Presence of Functionally Active Cytolethal Distending Toxin Genes on a Conjugative Plasmid in a Clinical Isolate of Providencia rustigianii.

ABSTRACT: Providencia rustigianii is potentially enteropathogenic in humans. Recently, we identified a P. rustigianii strain carrying a part of the cdtB gene homologous to that of Providencia alcalifacines that produces an exotoxin called cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), encoded by three subunit genes (cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC). In this study, we analyzed the P. rustigianii strain for possible presence of the entire cdt gene cluster and its organization, location, and mobility, as well as expression of the toxin as a putative virulence factor of P. rustigianii. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of the three cdt subunit genes in tandem, and over 94% homology to the corresponding genes carried by P. alcalifaciens both

SUBMITTER: Hassan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10269090 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature