Table 2.
Virulence-related genes in C. tetani
| ORF | Product | Similar sequences | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| tetX | Tetanus toxin | Botulinum toxin (Cb) | Unique in C. tetani and Cb |
| colT | Collagenase | Cp, Cb, Ba, C. histolyticum | Different domain structure of ColT (Fig. 2) |
| CTC164, CTC1606 | Fibronectin-binding protein | Cp, Cb, Cd, Lm, Li, Ba | Enables bacteria to colonize wound tissues and blood clots |
| CTC594 | Putative PAF acetylhydrolase | S. pneumoniae, S. mutans, S. pyogenes | Inactivates PAF through cleavage of an acetyl group |
| CTC586 | Hemolysin III | Cp, Cb, Ca, Ba, B. cereus | Predicted membrane protein with hemolytic activity |
| CTC1814 | Periplasmic immunogenic protein | Ba, Brucella melitensis | Outer membrane protein |
| CTC1855 | Myosin-crossreactive antigen | Cp, Lm, Li, Cb, S. pyogenes | Similar with class II major histocompatibility antigens |
| CTC1888 | Tetanolysin O | Perfringolysin O (Cp), S. pyogenes, Lm | Catalyzes the lysis of cholesterol-containing membranes |
| CTC2255, CTC2261 | Virulence factor MviN | Cb, Ca, Cd, Neisseria meningitidis | Membrane protein |
| CTC462, CTC491, CTC504, CTC515* | SlpA/Cwp66 homologue | Cd (29 homologues), Cb (8 homologues) | SLP with adhesive properties, mediates adherence to host tissue |
| CTC494, CTC495 | Internalin A homologue | Lm, Li, Cb, Ca | Internalin A binds to E-cadherin of host epithelial cells |
| CTC465, CTC747, CTC749, CTC750† | SLP and/or adhesion protein | — | Contain domains found in surface proteins such as intimin |
Ba, B. anthracis; Ca, C. acetobutylicum; Cb, C. botulinum; Cd, C. difficile; Cp, C. perfringens; Li, L. innocua; Lm, L. monocytogenes; S, Streptococcus; PAF, platelet activating factor.
*
Additional ORFs: CTC518, CTC520, CTC521, CTC523, CTC691, CTC696, CTC748, CTC774, CTC775, CTC1202, CTC1364, CTC1872, CTC1980, CTC2092, and CTC2093.
†
Additional ORFs: CTC767, CTC769, CTC770, CTC771, CTC772, CTC776, and CTC777.