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Search for enterotoxin gene in Bacteroides fragilis strains isolated from clinical specimens in Poland, Great Britain, The Netherlands and France.

BACKGROUND: Bacteroides fragilis is a member of normal human flora and well known pathogenic agent. This bacterium produces many virulence factors. In 1984 new virulence factor--enterotoxin was described. The aim of the study was to search for enterotoxin gene in B. fragilis strains isolated from clinical specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Strains isolated in Poland, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands were cultured on BBE medium. For DNA isolation Genomic DNA PREP PLUS isolation kit manufactured by A&A Biotechnology (Poland) was used. In order to detect enterotoxin (fragilysin) gene, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied utilizing the following primers: 404 (GAG CGG AAG ACG GTG TAT GTG ATT TGT) and 407 (TGC TCA GCG CCC AGT ATA TGA CCT AGT). DNA obtained from bacterial cells was amplified in thermocycler Techne. The amplification products were detected by the electrophoresis in 1% agarose gel. RESULTS: Among 65 investigated B. fragilis strains, the enterotoxin gene was detected in DNA isolated from 12 strains. CONCLUSION: The enterotoxin producing B. fragilis strains were detected among strains isolated from different clinical specimens in Poland, Great Britain, the Netherlands and France.

Bacterial Toxins↗

[Sodium 2,3-dithiopropanesulfate blockade of the effect of cholera enterotoxin on adenylate cyclase and the concentration of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate in the small intestine mucosa of the rabbit].

Activation of adenylate cyclase in membrane preparations of the rabbit small intestine mucosa by cholera enterotoxin in the presence of sodium 2,3-dithiopropanesulfate (DTPS) is similar to that in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT). Both DTT and DTPS do not influence the activity of adenylate cyclase without cholera enterotoxin. DTPS activates cyclic 3,5-AMP phosphodiesterase of mucosa homogenates (K0.5 = 10(-5) M). Combined administration of cholera enterotoxin and DTPS in situ into isolated loops of the rabbit small intestine decreases the activating effect of cholera enterotoxin on adenylate cyclase and diminishes the content of cyclic AMP in the mucosa. The destruction of disulfide bonds of cholera enterotoxin by DTPS is assumed to lower its ability to penetrate the mucosal cells of the small intestine.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the A2 and B subunits of Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin.

We have determined the sequence of the DNA encoding the A2 (gamma) and B subunits of Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin. The order of the subunits as they would be transcribed is A2-B and the termination codon of the A2 subunit overlaps the initiation codon of the B subunit by four bases. Sequence analysis revealed a region capable of coding for a 21-amino acid leader peptide located at the NH2 terminus of the B subunit. While the nucleotide sequence homology between the cholera enterotoxin subunits and the analogous sequences of the genes for Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) was 72 and 77% for the A2 and B subunits, respectively, the predicted amino acid sequences of the A2 subunits were less similar. Twenty-nine of 46 (63%) amino acids of the A2 subunits and 98 of 124 (79%) amino acids of the B subunits were identical between cholera enterotoxin and LT. The predicted amino acid sequence of the enterotoxin from a V. cholerae El Tor biotype strain reported here differs from the previously published amino acid sequences of the toxin from a classical biotype of V. cholerae at seven residues. Comparison of the A2 and B amino acid sequences among El Tor and classical biotypes of V. cholerae and E. coli LT demonstrates two regions of highly conserved sequences: 12 and 22 uninterrupted amino acids are the same among the A2 and B subunits, respectively, from the three strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Guanylyl cyclase is a heat-stable enterotoxin receptor.

