Mechanism of action of Yersinia enterocolitica enterotoxin

Abstract

Enterotoxin derived from three clinical isolates of Y. enterocolitica was compared with the heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli. Both toxins were biologically active in infant mice examined at 2 h and in ligated rabbit ileal loops at 6 h. Neither substance, however, produced changes in ligated ileal loops at 18 h or in Chinese hamster ovary or Y1 adrenal tissue cultures. In addition, both Y. enterocolitica enterotoxin concentrated approximately 20 times by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ultrafiltration and a similarly prepared sample of E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin stimulated the activity of guanylate cyclase but not that of adenylate cyclase in infant mouse intestine. These f..