Abstract
Clostridium difficile, the major aetiological agent of antibiotic associated colitis, produces two high molecular weight protein toxins, designated as toxins A and B, which are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease1. Toxin A is an enterotoxin which induces hemorrhagic fluid secretion and tissue necrosis in intestinal loops. Toxin B lacks these activities. Both are cytotoxins which act intracellularly2,3 although the mechanisms involved in the cytotoxic effects are unknown.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
D.M. Lyerly, H.C. Krivan, and T.D. Wilkins, Clostridium difficile: its disease and toxins, Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 1: 1 (1988).
B. Henriques, I. Florin, and M. Thelestam, Cellular internalization of Clostridium difficile toxin A, Microb. Pathogen. 2: 455 (1987).
I. Florin and M. Thelestam, Lysosomal involvement in cellular intoxication with Clostridium difficile toxin B, Microb. Pathogen. 1: 373 (1986).
C. Fiorentini, G. Arancia, S. Paradisi, G. Donelli, M. Giuliano, F. Piemonte, and P. Mastrantonio, Effects of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B on cytoskeleton organization in HEp-2 cells: a comparative morphological study, Toxicon. 27: 1209 (1989).
C. Fiorentini, W. Malorni, S. Paradisi, M. Giuliano, P. Mastrantonio, and G. Donelli, Interaction of Clostridium difficile toxin A with cultured cells: cytoskeletal changes and nuclear polarization, Infect. Immun. 58:2329 (1990).
M. Thelestam and I. Florin, Studies on cellular intoxication with Clostridium difficile toxins, in: “Anaerobes Today”, J. M. Hardie and S. P. Boriello, eds, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
J. Meador and R.K. Tweten, Purification and characterization of toxin B from Clostridium difficile, Infect. Immun. 56: 1708 (1988).
M. Caspar Shoshan, P. Åman, S. Skog, I. Florin, and M. Thelestam, Microfilament-disrupting Clostridium difficile toxin B causes multinucleation of transformed cells but does not block capping of membrane Ig, Eur. J. Cell Biol. 53, (1990, in press).
P. Nicotera, H. Thor, and S. Orrenius, Cytosolic-free Ca2+ and cell killing in hepatoma 1c1c7 cells exposed to chemical anoxia, FASEB J. 3: 59 (1989).
G. Triadafilopoulos, C. Pothoulakis, R. Weiss, C. Giampaolo, and J. T. LaMont, Comparative study of Clostridium difficile toxin A and cholera toxin in rabbit ileum, Gastroenterol., 97:1186 (1989).
L.G. Giugliano and B.S. Drasar, The influence of drugs on the response of a cell culture preparation to bacterial toxins, J. Med. Microbiol. 17: 151 (1984).
M. Caspar, I. Florin, and M. Thelestam, Calcium and calmodulin in cellular intoxication with Clostridium difficile toxin B, J. Cell. Physiol. 132:168 (1987).
A.A.M. Lima, D. M. Lyerly, T. D. Wilkins, D. J. Innes, and R. L. Guerrant, Effects of Clostridium difficile toxins A and B in rabbit small and large intestine in vivo and on cultured cells in vitro, Infect. Immun. 56: 582 (1988).
C. Pothoulakis, R. Sullivan, D. A. Melnick, G. Triadafilopoulos, A.-S. Gadenne, T. Meshulam, and J. T. LaMont, Clostridium difficile toxin A stimulates intracellular calcium release and chemotactic response in human granulocytes, J. Clin. Invest. 81:1741 (1988).
K. Oishi, R. L. Raynor, P. A. Charp, and J. F. Kuo, Regulation of protein kinase C by lysophospholipids. Potential role in signal transduction, J. Biol. Chem. 263: 6865 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Thelestam, M., Shoshan, M.C., Fiorentini, C. (1991). On the Cytotoxic Modes of Action of Clostridium difficile Toxins. In: Wadström, T., Mäkelä, P.H., Svennerholm, AM., Wolf-Watz, H. (eds) Molecular Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Infections. Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium Series, vol 58. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5982-1_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5982-1_22
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5984-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5982-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive