scholarly journals Clostridium perfringens – epidemiological importance and diagnostics

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (01) ◽  
pp. 6161-2019
Author(s):  
NINA KOZIEŁ ◽  
ELŻBIETA KUKIER ◽  
KRZYSZTOF KWIATEK
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Extracellular Enzymes ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Immunocompromised Host ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Gastrointestinal Infections ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Disease Diagnostics ◽  
Enteritis Necroticans

Clostridium perfringens is one of the most widespread anaerobic spore forming bacteria found in the environment. The toxotype A of the species inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of birds and mammals exhibiting pathogenic properties in the immunocompromised host. The virulence determinants of C. perfringens are toxins and extracellular enzymes which cause gas gangrene, enteritis necroticans, food poisoning, and non-food borne gastrointestinal infections in humans. The young animals suffer from enterotoxaemia, dysentery and necrotic enteritis due to the anaerobic spore forming bacilli. This article reviews the epidemiological significance of C. perfringens and its disease diagnostics, taking into account all known to date virulence determinants of the microorganism.

Clostridium perfringens extracellular toxins and enzymes: 20 and counting

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A Revitt-Mills ◽  
Julian I Rood ◽  
Vicki Adams
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Anaerobic Bacterium ◽  
Extracellular Enzymes ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Gas Gangrene ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Commensal Bacterium ◽  
Paper Briefly ◽  
Gram Positive

Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium that is widely distributed in the environment; it is found in soil and commonly inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals1,2. The ubiquitous nature of this bacterium has resulted in it becoming a major cause of histotoxic and enteric diseases3. The success of C. perfringens as both a pathogen and a commensal bacterium lies in its ability to produce a large number of potent toxins and extracellular enzymes4. This diverse toxin repertoire results in a broad range of diseases including gas gangrene, various enterotoxaemias, food poisoning and necrotic enteritis4–6. Since 2007, six new toxins have been identified, adding to the ever-increasing range of potential C. perfringens virulence determinants. This paper briefly reviews the plethora of toxins and extracellular enzymes produced by C. perfringens, highlighting their importance in disease and strain classification as well as introducing the latest additions to the ever increasing C. perfringens toxin family.

scholarly journals Organization of the Plasmid cpe Locus in Clostridium perfringens Type A Isolates

2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 4261-4272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuaki Miyamoto ◽  
Ganes Chakrabarti ◽  
Yosiharu Morino ◽  
Bruce A. McClane
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Horizontal Transfer ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Type A ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Open Reading Frame ◽  
Enterotoxin Gene ◽  
Genetic Element ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Food Borne

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens type A isolates causing food poisoning have a chromosomal enterotoxin gene (cpe), while C. perfringens type A isolates responsible for non-food-borne human gastrointestinal diseases carry a plasmid cpe gene. In the present study, the plasmid cpe locus of the type A non-food-borne-disease isolate F4969 was sequenced to design primers and probes for comparative PCR and Southern blot studies of the cpe locus in other type A isolates. Those analyses determined that the region upstream of the plasmid cpe gene is highly conserved among type A isolates carrying a cpe plasmid. The organization of the type A plasmid cpe locus was also found to be unique, as it contains IS1469 sequences located similarly to those in the chromosomal cpe locus but lacks the IS1470 sequences found upstream of IS1469 in the chromosomal cpe locus. Instead of those upstream IS1470 sequences, a partial open reading frame potentially encoding cytosine methylase (dcm) was identified upstream of IS1469 in the plasmid cpe locus of all type A isolates tested. Similar dcm sequences were also detected in several cpe-negative C. perfringens isolates carrying plasmids but not in type A isolates carrying a chromosomal cpe gene. Contrary to previous reports, sequences homologous to IS1470, rather than IS1151, were found downstream of the plasmid cpe gene in most type A isolates tested. Those IS1470-like sequences reside in about the same position but are oppositely oriented and defective relative to the IS1470 sequences found downstream of the chromosomal cpe gene. Collectively, these and previous results suggest that the cpe plasmid of many type A isolates originated from integration of a cpe-containing genetic element near the dcm sequences of a C. perfringens plasmid. The similarity of the plasmid cpe locus in many type A isolates is consistent with horizontal transfer of a common cpe plasmid among C. perfringens type A strains.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Involvement of Alternative Sigma Factors SigF and SigG in Clostridium perfringens Sporulation and Enterotoxin Synthesis

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 4286-4293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihong Li ◽  
Bruce A. McClane
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Sigma Factors ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Alternative Sigma Factors ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Food Borne Illness ◽  
Bacterial Food ◽  
Null Mutants

