RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPORULATION, ENTEROTOXIN PRODUCTION, AND INCLUSION BODY FORMATION IN CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS NCTC 8798

Abstract

When Clostridium perfringens type A NCTC 8798 was grown in Duncan and Strong sporulation medium, spore formation and enterotoxin production coincided with each other, and a similar intimate relationship was observed between the sporulation and cytoplasmic inclusion body formation. The initiation of an exponential increase of the enterotoxin production was correlated with the sporulation stage III; at that time forespore formation was first seen by electron microscopy. When spore cortex become visible (stage V of sporulation), the inclusion body appeared. Enterotoxigenic cells and nontoxigenic mutants which differed in their sporulating abilities were examined for inclusion body formation. The results showed a close relation between sporulation, enterotoxin production, and inclusion body formation.