SEPARATION OF THE TOXIN OF BACILLUS CEREUS INTO TWO COMPONENTS AND NONIDENTITY OF THE TOXIN WITH PHOSPHOLIPASE

Abstract

MIOLNAR, DOROTHY M. (U.S. Army Chemical Corps, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.). Separation of the toxin of Bacillus cereus into two components and nonidentity of the toxin with phospholipase. J. Bacteriol. 84:147-153. 1962-Bacillus cereus produced toxin in a Casamino acids medium without added serum or other protein. The toxin was separated into two components by adsorption on columns of calcium phosphate gel followed by elution with phosphate buffer (pH 7.5).

BACILLUS CEREUS PATHOGENICITY: A REVIEW

“…1981). Morita and Woodburn (1977) demonstrated that the additions of beef extract, chicken broth or egg to cooked rice significantly reduced the lag phase of growth. Meat infusions also display a marked stimulatory effect on B. cereus growth in seed flours and meals (Beuchat et af.…”

“…Chu (1949) first hypothesized that the toxic activity was due to an exocellular metabolite, but considered that the metabolite involved might be analogous to Clostridium pe@ingens a-toxin having both lecithinase and hemolytic as well as lethal activities. In the 1960s many reports concluded to the presence of many distinct factors in culture filtrates (Fossum 1963;Johnson and Bonventre 1967;Molnar 1962;Logan 1963, 1965). Some gastrointestinal disturbances were suspected to be caused by gastrointestinal toxins, called "enterotoxins"; the definition of such toxins was given by Bonventre et al (1967) for clarification of toxin nomenclature.…”

“…Shinagawa (1990) described an alternative procedure based on (NH4)$04 precipitation followed by dialysis. Molnar (1962) provided one of the first results regarding the enterotoxin composition. By ethanol treatment and calcium phosphate gel chromatography of culture filtrates, 2 components were separated; they were distinct from phospholipase and active on guinea pig skin and lethal to mice.…”

“…The idea of a lethal activity related to phospholipase and hemolysin was initially supported by Bonventre and Eckert (1963). Molnar (1962), however, gave evidence that the lethal activity was separable from the phospholipase. Bernheimer and Grushoff (1967) even reported that their purified cereolysin exhibited the mouse lethal activity, Mouse lung capillary occlusion by thrombuses could be seen after injection of B. cereus culture filtrates (Bonventre and Eckert 1963).…”

THE NATURE OF TOXINS PRODUCED BY BACILLUS CEREUS BIS‐59

“…In Escherichia coli, the loss of virulence could be correlated with inactivation of hemolysin production (Waalwijk and De Graaff 1983). Early attempts to characterize B.vcereus toxin indicated that it is similar to the toxin produced by Clostridium pelfringens (Ottolenghi 1965) which could be separated into two components that did not individually exhibit any toxicity to mice (Molnar 1962). The nature of B.vcereus toxin has been reported to be proteinaceous (Kramer 1984).…”