Evidence for phospholipase B activity in Fusobacterium necrophorum cultures and its association with hemolysin/leucocidin activities

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 219 - 233
• Main Authors: Fifis, T., Costopoulos, C., Vaughan, J.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-04-1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; ENFERMEDADES HEPATICAS; ESTERASAS; ESTERASE; ESTERASES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; FUSOBACTERIUM; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Fusobacterium necrophorum - enzymology; Fusobacterium necrophorum - metabolism; Hemolysin; Hemolysin Proteins - chemistry; Hemolysin Proteins - isolation & purification; Hemolysin Proteins - metabolism; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Leucocidin; Leukocidins - isolation & purification; Leukocidins - metabolism; Liver abscess; LIVER DISEASES; Lysophospholipase - chemistry; Lysophospholipase - isolation & purification; Lysophospholipase - metabolism; MALADIE DU FOIE; Microbiology; Mycology; Pathogenicity, host-agent relations, miscellaneous strains, epidemiology; Phosholipase B; Temperature; TOXINAS; TOXINE; TOXINS; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Phosholipase B; Liver abscess; Leucocidin; Hemolysin; Bovine; Enzyme; Liver; Abscess; Hepatic disease; Esterases; Veterinary medicine; Bacteroidaceae; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Infection; Pathogenicity; Toxin; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Lysophospholipase; Digestive diseases; Bacteria; Hydrolases; Leucocidine; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-1135(95)00195-6

Phospholipase B (PLB) activity was present in
Fusobacterium necrophorum cultures and it correlated closely with virulence and co-purified with the hemolysin/leucocidin activities. All three activities were associated with a large molecule or molecular complex (6 × 10
2−2 × 10
3 kDa) exhibiting varying degrees of aggregation. These were present mainly in the culture medium and to a lesser extent in cell sonicates. The PLB and toxin activities were sensitive to heat, dissociating agents, proteolytic enzymes, prolonged purification regimes, freeze-drying and repeated freeze-thawing. The toxin(s) were stable over a broad range of pH, did not require divalent ions or reducing agents and could be kept for several months as an ammonium sulfate precipitate at 4°C, or stored as a concentrated liquid in the presence of proteolytic inhibitors at −20°C.