Plasma membrane forms of guanylyl cyclase have been shown to function as natriuretic peptide receptors. We describe a new clone (GC-C) encoding a guanylyl cyclase receptor for heat-stable enterotoxin. GC-C encodes a protein containing an extracellular amino acid sequence divergent from that of previously cloned guanylyl cyclases; however, the protein retains the intracellular protein kinase-like and cyclase catalytic domains. Expression of GC-C in COS-7 cells results in high guanylyl cyclase activity. In addition, heat-stable enterotoxin from E. coli, but not natriuretic peptides, causes marked elevations of cyclic GMP and is specifically bound by cells transfected with GC-C. The enterotoxin fails to elevate cyclic GMP in nontransfected cells or in cells transfected with the natriuretic peptide/guanylyl cyclase receptors. These results show that a heat-stable enterotoxin receptor responsible for acute diarrhea is a plasma membrane form of guanylyl cyclase.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Anti-idiotypic antibodies that inhibit immediate-type skin reactions in unsensitized monkeys on challenge with staphylococcal enterotoxin.

The staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-induced immediate-type skin reaction in unsensitized monkeys was used as a nonimmunological mast cell stimulus to examine whether the toxin exerts its effect via specific receptors on the target cell membrane. Anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id) were raised in BALB/c mice against monoclonal anti-SEB antibodies (anti-SEB) and purified by idiotype affinity chromatography. The anti-Id nature of the antibody was demonstrated by its ability to inhibit the binding of 125I-labeled anti-SEB to the ligand in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, binding of anti-SEB to anti-Id was antagonized by the SEB ligand in a competitive way. These antibodies completely abolished skin reactions in unsensitized monkeys on challenge with SEB and impeded those provoked by staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C1 but did not have the biological activity of the toxin. These data are compatible with the view that receptors for staphylococcal enterotoxins may exist on the membrane of mast cells in the skin of unsensitized monkeys. The data suggest an experimental approach for producing anti-cell receptor antibodies that are of potential value to influence the course of staphylococcal enterotoxin-mediated effects.

Animals↗

ACUTE AND CHRONIC ENTEROTOXIN ENTERITIS.

1. Dogs develop severe gastrointestinal symptoms in response to intraintestinal administration of staphylococcal enterotoxin. These symptoms are salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea. 2. Staphylococcal enterotoxin induces acute enteritis marked by edema, hyperemia, round cell infiltration, mucosal exudation, and destruction of intestinal villi. 3. Prolonged administration of enterotoxin into the lumen of the intestine produced thickening of the entire bowel wall, edema, dilatation of the lymphatics, and exaggeration of submucous lymphoid nodules. The hypertrophy of the lymphoid nodules is visible, in the gross, as enlarged longitudinal mucosal ridges. This abnormality is arranged in skip areas, not dissimilar to those observed in human regional enteritis. 4. Chronic enterotoxin enteritis is associated with mesenteric lymph node hypertrophy. 5. The intestinal mucosa shows minute ulcerations, loss of villi, submucous fibrosis, and evidence of chronic inflammation.

Animals↗

Binding of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin to rat intestinal cells and brush border membranes.

The association of heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli 431 with isolated rat intestinal epithelial cells and brush border membranes was characterized. Specific binding of strain 431 125I-STa to a single class of specific high-affinity receptors was saturable and temperature dependent and reached a maximum between 5 and 10 min. A 1,000-fold excess of unlabeled 431 STa competitively displaced 90 to 95% of radiolabeled enterotoxin bound to brush border membranes. In contrast, specific binding of 431 125I-STa to intestinal cells ranged from 40 to 65%. The number of STa-specific receptors on rat intestinal cells determined by Scatchard analysis was 47,520 +/- 14,352 (mean +/- standard error of the mean) per cell, with affinity constants (KaS) of 2.55 X 10(11)and 4.32 x 10(11) liters/mol determined for intestinal cells and brush border membranes, respectively. Villus intestinal cells appeared to possess about twice as many STa receptors as did crypt cells. Dissociation of specifically bound 431 125I-STa from intestinal cells and brush border membranes was minimal (2 to 5%). In addition, neither the rate nor the extent of dissociation was increased by a 1,000-fold excess of unlabeled homologous 431 Sta. Binding experiments with 431 125I-STa and brush border membranes showed that purified unlabeled STas from enterotoxigenic E. coli strains 667 (class 1 porcine enteropathogen), B-41 (bovine enteropathogen), and human strains 213C2 (Mexico) and 153961-2 (Dacca, Bangledesh) exhibited patterns of competitive inhibition similar to those of homologous unlabeled 431 STa (class 2 enteropathogen). A lipid extract which contained gangliosides and glycolipids exhibited dose-dependent competitive inhibition of heat-labile enterotoxin binding to brush border membranes but did not inhibit binding of 431 125I-STa. Purified heat-labile enterotoxin from strain 286C2 did not inhibit binding of 431 STa to brush border membranes. Pronase treatment of brush border membranes reduced binding of 431 125I-STa by about 30%, suggesting that the STa receptor was a protein or a glycoprotein. The putative STa receptor was radiolabeled with 431 125I-STa and solubilized with sodium deoxycholate. One major radioactive band was detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by radioautography. These data suggested that STas bind essentially irreversibly to a specific receptor on the cell surface of intestinal cells before activation of guanylate cyclase.

