Biological evaluation of a methanol-soluble, heat-stable Escherichia coli enterotoxin in infant mice, pigs, rabbits, and calves.

Escherichia coli P16 was shown to produce two heat-stable toxins (ST) with differing biological activity. The toxins were separated by methanol extraction, and the first, STa, was methanol soluble, partially heat stable, active in neonatal piglets (1 to 3 days old) and infant mice, but inactive in weaned pigs (7 to 9 weeks old); the second, STb, was methanol insoluble, active in weaned pigs and rabbit ligated loops, but inactive in infant mice. It is therefore suggested that use of suckling mice as indicators of ST production will fail to identify certain ST-producing strains.