Comparative Immunology, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 29 (2006) 263–268 Short communication Purification and sensitivity of Clostridium chauvoei hemolysin to various erythrocytes Bernard Mudenda Hang’ombe a,Ã , Tomoko Kohda b , Masafumi Mukamoto b , Shunji Kozaki b a Department of Paraclinical studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia b Laboratory of Veterinary Epidemiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan Accepted 14 June 2006 Abstract Using ammonium sulphate fractionation, the Clostridium chauvoei hemolysin was purified by cation exchange chromatography and sephacryl S-100 gel filtration. The molecular mass of the hemolysin, determined by SDS-PAGE was found to be approximately 27 kDa. The activity of the hemolysin was determined in erythrocytes of various animals, with sensitivities observed in the order of cow, sheep, chicken, rabbit, rat, mouse, dog and horse. Temperature affected the sensitivity of erythrocytes to C. chauvoei hemolysin. These results may reflect distinct characteristics of the hemolytic activity of C. chauvoei hemolysin and that the hemolysin may be pore-forming. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Clostridium chauvoei; Hemolysin; Erythrocyte; Hemolysis Resume En utilisant la fractionation du sulphate ammonium, l’he´molysine de clostridium chauvoei par la chromatographie d’e´change de cathion et la filtration du gel dc sephacryl S-100. On a ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/cimid 0147-9571/$ - see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2006.06.002 Ã Corresponding author. Tel.: +260 1293673, fax: +260 1293727. E-mail address: mudenda68@yahoo.com (B. Mudenda Hang’ombe).