Production of a Mouse Antiserum to Bacteroides fragilis Enterotoxin Using a Recombinant Enterotoxin Precursor

The precursor of the Bacteroides fragilis metalloprotease enterotoxin was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, which was not able to process the precursor into the biologically active enterotoxin. Mouse antiserum elicited to the recombinant precursor reacted with the purified enterotoxin and with a crude enterotoxin preparation from an enterotoxigenic strain. The antiserum neutralized the cytotoxic activity of the enterotoxin in HT-29 cells.