title: Isolation and characterisation of neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum from soil in China.
abstract: Soil specimens collected from a site around the home of patients with food-borne type E. botulism probably caused by neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum in Guanyun, Jiangsu province, China, were examined for the presence of neurotoxigenic C. butyricum. Five lakeside sites of Weishan lake, in an area near to the sites where the type E. botulism outbreaks caused by neurotoxigenic C. butyricum occurred were also surveyed. Type E toxin-producing C. butyricum was isolated from soil from four sites including the site in Guanyun. Polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrated the presence of the type E toxin gene in all the toxigenic isolates. The biochemical properties of the isolates from the Guanyun soil and the lakeside soil were identical except for inulin fermentation and starch hydrolysis properties. These results indicate that neurotoxigenic C. butyricum has its principal habitat in soil.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D001906:Botulism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism