Production of diphtheria toxin by selected isolates of Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

We determined the diphtheria toxin phenotype of specially selected isolates of Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. ovis). All produced proteins similar in size and immunological structure to diphtheria toxin. As with diphtheria toxin, they exhibited ADP-ribosylating activity, and their synthesis was regulated by iron.