Animals↗

The jejunal secretory response to Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin is prolonged in malnourished rats.

Undernutrition in human infants is associated with more prolonged episodes of diarrheal disease. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that malnutrition prolongs the duration of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin-induced rat jejunal secretion. At weaning, rats were separated into two groups: malnourished rats were fed 50% of the previous day's intake of the fully fed control group. After approximately 2 wk of pair feeding, when malnourished rats weighed less than or equal to 60% of the full fed control group, we measured the secretory response to heat-stable enterotoxin in ligated jejunal loops. Toxin-induced secretion was equal in both groups until 30 min incubation time, after which net secretion continued to increase in the malnourished group but decreased in the fully fed group. Jejunal brush border membranes prepared from malnourished and fully fed rats demonstrated similar heat-stable enterotoxin receptor density, avidity of binding and guanyl cyclase activation. In both groups, radiolabeled toxin injected into in situ jejunal loops was converted into an altered radioligand unable to bind to brush border membranes. However, in malnourished rats, there was both increased appearance of two additional radioligands that still retained their ability to bind to brush border membranes and persistence of biologically active unlabeled toxin as measured in the suckling mouse bioassay. Our studies demonstrate that reduced or delayed inactivation of heat-stable enterotoxin, with continued presence of active toxin species, may contribute to prolonged secretion in the jejunum of malnourished rats.

Animals↗

[The receptors for bacterial enterotoxins].

Bacterial enterotoxins, produced by some pathogenic bacteria, induce diarrhoea during human or animal digestive infections; most of them act via membrane receptors and are specifically recognized on the enterocyte brush border. These receptors differ in number (which probably determines the degree of enterotoxin toxicity, nature, structure, and specificity. The receptors, ie glycolipids (GM1) or glycoproteins, are well represented on the surface of the enterocyte, and/or in various vertebrate cell types. The enterotoxins bind to the receptor glucoside chains, in which sequences have sometimes been determined. In most cases irreversible binding occurs due to enterotoxin internalization.

Animals↗

Toxic shock syndrome caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that produces enterotoxin C but not toxic shock syndrome toxin-1.

An 8-month-old infant presented with pneumonia and pleural effusion associated with clinical manifestation of toxic shock syndrome. A Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from the pleural fluid produced enterotoxin C, but not toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 or other enterotoxins. Acute and convalescent sera showed an antibody rise to enterotoxin C but not to toxic shock syndrome toxin-1. These findings support the possibility that enterotoxin C was the primary toxin associated with this infant's illness.

Bacterial Toxins↗

Crystal structure of the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin type A.

