Nucleotide and Peptide Sequences of the Open Reading Frame Encoding a Truncated Toxin A Gene of Clostridium difficile Strain CCUG 20309

Abstract

Database Accession No.: AF053400

The open reading frame encoding a putative truncated toxin A gene of Clostridium difficile in strain CCUG 20309 (ATCC 8864), a strain that produces toxin B but not toxin A, was sequenced by cycle sequencing method. The coding region contains 2097 base pairs and has a GC content of 26.4 %. The deduced polypeptide is 50 kDa and is generally hydrophilic. Although strain CCUG 20309 of C. difficile was reported not to produce toxin A, it is entero-toxic, an inherent property of toxin A in pathogenic strains of C. difficile. It therefore remains to be determined whether a truncated form of toxin A could actually be expressed from the open reading frame by this strain of C. difficile.

Key Words:

• Toxin A
• C. difficile
• pathogenicity
• enterotoxic