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Characterization of Cytolethal Distending Toxin of Campylobacter Species Isolated from Captive Macaque Monkeys

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences,¹ Veterinary Diagnostic Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska,² Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana³

Received 6 July 2004/ Returned for modification 15 August 2004/ Accepted 18 October 2004

An association between certain Campylobacter species and enterocolitis in humans and nonhuman primates is well established, but the association between cytolethal distending toxin and disease is incompletely understood. The purpose of the present study was to examine Campylobacter species isolated from captive conventionally raised macaque monkeys for the presence of the cdtB gene and for cytolethal distending toxin activity. The identity of each isolate was confirmed on the basis of phenotypic and genotypic analyses. The presence of cytolethal distending toxin was confirmed on the basis of characteristic morphological changes in HeLa cells incubated with filter-sterilized whole-cell lysates of reference and monkey Campylobacter isolates and examinations by light microscopy, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry. Although cdtB gene sequences were found in both Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, the production of cytolethal distending toxin correlated positively (P < 0.0001) only with C. jejuni. We concluded that cytolethal distending toxin activity is a characteristic of C. jejuni. Our C. jejuni cdtB gene-specific PCR assay might be of assistance for differentiating toxigenic C. jejuni from C. coli in clinical laboratories.

This is paper no. 14670 of the Agriculture Research Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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• Jain, D., Prasad, K. N., Sinha, S., Husain, N. (2008). Differences in virulence attributes between cytolethal distending toxin positive and negative Campylobacter jejuni strains. J Med Microbiol 57: 267-272 [Abstract] [Full Text]