Staphylococcal enterotoxins are prototype superantigens characterized by their ability to bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and subsequently activate a large fraction of T-lymphocytes. The crystal structure of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA), a 27 kDa monomeric protein, was determined to 1.9 A resolution with an R-factor of 19.9% by multiple isomorphous replacement. SEA is a two domain protein composed of a beta-barrel and a beta-grasp motif demonstrating the same general structure as staphylococcal enterotoxins SEB and TSST-1. Unique for SEA, however, is a Zn2+ coordination site involved in MHC class II binding. Four amino acids including Ser1, His187, His225 and Asp227 were found to be involved in direct coordination of the metal ion. SEA is the first Zn2+ binding enterotoxin that has been structurally determined.

Binding Sites↗

A structural and functional comparison of staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C2 reveals remarkable similarity and dissimilarity.

Staphylococcal enterotoxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 are known as superantigens due to their ability to activate a large number of T-cells by crosslinking the major histocompatibility complex class II molecules with the T-cell receptor. Although superantigens seem to act by a common mechanism, they vary in many of their specific interactions and biological properties. A structural comparison of staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C2, members of the staphylococcal superantigens, has shown large conformational differences at the putative TcR interaction site (loops between alphaN-alpha2, alpha4-beta9 and beta10-alpha5 in staphylococcal enterotoxin A) that could explain the variability in their T-cell receptor specificity. A common Zn2(+)-binding site was identified in both staphylococcal enterotoxin A and C2 that is superimposable but differs somewhat in its coordination geometry between the two molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Crystal structure of microbial superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B at 1.5 A resolution: implications for superantigen recognition by MHC class II molecules and T-cell receptors.

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B is a member of a family of toxins known as superantigens that activate a large number of T-cells (up to 20%) by cross-linking MHC class II molecules with T-cell receptors in a Vbeta-restricted fashion. The crystal structure of staphylococcal enterotoxin B presented here has been determined at 1.5 A resolution, the highest resolution so far for a superantigen. The final model contains 1948 protein atoms and 177 water molecules and has excellent geometry with root-mean-square (rms) deviation of 0.007 A and 1.73 degrees in bond lengths and bond angles, respectively. The overall fold is similar to that of other microbial superantigens, but as it lacks the zinc-binding site found in other members of this family, such as staphylococcal enterotoxin A, C2 and D, this enterotoxin possesses only one MHC class II binding site. Comparison of the crystal structure of free SEB and in complex with an MHC class II molecule revealed no major changes in the MHC-binding site upon complex formation. However, a number of water molecules found in the free SEB may be displaced in the complex or contribute further to its stability. Detailed analysis of the TcR-binding site of SEB, SEA and SEC2 shows significant differences which may account for the ability of each superantigen to bind specific Vbeta sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effect of Aeromonas hydrophila enterotoxins on function of mouse phagocytes.

Two enterotoxins produced by Aeromonas hydrophila isolate SSU have been characterized in this laboratory. One is a cholera toxin cross-reactive cytolytic enterotoxin (CTC toxin) and the other is a non-cholera toxin cross-reactive cytotonic enterotoxin (non-CTC toxin). The two enterotoxins are capable of causing fluid accumulation in animal models; however, only the CTC toxin is lethal to mice and expresses hemolytic as well as cytotoxic activities. In this study, we have investigated the effects of these two toxins on mouse phagocytes. Four hours after intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose (460 micrograms/kg of body weight) of CTC toxin, the chemiluminescence (CL) response of phagocytes in mouse blood was depressed significantly when compared with that observed for controls (intraperitoneal injection of only Hanks' balance salt solution, non-CTC toxin or before treatment with CTC toxin). When fresh whole blood was incubated with various concentrations (2.3, 11.5, 23, 230, 2300 ng/ml) of CTC toxin for 1.5 hr at 37 degrees C, the CL response of blood phagocytes was reduced strikingly in a dose-dependent fashion; however, non-CTC toxin did not inhibit the CL response. The inhibitory effect induced by CTC toxin of the phagocytic function not only was abolished completely, but phagocytosis was enhanced in the presence of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). In addition, IFN-gamma alone induced the largest enhancement of the CL response in mouse phagocytes. These results demonstrated that CTC toxin inhibits the phagocytic ability of phagocytes either in vivo or in vitro and that IFN-gamma pretreatment can overcome this toxic effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aeromonas hydrophila↗

Bacterial superantigens as anti-tumour agents: induction of tumour cytotoxicity in human lymphocytes by staphylococcal enterotoxin A.

