Sporulation-promoting ability of Clostridium perfringens culture fluids.

The culture supernatant fluids (CSFs) of 12 strains of Clostridium perfringens types A, B, C, and D stimulated sporulation of test strains NCTC 8238 and NCTC 8449 of this organism. The sporulation-promoting ability was present in vegetative and sporulating CSFs of both enterotoxin-positive (Ent+) and Ent- strains. The sporulation factor possessed a molecular weight between 1,000 and 5,000 and was heat and acid stable. This study suggests a potential role for Ent- strains in food-borne disease outbreaks caused by Ent+ strains of C. perfringens type A.