N71. Strains producing hemagglutinin also produced phages. The phages obtained from toxin- and hemagglutinin-producing strains converted nontoxigenic indicator strains to produce both toxin and hemagglutinin. The phage obtained from a toxin-positive hemagglutinin-negative strain could only induce cultures to produce toxin, and the phage from a toxin-negative hemagglutinin-positive strain could only induce production of hemagglutinin. These studies suggest that the production of hemagglutinin by C. botulinum types C and D is governed by bacteriophages and that hemagglutinin production can be transmitted separately or concomitantly with toxin production.

Bacteriophages↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Proceedings: Antigenicity of converting phages obtained from Clostridium botulinum types C and D.

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Antigens, Viral↗