1887

Abstract

Infection with and subsequent production of toxins A and B may result in -associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis in hospital patients. The effect of four temperate phages, obtained by induction of clinical isolates, on toxin production by was determined. None of these phages converted a lysogenized non-toxigenic strain to toxin production. One of the accessory toxin genes, , was detected in three phages, ϕC2, ϕC6 and ϕC8; however, the non-repeating regions of and encoding the enzymic domains were not carried on phage DNA. Phage infection of toxigenic strains increased toxin B production in four of six lysogens, although the level of transcription as determined by real-time RT-PCR was not significantly altered. However, levels of toxin A transcription in two lysogens were significantly altered without any corresponding differences in toxin A production.

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2005-02-01
2024-12-14
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