Clostridium perfringens chitinases, key enzymes during early stages of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens

Clostridium perfringens type G causes necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens, an enteric disease characterised by ulcers in the small intestine. In addition to the well-studied NetB toxin, this bacterium is able to produce other pathogen-specific enzymes, some of which could play a central role during disease development. Two of these enzymes were identified as putative chitinases, ChiA and ChiB.To address the role of C. perfringens chitinases ChiA and ChiB, mutant strains from each of the chitinase genes (chiA or chiB) were constructed from the pathogenic C. perfringens type G strain CP56, using the ClosTron mutagenesis system. Whole genome sequencing of the CP56 parent strain, the CP56 chiA mutant and the CP56 chiB mutant strain was performed to assess potential secondary mutations of the mutant strains that could affect the virulence phenotype and consequently hamper the outcome of subsequent experiments.