ANTI-ENZYME IMMUNITY 339 



After an extensive study of the properties of the toxins elaborated by 

 103 strains of CI. oedematiens, types A, B and C, Oakley, et al. (1947) 

 presented their findings in Table XVI. 



Like those of CI. ivelchii, the lecithinase activities of )8- and y-toxins 

 of CI. oedematiens were activated by calcium ion. These toxins readily 

 attacked horse red cells, which are hardly attacked by CI. welchii 

 a-toxin; sheep red cells, which are hardly affected by CI. welchii 

 a-toxin, are relatively insensitive to CI. oedematiens ft- and y-toxins. 

 Evidently, something is involved in the hemolysins of these different 

 types of red cells besides the enzymatic attack on lecithin. 



They reported that whatever lecitho-vitellin values are chosen for 

 comparison, they bear no relationship whatever to the anti-lethal 

 values. Furthermore, they observed that CI. oedemMiens, capable of 

 producing dense opalescence in lecitho-vitellin, may show no lethal 

 activity. 



The above classification of the toxins of CI. oedematiens differs 

 decidedly from that of the toxins of CI. welchii. In the latter, the lethal 

 effect of a-toxin is associated not with hemolytic but with the 

 lecithinase activity. In the absence of information concerning the 

 hydrolytic products of lecithin as the result of the action of y-hemolytic 

 lecithinase of CI. oedematiens a comparison of the pertinent enzymes 

 of the two species of Clostridia cannot, at present, be made. 



3. Lecithinase of Clostridium Welchii 



a. Classification and Properties of the Toxins of Clostridium 

 Welchii. CI. welchii has been classified into four types, A, B, C and 

 D, differing from each other serologically (Wilsdon, 1931; 1932- 

 1933). Glenny, et al. (1933) differentiated the toxins of these four 

 types into a, ;8, y, $ and e. Since one or more of these toxins are present 

 in the culture filtrates of a given type of CI. welchii, the following 

 table is prepared to indicate the properties of various toxins. 



Prigge (1937) claimed to have showm that the toxin corresponding 

 to a-toxin of Glenny, et al. is non-hemolytic. He believed therefore, he 

 had demonstrated the presence of a new toxin and called it zeta C^') 

 toxin. MacFarlane, Oakley and Anderson (1941), however, pointed 

 out that the failure of Prigge to demonstrate the hemolytic activity 

 of this toxin is due to the use of phosphate buffer for making toxin 



