Detection of fibronectin-binding proteins in Clostridium perfringens.

Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic spore-forming pathogen of humans and animals. C. perfringens type A strains, 13, CPN50, and NCTC8237, isolated from human gas gangrene, bound specifically to human fi bronectin (Fn). The trypsin-treatment of the bacterial cells significantly reduced the Fn-binding. A ligand blotting analysis of all three C. perfringens strains revealed that 5 protein bands of 34 kDa, 29 kDa, 26 kDa, 17 kDa, and 12 kDa specifically bound to biotinylated Fn. These results suggest that C. perfringens possesses certain Fn-binding proteins on the cell surface.