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens type A food poisoning is the second most commonly identified bacterial food-borne illness. Sporulation contributes to this disease in two ways: (i) most food-poisoning strains form exceptionally resistant spores to facilitate their survival of food-associated stresses, and (ii) the enterotoxin (CPE) responsible for the symptoms of this food poisoning is synthesized only during sporulation. In Bacillus subtilis, four alternative sigma factors mediate sporulation. The same four sigma factors are encoded by C. perfringens genomes, and two (SigE and SigK) have previously been shown to be necessary for sporulation and CPE production by SM101, a transformable derivative of a C. perfringens food-poisoning strain (K. H. Harry, R. Zhou, L. Kroos, and S. B. Melville, J. Bacteriol. 2009, 191:2728-2742). However, the importance of SigF and SigG for C. perfringens sporulation or CPE production had not yet been assessed. In the current study, after confirming that sporulating wild-type SM101 cultures produce SigF (from a tricistronic operon) and SigG, we prepared isogenic sigF- or sigG-null mutants. Whereas SM101 formed heat-resistant, phase-refractile spores, spore formation was blocked in the sigF- and sigG-null mutants. Complementation fully restored sporulation by both mutants. By use of these mutants and complementing strains, CPE production was shown to be SigF dependent but SigG independent. This finding apparently involved regulation of the production of SigE and SigK, which Harry et al. showed to be necessary for CPE synthesis, by SigF. By combining these findings with those previous results, it is now apparent that all four alternative sigma factors are necessary for C. perfringens sporulation, but only SigE, SigF, and SigK are needed for CPE synthesis.

scholarly journals ROLE OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS IN PATHOGENICITY OF SOME DOMESTIC ANIMALS

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1117-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Mohammadabadi
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Native Breed ◽  
The World ◽  
The Tropics

Clostridium perfringens, is an anaerobic, gram-positive, pathogenic and spore-forming bacillus and broadly gave out in our territory. This bacterium has spore formation capability and creating gangrene and gastrointestinal disease, for example food poisoning and necrotic enteritis in human, whilst in other animals, gastrointestinal and enterotoxemic diseases more happening. Prevalence of necrotic enteritis, created by C. perfringens, has been often stated in sheep, chickens and ostrich throughout the world. The most critical problem for epidemiological investigations and vaccines improvement is accurate recognition of C. perfringens variants. Moreover, Small ruminants, especially native breed types, play an important role to the livelihoods of a considerable part of human population in the tropics from socio-economic aspects. Therefore, integrated attempt in terms of management and genetic improvement to enhance production is of crucial importance. Poultry provide humans with companionship, food and fiber in the form of eggs, meat and feathers. Many people love to raise and show chickens and other poultry species at fairs and other poultry shows. Others just love to raise them for backyard pets and for fresh eggs every day. In the last few years, ostrich farming has progressed dramatically and the world ostrich industry has achieved some economic stability. There is considerable scope for improvement in the areas of artificial incubation, chick nutrition, environmental requirements and selective breeding. Hence, the aim of this paper was to study role of Clostridium perfringens in pathogenicity of sheep, broilers and Ostrich. In conclusion, recognition of toxins producing by C. perfringens is very momentous because their toxin types are related to particular gastric and intestinal animal sickness and PCR has become an essential research and diagnostic tool, being a powerful technique with a vast and increasing range of applications. Hence, it is better that animal breeders identify different types of C. perfringens using PCR technique to prevent the damage caused by this bacterium.  

scholarly journals An atypical lipoteichoic acid from Clostridium perfringens elicits a broadly cross-reactive and protective immune response

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (28) ◽  
pp. 9513-9530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory Q. Wenzel ◽  
Dominic C. Mills ◽  
Justyna M. Dobruchowska ◽  
Jiri Vlach ◽  
Harald Nothaft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Lipoteichoic Acid ◽  
2D Nmr ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Whole Cells

