title: Analysis of neurotoxin cluster genes in Clostridium botulinum strains producing botulinum neurotoxin serotype A subtypes.
abstract: Neurotoxin cluster gene sequences and arrangements were elucidated for strains of Clostridium botulinum encoding botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) subtypes A3, A4, and a unique A1-producing strain (HA(-) Orfx(+) A1). These sequences were compared to the known neurotoxin cluster sequences of C. botulinum strains that produce BoNT/A1 and BoNT/A2 and possess either a hemagglutinin (HA) or an Orfx cluster, respectively. The A3 and HA(-) Orfx(+) A1 strains demonstrated a neurotoxin cluster arrangement similar to that found in A2. The A4 strain analyzed possessed two sets of neurotoxin clusters that were similar to what has been found in the A(B) strains: an HA cluster associated with the BoNT/B gene and an Orfx cluster associated with the BoNT/A4 gene. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the neurotoxin cluster-specific genes were determined for each neurotoxin cluster and compared among strains. Additionally, the ntnh gene of each strain was compared on both the nucleotide and amino acid levels. The degree of similarity of the sequences of the ntnh genes and corresponding amino acid sequences correlated with the neurotoxin cluster type to which the ntnh gene was assigned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1925 Willow Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Guangyun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raphael
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000235:genetics*; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006388:Hemagglutinins; C088300:NTNH protein, Clostridium botulinum; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A