Clostridium perfringens ε-toxin, which is responsible for enterotoxaemia in ungulates, forms
a heptamer in rat synaptosomal and Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell membranes,
leading to membrane permealization. Thus, the toxin may target the detergent-resistant
membrane domains (DRMs) of these membranes, in analogy to aerolysin, a heptameric
pore-forming toxin that associates with DRMs. To test this idea, we examined the distribution
of radiolabeled ε-toxin in DRM and detergent-soluble membrane fractions of MDCK cells …