Plasmid localization of a type E botulinal neurotoxin gene homologue in toxigenic Clostridium butyricum strains, and absence of this gene in non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains.
It has been shown recently that two Clostridium butyricum strains (ATCC 43181 and ATCC 43755) contain a botulinal neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E) gene closely related to that of C. botulinum type E. In this study, we show that this gene is located on a large plasmid in the two toxigenic C. butyricum strains and is absent in 18 non-toxigenic C. butyricum and C. beijerinckii strains. Interestingly, the 230 bp upstream and the 1260 bp downstream of the neurotoxin coding sequence are not present in either the non-toxigenic C. butyricum or C. beijerinckii strains. Our data suggest a BoNT/E gene transfer from C. botulinum E to originally non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains.
Hauser
D
D
Unité des Toxines Microbiennes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Gibert
M
M
Boquet
P
P
Popoff
M R
MR
D001483:Base Sequence; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D003013:Clostridium / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D014162:Transfection
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001905:Botulinum Toxins