Abstract
Pathological activities of Edwardsiella tarda strains were studied. Adhesive or invasive activity was first examined. But we failed to detect any specific adhesive pili or invasive function. These strains were found to have slimes. These slimes could include adhesins as well as the protective substances against host defence systems.
These strains were found to produce hemolysins but not to produce Escherichia coli-like enterotoxin, proteolytic enzymes and phospholipases. But different from these functionally defined toxic substances, we found that all E. tarda strains were producing the functionally different two dermatotoxins. These toxins could be the major exotoxins of E. tarda responsible for its pathogenicity.
