Enterotoxic Activity of Hemolysin BL from Bacillus Cereus

Overview

Journal Infect Immun

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 1995 Nov 1

PMID 7591080

Citations 82

Authors

D J Beecher

J L Schoeni

A C Wong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Bacillus cereus causes exotoxin-mediated diarrheal food poisoning. Hemolysin BL (HBL) is a well-characterized B. cereus toxin composed of three components (B, L1, and L2) that together possess hemolytic, cytotoxic, dermonecrotic, and vascular permeability activities. Here, we show that HBL causes fluid accumulation in ligated rabbit ileal loops at a dose of 5 micrograms of each component per loop. Maximal fluid responses occurred for combinations of all three components at > or = 25 micrograms of each component per loop. Individual components and binary combinations did not cause significant fluid accumulation at 25 micrograms of each component. Specific antisera to HBL components inhibited the fluid accumulation response of crude culture supernatant from B. cereus F837/76. These antisera were tested against an antiserum to a partially characterized multicomponent diarrheal toxin described previously by Thompson et al. (N. E. Thompson, M. J. Ketterhagen, M. S. Bergdoll, and E. J. Shantz, Infect. Immun. 43:887-894, 1984). Immunoblot and immunoprecipitation analyses indicate that HBL and that toxin are identical. These results confirm previous speculation that HBL is a tripartite enterotoxin that, as for all of its other known activities, requires all three components for maximal activity.

Citing Articles

A new understanding of Acanthamoeba castellanii: dispelling the role of bacterial pore-forming toxins in cyst formation and amoebicidal actions.

Yabrag A, Ullah N, Baryalai P, Ahmad I, Zlatkov N, Toh E Cell Death Discov. 2025; 11(1):66.

PMID: 39971918 PMC: 11839945. DOI: 10.1038/s41420-025-02345-8.

Genetic Profile and Toxigenic Potential of Isolates from a Norwegian Ice Cream Production Plant.

Lindback T, Llarena A, Aanrud S, Monshaugen M, Mekonnen Y, Holmemo C Foods. 2024; 13(19).

PMID: 39410065 PMC: 11475924. DOI: 10.3390/foods13193029.

Unveiling intraspecific diversity and evolutionary dynamics of the foodborne pathogen s through high-quality pan-genome analysis.

Du Y, Qian C, Li X, Zheng X, Huang S, Yin Z Curr Res Food Sci. 2024; 9:100867.

PMID: 39376581 PMC: 11456886. DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2024.100867.

Evaluating the Safety of GW-01 Obtained from Sheep Rumen Chyme.

Xu B, Huang X, Qin H, Lei Y, Zhao S, Liu S Microorganisms. 2024; 12(7).

PMID: 39065225 PMC: 11278751. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071457.

Probiotic Potential and Safety Assessment of cqf-43 and Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis.

Liu B, Zhong X, Liu Z, Guan X, Wang Q, Qi R Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(24).

PMID: 38139398 PMC: 10744225. DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417570.

References

Beecher D, Wong A . Improved purification and characterization of hemolysin BL, a hemolytic dermonecrotic vascular permeability factor from Bacillus cereus. Infect Immun. 1994; 62(3):980-6. PMC: 186213. DOI: 10.1128/iai.62.3.980-986.1994. View

Heinrichs J, Beecher D, Macmillan J, Zilinskas B . Molecular cloning and characterization of the hblA gene encoding the B component of hemolysin BL from Bacillus cereus. J Bacteriol. 1993; 175(21):6760-6. PMC: 206798. DOI: 10.1128/jb.175.21.6760-6766.1993. View

Beecher D, Wong A . Identification and analysis of the antigens detected by two commercial Bacillus cereus diarrheal enterotoxin immunoassay kits. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994; 60(12):4614-6. PMC: 202031. DOI: 10.1128/aem.60.12.4614-4616.1994. View

Beecher D, Pulido J, Barney N, Wong A . Extracellular virulence factors in Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis: methods and implication of involvement of hemolysin BL. Infect Immun. 1995; 63(2):632-9. PMC: 173042. DOI: 10.1128/iai.63.2.632-639.1995. View

