title: Genetic interrelationships of saccharolytic Clostridium botulinum types B, E and F and related clostridia as revealed by small-subunit rRNA gene sequences.
abstract: The phylogenetic interrelationships of saccharolytic C. botulinum types B, E and F together with eleven other saccharolytic clostridia were examined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Comparative analysis of the sequence data revealed that the saccharolytic C. botulinum types B, E and F were highly related and represent a single genetic group. Strains of C. barati and C. butyricum that produce botulinal neurotoxin revealed almost 100% 16S rRNA sequence identity with their respective non-toxigenic counterparts and were phylogenetically distinct from saccharolytic C. botulinum (types B, E and F). Proteolytic C. botulinum type F was shown to be phylogenetically remote from the saccharolytic C. botulinum group. The implications of the sequence data for the taxonomy of the C. botulinum complex are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, AFRC Institute of Food Research, Reading Laboratory, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S