Relationship between hemagglutinin and sialidase from Clostridium perfringens CN3870: gel filtration of mutant and reverant activities.

Gel filtration of supernatant fluids, from the wild-type Clostridium perfringens, strain CN3870, and several of the mutants and reverants derived from this strain, showed that these mutants failed to product detectable amounts of still produced sialidase III activity. The reverants tested had regained the ability to produce approximately wild-type levels of the I and II forms of both activities. These results showthat there is a direct relationship between the production of the I form and hemagglutinin and sialidase activities and the production of the II form of these biologically active proteins. Models that explain the genetic basis for these results are discussed.