In our previous reports, the isolation of an unidentified contaminant strain of genus
Clostridium having the action to promote toxin production of
Cl. botulinum type E in mixed culture was presented. The specificity of the toxin of higher potency produced and the lack in growth promoting action of the strain were also described. An allusion was given to the possibility of elucidating mechanisms of toxin production of
Cl. botulinum type E through pursuit for the mode of toxin production-promoting action of the contaminant organism, if it was restricted to toxin production.
Recently, Boroff et al. made studies on toxin of
Cl. botulinum type C and mentioned that so-called exotoxin of
Cl. botulinum is a part of bacterial cytoplasm and is liberated when bacteria autolyze and the toxic properties of the organism may reside in some active grouping or configuration of groupings which are a part of bacterial cytoplasm.
However, no report concerning the toxin of type E organisms has been found as yet.
The following is a report concerning the mode of action of the contaminant strain to promote toxin production of
Cl. botulinum type E in mixed culture, and the results obtained seem to cast light to the mechanism of toxin production of type E organism
per se.
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