Activation of lymphocytes by interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells that show promising effects on tumour growth in clinical trials. We examined the effect of the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) on anti-tumour activity of freshly prepared human lymphocytes. Picomolar amounts of SEA rapidly induced cytotoxic activity against K562 and Raji cells as well as some natural-killer(NK)-resistant tumour cell lines. Cytotoxic activity was not dependent on target cell expression of either major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II antigens as shown using mutated cell lines. Cell-sorting experiments showed that the activity was expressed by NK (CD5-CD56+) as well as T (CD5+) cells, although the former contained the majority of cytotoxic activity. NK cells could not be directly activated by SEA. In contrast, SEA activated purified T cells to the same extent as in bulk cultures. It is suggested that SEA activation of NK cells is secondary to that brought about by lymphokines produced by T cells. Activation of LAK cells with SEA was comparable in magnitude as well as target cell spectrum to that of IL-2. In addition to the LAK-like cytotoxic activity induced by SEA, a superimposed cytotoxicity towards target cells expressing MHC class II antigens coated with SEA was observed. This staphylococcal-enterotoxin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SDCC) was exclusively mediated by T cells. It is well established that MHC class II antigens function as receptors for staphylococcal enterotoxins on mammalian cells and that the complex between MHC class II antigen and--SEA apparently functions as a target structure for activated T cells with target cell lysis as a consequence. Activation of T lymphocytes with IL-2 also resulted in the capability to mediate SDCC. Staphylococcal enterotoxins represent a novel way of inducing anti-tumour activity in human lymphocytes, which could be of value in therapeutic applications.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

Identification of a 50,000 Mr protein from rabbit brush border membranes that binds Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin.

A protein that binds Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin was extracted with NP-40 from rabbit intestinal brush border membranes. This protein was partially purified by affinity chromatography on enterotoxin-coupled CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. The molecular weight of this protein was approximately 50,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Affinity-purified samples containing this protein specifically inhibited biological activity of the enterotoxin on Vero (African green monkey kidney) cells. These studies suggest that this protein may be involved in the binding of the enterotoxin to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells.

Animals↗

Isolation and expression of a guanylate cyclase-coupled heat stable enterotoxin receptor cDNA from a human colonic cell line.

Heat stable enterotoxins (STs) are low molecular-weight peptides secreted by enterotoxigenic bacteria. One type of these enterotoxins (STa) induces intestinal secretion leading to acute diarrhea by binding to a membrane form of guanylate cyclase. We have isolated a cDNA from a human colonic cell line, T84, encoding for a guanylate cyclase-coupled enterotoxin receptor (STaR). The predicted amino acid sequence of the human STa receptor is 81% identical with the previously cloned enterotoxin receptor (GC-C) from rat intestine. COS-7 cells transiently transfected with the cloned cDNA expressed specific concentration-dependent response to STa as measured by cyclic GMP accumulation and is about 20 times more sensitive to the stimulation by STa than has been shown for GC-C.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Amino acid sequence of heat-stable enterotoxin produced by Vibrio cholerae non-01.

The amino acid sequence of heat-stable enterotoxin, produced by Vibrio cholerae non-01 and isolated from its culture supernatant, was determined by both Edman degradation of native and reductively carboxymethylated enterotoxin and also a combination of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and carboxypeptidase Y digestion of native enterotoxin to be as follows: Ile-Asp-Cys-Cys-Glu-Ile-Cys-Cys-Asn-Pro-Ala-Cys-Phe-Gly-Cys-Leu-Asn. This sequence is very similar, but not identical, to those of heat-stable enterotoxins produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica.

Amino Acid Sequence↗