Clostridium perfringens is a leading cause of food-poisoning and causes avian necrotic enteritis, posing a significant problem to both the poultry industry and human health. No effective vaccine against C. perfringens is currently available. Using an antiserum screen of mutants generated from a C. perfringens transposon-mutant library, here we identified an immunoreactive antigen that was lost in a putative glycosyltransferase mutant, suggesting that this antigen is likely a glycoconjugate. Following injection of formalin-fixed whole cells of C. perfringens HN13 (a laboratory strain) and JGS4143 (chicken isolate) intramuscularly into chickens, the HN13-derived antiserum was cross-reactive in immunoblots with all tested 32 field isolates, whereas only 5 of 32 isolates were recognized by JGS4143-derived antiserum. The immunoreactive antigens from both HN13 and JGS4143 were isolated, and structural analysis by MALDI-TOF-MS, GC-MS, and 2D NMR revealed that both were atypical lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) with poly-(β1→4)-ManNAc backbones substituted with phosphoethanolamine. However, although the ManNAc residues in JGS4143 LTA were phosphoethanolamine-modified, a few of these residues were instead modified with phosphoglycerol in the HN13 LTA. The JGS4143 LTA also had a terminal ribose and ManNAc instead of ManN in the core region, suggesting that these differences may contribute to the broadly cross-reactive response elicited by HN13. In a passive-protection chicken experiment, oral challenge with C. perfringens JGS4143 lead to 22% survival, whereas co-gavage with JGS4143 and α-HN13 antiserum resulted in 89% survival. This serum also induced bacterial killing in opsonophagocytosis assays, suggesting that HN13 LTA is an attractive target for future vaccine-development studies.

scholarly journals Inorganic Phosphate and Sodium Ions Are Cogerminants for Spores of Clostridium perfringens Type A Food Poisoning-Related Isolates

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (19) ◽  
pp. 6299-6305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Paredes-Sabja ◽  
Pathima Udompijitkul ◽  
Mahfuzur R. Sarker
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Inorganic Phosphate ◽  
Dipicolinic Acid ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Type A ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Similar Extent ◽  
Active Growth ◽  
Food Borne

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens type A isolates carrying a chromosomal copy of the enterotoxin (cpe) gene are involved in the majority of food poisoning (FP) outbreaks, while type A isolates carrying a plasmid-borne cpe gene are involved in C. perfringens-associated non-food-borne (NFB) gastrointestinal diseases. To cause diseases, C. perfringens spores must germinate and return to active growth. Previously, we showed that only spores of FP isolates were able to germinate with K+ ions. We now found that the spores of the majority of FP isolates, but none of the NFB isolates, germinated with the cogerminants Na+ and inorganic phosphate (NaPi) at a pH of ∼6.0. Spores of gerKA-KC and gerAA mutants germinated to a lesser extent and released less dipicolinic acid (DPA) than did wild-type spores with NaPi. Although gerKB spores germinated to a similar extent as wild-type spores with NaPi, their rate of germination was lower. Similarly, gerO and gerO gerQ mutant spores germinated slower and released less DPA than did wild-type spores with NaPi. In contrast, gerQ spores germinated to a slightly lesser extent than wild-type spores but released all of their DPA during NaPi germination. In sum, this study identified NaPi as a novel nutrient germinant for spores of most FP isolates and provided evidence that proteins encoded by the gerKA-KC operon, gerAA, and gerO are required for NaPi-induced spore germination.

scholarly journals Inorganic Phosphate Induces Spore Morphogenesis and Enterotoxin Production in the Intestinal Pathogen Clostridium perfringens

2006 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 3651-3656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria A. Philippe ◽  
Marcelo B. Méndez ◽  
I-Hsiu Huang ◽  
Lelia M. Orsaria ◽  
Mahfuzur R. Sarker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Inorganic Phosphate ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Physiological Signal ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Intestinal Pathogen ◽  
Important Virulence Factor ◽  
Dna Partitioning ◽  
Effect Of Glucose

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is an important virulence factor for food poisoning and non-food borne gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Although CPE production is strongly regulated by sporulation, the nature of the signal(s) triggering sporulation remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that inorganic phosphate (Pi), and not pH, constitutes an environmental signal inducing sporulation and CPE synthesis. In the absence of Pi-supplementation, C. perfringens displayed a spo0A phenotype, i.e., absence of polar septation and DNA partitioning in cells that reached the stationary phase of growth. These results received support from our Northern blot analyses which demonstrated that Pi was able to counteract the inhibitory effect of glucose at the onset of sporulation and induced spo0A expression, indicating that Pi acts as a key signal triggering spore morphogenesis. In addition to being the first study reporting the nature of a physiological signal triggering sporulation in clostridia, these findings have relevance for the development of antisporulation drugs to prevent or treat CPE-mediated GI diseases in humans.

