alpha-Haemolysin: an additive virulence factor in Escherichia coli

Abstract

Haemolytic Escherichia coli, including human intestinal and extraintestinal as well as porcine enterotoxigenic and oedema disease isolates, and Proteus morganii strains were studied for their virulence. Hly+ wild type strains and Hly+ transconjugants were more virulent than Hly- derivatives as shown in mice and chick embryos. This enhanced virulence seems to be connected with the ability of diffusible alpha-haemolysin production because clones producing only non-diffusible, beta-haemolysin behaved as non-haemolytic ones. Haemorrhagic lung symptoms and haemoglobinuria were frequently observed after parenteral challenge of mice with alpha-haemolytic clones. Though the Hly- clone exhibited a high resistance against blood clearance, the number of circulating bacteria was significantly higher in the case of alpha-haemolytic clone. A causal connection between this phenomenon and the leukocidin activity of alpha-haemolysin is suggested.