재배버섯에 갈색의 침몰성 반점들로 나타나는 갈반병(brown blotch disease)은 Pseudomonas tolaasii의 펩티드성 독소인 tolaasin에 의해서 유발된다. Tolaasin은 18개의 아미노산으로 구성된 분자량 1,985 Da의 lipodepsipeptide이며, 생체막에 pore를 형성하여 버섯세포 뿐만 아녀라 세균, 곰팡이, 식물 및 동물세포를 파괴한다. Tolaasin의 활성은 용혈성 독소의 활성측정에 널리 쓰이는 적혈구를 이용하여 독소의 용혈활성을 측정함으로써 이루어졌다. Tolaasin의 용혈활성은 적혈구의 파괴시 방출되는 헤모글로빈 양을 420 nm에서의 흡광도 증가로 측정하거나, 잔존하는 적혈구에 의한 600 nm에서의 흡광도로 측정하였다. P. Tolaasii 배양액의 용혈활성은 배양중 정체기 초기에 증가하기 시작하여 정체기 후기에서 최대로 나타났다. Tolaasin의 용혈활성은 개와 쥐의 적혈구에서 높게 나타났으며, 상대적으로 토끼와 닭의 적혈구에서는 낮았다. Tolaasin의 용혈활성에 미치는 양이온들의 효과에서 $ZN^{2+}$ 뿐만 아니라, $Cd^{2+}$과 $L^{3+}$이 tolaasin의 용혈활성을 저해하였으며, 음이온의 경우 $CO_3^2$가 용혈활성을 지연시켰고, 반면 $PO_4^{2-}$의 경우 용혈활성을 증가시켰다.
Tolaasin is a peptide toxin produced by Pseudomonas tolaasii and causes a brown blotch disease forming brown, slightly sunken spots and blotches on the cultivated mushrooms. It is a lipodepsipeptide consisting of 18 amino acids and its molecular mass is 1,985 Da. It forms a pore in plasma membranes, resulting in the disruption of membranes of fungal, bacterial, plant, and animal cells as well as mushroom tissue. In order to measure the toxicity of tolaasin, erythrocytes of blood were used to evaluate the tolaasin-induced hemolysis. Hemolytic activity of tolaasin was measured by observing the absorbance change either at 420 nm, representing the release of hemoglobins from red blood cells(RBCs), or at 600 nm, representing the density of residual cells. The hemolytic activity of culture-extract of P. tolaasii increased at early-stationary phase of growth and was maximal at late stationary phase. The hemolytic activity of tolaasin appeared high in the RBCs of dog and rat. The RBCs of rabbit and hen were less susceptible to tolaasin. The effects of various cations were also measured. $Cd^{2+}$ and $La^{3+}$. as well as $Zn^{2+}$ appeared inhibitory to the tolaasin-induced hemolysis. The effects of various anions on tolaasin-induced hemolysis were measured and carbonate showed the greatest inhibition to the hemolysis. However, phosphate stimulated the tolaasin-induced hemolysis and no effects were observed by chloride and nitrate.
