title: The hemolytic enterotoxin HBL is broadly distributed among species of the Bacillus cereus group.
abstract: The prevalence of the hemolytic enterotoxin complex HBL was determined in all species of the Bacillus cereus group with the exception of Bacillus anthracis. hblA, encoding the binding subunit B, was detected by PCR and Southern analysis and was confirmed by partial sequencing of 18 strains. The sequences formed two clusters, one including B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis strains and the other one consisting of Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, and Bacillus weihenstephanensis strains. From eight B. thuringiensis strains, the enterotoxin gene hblA could be amplified. Seven of them also expressed the complete HBL complex as determined with specific antibodies against the L(1), L(2), and B components. Eleven of 16 B. mycoides strains, all 3 B. pseudomyoides strains, 9 of 15 B. weihenstephanensis strains, and 10 of 23 B. cereus strains carried hblA. While HBL was not expressed in the B. pseudomycoides strains, the molecular assays were in accordance with the immunological assays for the majority of the remaining strains. In summary, the hemolytic enterotoxin HBL seems to be broadly distributed among strains of the B. cereus group and relates neither to a certain species nor to a specific environment. The consequences of this finding for food safety considerations need to be evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, FML Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, D-85350 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Prüss
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nibler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Märtlbauer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006461:Hemolysis; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012756:Sheep; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; C083961:hemolysin BL protein, Bacillus; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis