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Major Toxins
There are four major toxins produced by Clostridium perfringens. Alpha, beta, and epsilon toxins increase a cells permeability which causes an ion imbalance while iota toxins destroy the cell's actin cytoskeleton. Becoming intoxicated by any of these clostridial proteins eventually leads to the dysfunction of the cell and finally, its death. This can also cause anguish to the host that can then become lethal. These toxins are what allow C. perfringens to strive within a human or animal host.

These toxins are made from five different strains of C. perfringens, These strains include A, B, C, D, and E. Each toxin that falls under one of these types is linked to a variety of diseases.

Alpha toxin
Alpha toxin is a zinc-containing phospholipase C, composed of two structural domains, which destroy a cell's membrane. Alpha toxins are produced by all five types of C. perfringens. Alpha toxin type A is most commonly found all throughout the environment such as within soil. This toxin is linked to gas gangrene of humans and animals. Most cases of gas gangrene has been related to a deep wound being contaminated by soil that harbors C. perfringens.

Beta toxin
Beta toxins are a protein that causes hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis and enterotoxaemia in both animals (type B) and humans (type C) which leads to the infected individual's feces becoming bloody and their intestines necrotizing.

Epsilon toxin
Epsilon toxin (ETX) is a protein produced by type B and type D strains of C. perfringens. This toxin is currently ranked the third most potent bacterial toxin known. ETX causes enterotoxaemia in mainly goats and sheep, but cattle are sometime susceptible to it as well. A experiment using mice found that ETX had an LD50 of 50-110 ng/kg. The excessive production of ETX increases the permeability of the intestines. This causes severe edema in organs such as the brain and kidneys.

Iota toxin
Iota toxin is a protein produced by type E strands of C. perfringens. Iota toxins are made up of two, unlinked proteins that form a multimeric complex on cells. Iota toxins prevent the formation of filamentous actin. This causes the destruction of the cells cytoskeleton which in turn leads to the death of the cell as it can no longer maintain homeostasis.