Effect of the cytotoxin of Clostridium difficile on cultured hepatoma cells

Abstract
C. diffcile is the major etiologic agent of human pseudomembraneous colitis. It produces 2 toxins: an enterotoxin and a cytotoxin. In cultured [HTC] hepatoma cells, at very low doses, the cytotoxin inhibits the incorporation of precursors into biological macromolecules. Protein synthesis is more affected than RNA and DNA synthesis. The toxin also induces severe alterations of the cell morphology consisting in damages to the cytoskeleton and to the cell shape.

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