scholarly journals Extensive Genome Exploration of Clostridium botulinum Group III Field Strains

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2347
Author(s):  
Silvia Fillo ◽  
Francesco Giordani ◽  
Elena Tonon ◽  
Ilenia Drigo ◽  
Anna Anselmo ◽  
...  

In animals, botulism is commonly sustained by botulinum neurotoxin C, D or their mosaic variants, which are produced by anaerobic bacteria included in Clostridium botulinum group III. In this study, a WGS has been applied to a large collection of C. botulinum group III field strains in order to expand the knowledge on these BoNT-producing Clostridia and to evaluate the potentiality of this method for epidemiological investigations. Sixty field strains were submitted to WGS, and the results were analyzed with respect to epidemiological information and compared to published sequences. The strains were isolated from biological or environmental samples collected in animal botulism outbreaks which occurred in Italy from 2007 to 2016. The new sequenced strains belonged to subspecific groups, some of which were already defined, while others were newly characterized, peculiar to Italian strains and contained genomic features not yet observed. This included, in particular, two new flicC types (VI and VII) and new plasmids which widen the known plasmidome of the species. The extensive genome exploration shown in this study improves the C. botulinum and related species classification scheme, enriching it with new strains of rare genotypes and permitting the highest grade of discrimination among strains for forensic and epidemiological applications.

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Le Maréchal ◽  
Sarah Fourour ◽  
Valentine Ballan ◽  
Sandra Rouxel ◽  
Rozenn Souillard ◽  
...  

npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changjiao Gan ◽  
Wenbo Luo ◽  
Yunzhou Yu ◽  
Zhouguang Jiao ◽  
Sha Li ◽  
...  

AbstractBotulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), produced by Clostridium botulinum, is generally known to be the most poisonous of all biological toxins. In this study, we evaluate the protection conferred by intratracheal (i.t.) inoculation immunization with recombinant Hc subunit (AHc) vaccines against aerosolized BoNT/A intoxication. Three AHc vaccine formulations, i.e., conventional liquid, dry powder produced by spray freeze drying, and AHc dry powder reconstituted in water are prepared, and mice are immunized via i.t. inoculation or subcutaneous (s.c.) injection. Compared with s.c.-AHc-immunized mice, i.t.-AHc-immunized mice exhibit a slightly stronger protection against a challenge with 30,000× LD50 aerosolized BoNT/A. Of note, only i.t.-AHc induces a significantly higher level of toxin-neutralizing mucosal secretory IgA (SIgA) production in the bronchoalveolar lavage of mice. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the immune protection conferred by the three formulations of AHc is comparable, while i.t. immunization of AHc is superior to s.c. immunization against aerosolized BoNT/A intoxication.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 2778-2786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Jacobson ◽  
Guangyun Lin ◽  
Brian Raphael ◽  
Joanne Andreadis ◽  
Eric A. Johnson

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.


2009 ◽  
Vol 386 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desigan Kumaran ◽  
Subramaniam Eswaramoorthy ◽  
William Furey ◽  
Jorge Navaza ◽  
Martin Sax ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (26) ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis G. Wentz ◽  
Kuan Yao ◽  
Kristin M. Schill ◽  
N. Rukma Reddy ◽  
Guy E. Skinner ◽  
...  

Clostridium botulinum is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium that produces botulinum neurotoxin, a potent and deadly proteinaceous exotoxin. Clostridium botulinum strain CFSAN064329 (62A) produces an A1 serotype/subtype botulinum neurotoxin and is frequently utilized in food challenge and detection studies.


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 5-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Akbulut ◽  
J Dennis ◽  
M Gent ◽  
K A Grant ◽  
V Hope ◽  
...  

Wound infections due to Clostridium botulinum were not recognised in the UK and Republic of Ireland before 2000. C. botulinum produces a potent neurotoxin which can cause paralysis and death. In 2000 and 2001, ten cases were clinically recognised, with a further 23 in 2002, 15 in 2003 and 40 cases in 2004. All cases occurred in heroin injectors. Seventy cases occurred in England; the remainder occurred in Scotland (12 cases), Wales (2 cases) and the Republic of Ireland (4 cases). Overall, 40 (45%) of the 88 cases were laboratory confirmed by the detection of botulinum neurotoxin in serum, or by the isolation of C. botulinum from wounds. Of the 40 cases in 2004, 36 occurred in England, and of the 12 that were laboratory confirmed, 10 were due to type A. There was some geographical clustering of the cases during 2004, with most cases occurring in London and in the Yorkshire and Humberside region of northeast England.


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