scholarly journals Food poisoning in hospitals in Scotland

1979 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. M. Sharp ◽  
P. W. Collier ◽  
R. J. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Salmonella Infection ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Laboratory Facilities ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Prepared Food

summaryA review of 50 hospital-based outbreaks of food poisoning which were reported in Scotland during 1973–7, is described. At least 1530 persons consuming hospital-prepared food were involved. Thirty-one episodes were associated with Clostridium perfringens (C. welchii), 11 were due to food-borne salmonella infection, three to enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus, and five incidents were of undetermined aetiology. This differs noticeably from the experience in England and Wales where salmonellas appear to predominate as the main cause of hospital outbreaks. Twenty-two incidents occurred in hospitals for psychiatric or mentally subnormal patients, and ten others were located in geriatric units. Only 33 hospitals were involved in the 50 outbreaks as nine hospitals experienced two or more episodes.The role of the hospital in the occurrence of food poisoning may be over-emphasized in comparison with other catering establishments, as outbreaks are more readily recognized and laboratory facilities are usually available for investigation, but it is also believed that many episodes may not be reported. The peculiar problems of the hospital-catering service and particularly those of the older long-stay hospitals, are discussed in relation to preventive measures which would minimize the hazards of food poisoning.

scholarly journals Enterotoxin Plasmid from Clostridium perfringens Is Conjugative

2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 3483-3487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigrid Brynestad ◽  
Mahfuzur R. Sarker ◽  
Bruce A. McClane ◽  
Per Einar Granum ◽  
Julian I. Rood
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Intestinal Flora ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Donor Cell ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Conjugative Transfer ◽  
Chloramphenicol Resistance ◽  
Food Borne

ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin is the major virulence factor involved in the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type A food poisoning and several non-food-borne human gastrointestinal illnesses. The enterotoxin gene,cpe, is located on the chromosome of food-poisoning isolates but is found on a large plasmid in non-food-borne gastrointestinal disease isolates and in veterinary isolates. To evaluate whether the cpe plasmid encodes its own conjugative transfer, a C. perfringens strain carrying pMRS4969, a plasmid in which a 0.4-kb segment internal to thecpe gene had been replaced by the chloramphenicol resistance gene catP, was used as a donor in matings with several cpe-negative C. perfringensisolates. Chloramphenicol resistance was transferred at frequencies ranging from 2.0 × 10−2 to 4.6 × 10−4 transconjugants per donor cell. The transconjugants were characterized by PCR, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and Southern hybridization analyses. The results demonstrated that the entire pMRS4969 plasmid had been transferred to the recipient strain. Plasmid transfer required cell-to-cell contact and was DNase resistant, indicating that transfer occurred by a conjugation mechanism. In addition, several fragments of the prototype C. perfringens tetracycline resistance plasmid, pCW3, hybridized with pMRS4969, suggesting that pCW3 shares some similarity to pMRS4969. The clinical significance of these findings is that if conjugative transfer of the cpe plasmid occurred in vivo, it would have the potential to convertcpe-negative C. perfringens strains in normal intestinal flora into strains capable of causing gastrointestinal disease.

scholarly journals A rapid qualitative assay for detection of Clostridium perfringens in canned food products

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayatri Ashwinkumar Dave
Keyword(s):  
Phospholipase C ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Colorimetric Assay ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Yellow Colour ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Reporter Assays ◽  
Food Borne Infections

Clostridium perfringens (MTCC 1349) is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, endospore forming, and rod-shaped bacterium. This bacterium produces a variety of toxins under strict anaerobic environment. C. perfringens can grow at temperatures ranging between 20°C and 50°C. It is the major causetive agent for gas gangrene, cellulitis, septicemia, necrotic enteritis and food poisoning, which are common toxin induced conditions noted in human and animals. C. perfringens can produce produce four major types of toxins that are used for the classification of strains, classified under type A–E. Across the globe many countries, including the United States, are affected by C. perfringens food poisonings where it is ranked as one of the most common causes of food borne infections. To date, no direct one step assay for the detection of C. perfringens has been developed and only few methods are known for accurate detection of C. perfringens. Long detection and incubation time is the major consideration of these reporter assays. The prensent study proposes a rapid and reliable colorimetric assay for the detection of C. perfringens. In principale, this assay detects the para nitrophenyl (yellow colour end product) liberated due to the hydrolysis of paranitrophenyl phosphetidyl choline (PNPC) through phospholipase C (lecithinase). Constitutive secretion of phospholipase C is a charactristic feature of C. perfringens. This assay detects the presence of the extracellular lecithinse through the PNPC impragnated impregnated probe. The probe is impregnated with peranitrophenyl phosphotidyl choline ester, which is colourless substrate used by lecithinase. The designed assay is specific towards PNPC and detectes very small quantites of lecithinase under conditions used. The reaction is substrate specific, no cross reaction was observed upon incubation with other substrates. In addition, this assay gave negative results with other clostridium strains, no cross reactions were observed with other experimental strains like C. tetani, C. botulinum, C. acetobutyricum, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli. This assay is extramly rapid and provides reliable and reproducible results within one hour of incubation at 37°C.

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