Nishibuchi M, Kaper J . Thermostable direct hemolysin gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus: a virulence gene acquired by a marine bacterium. Infect Immun. 1995; 63(6):2093-9. PMC: 173271. DOI: 10.1128/iai.63.6.2093-2099.1995. View

Agata N, Ohta M, Arakawa Y, Mori M . The bceT gene of Bacillus cereus encodes an enterotoxic protein. Microbiology (Reading). 1995; 141 ( Pt 4):983-8. DOI: 10.1099/13500872-141-4-983. View

Duncan C, Sugiyama H, Strong D . Rabbit ileal loop response to strains of Clostridium perfringens. J Bacteriol. 1968; 95(5):1560-6. PMC: 252176. DOI: 10.1128/jb.95.5.1560-1566.1968. View

Finkelstein R, LoSpalluto J . Pathogenesis of experimental cholera. Preparation and isolation of choleragen and choleragenoid. J Exp Med. 1969; 130(1):185-202. PMC: 2138674. DOI: 10.1084/jem.130.1.185. View

Finkelstein R, LoSpalluto J . Crystalline cholera toxin and toxoid. Science. 1972; 175(4021):529-30. DOI: 10.1126/science.175.4021.529. View

10.

Spira W, Goepfert J . Bacillus cereus-induced fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops. Appl Microbiol. 1972; 24(3):341-8. PMC: 376521. DOI: 10.1128/am.24.3.341-348.1972. View

11.

Glatz B, Goeppert J . Extracellular factor synthesized by Bacillus cereus which evokes a dermal reaction in guinea pigs. Infect Immun. 1973; 8(1):25-9. PMC: 422804. DOI: 10.1128/iai.8.1.25-29.1973. View

12.

Glatz B, Spira W, Goepfert J . Alteration of vascular permeability in rabbits by culture filtrates of Bacillus cereus and related species. Infect Immun. 1974; 10(2):299-303. PMC: 414995. DOI: 10.1128/iai.10.2.299-303.1974. View

13.

Keusch G, Donta S . Classification of enterotoxins on the basis of activity in cell culture. J Infect Dis. 1975; 131(1):58-63. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/131.1.58. View

14.

Turnbull P, Kramer J, Jorgensen K, Gilbert R, Melling J . Properties and production characteristics of vomiting, diarrheal, and necrotizing toxins of Bacillus cereus. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979; 32(1):219-28. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/32.1.219. View

15.

Turnbull P, Jorgensen K, Kramer J, Gilbert R, Parry J . Severe clinical conditions associated with Bacillus cereus and the apparent involvement of exotoxins. J Clin Pathol. 1979; 32(3):289-93. PMC: 1145637. DOI: 10.1136/jcp.32.3.289. View

16.

Miyamoto Y, Obara Y, Nikkawa T, Yamai S, Kato T, Yamada Y . Simplified purification and biophysicochemical characteristics of Kanagawa phenomenon-associated hemolysin of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Infect Immun. 1980; 28(2):567-76. PMC: 550972. DOI: 10.1128/iai.28.2.567-576.1980. View

17.

Ljungh A, Kronevi T . Aeromonas hydrophila toxins - intestinal fluid accumulation and mucosal injury in animal models. Toxicon. 1982; 20(2):397-407. DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(82)90002-2. View

18.

Turnbull P, Kramer J . Non-gastrointestinal Bacillus cereus infections: an analysis of exotoxin production by strains isolated over a two-year period. J Clin Pathol. 1983; 36(10):1091-6. PMC: 498481. DOI: 10.1136/jcp.36.10.1091. View

19.

Thompson N, Ketterhagen M, Bergdoll M, SCHANTZ E . Isolation and some properties of an enterotoxin produced by Bacillus cereus. Infect Immun. 1984; 43(3):887-94. PMC: 264266. DOI: 10.1128/iai.43.3.887-894.1984. View

20.

Bitsaev A, EZEPCHUK I . [Molecular nature of the pathogenic effect induced by B. cereus]. Mol Gen Mikrobiol Virusol. 1987; (7):18-23. View