Analysis of Neurotoxin Cluster Genes in Clostridium botulinum Strains Producing Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A Subtypes

Evidence that Plasmid-Borne Botulinum Neurotoxin Type B Genes Are Widespread among Clostridium botulinum Serotype B Strains

BACKGROUND Plasmids that encode certain subtypes of the botulinum neurotoxin type B have recently been detected in some Clostridium botulinum strains. The objective of the present study was to investigate the frequency with which plasmid carriage of the botulinum neurotoxin type B gene (bont/B) occurs in strains of C. botulinum type B, Ab, and A(B), and whether plasmid carriage is bont/B subtyp...

Neurotoxin gene clusters in Clostridium botulinum type Ab strains.

There is limited knowledge of the neurotoxin gene diversity among Clostridium botulinum type Ab strains. Only the sequences of the bont/A and bont/B genes in C. botulinum type Ab strain CDC1436 and the sequence of the bont/B gene in C. botulinum type Ab strain CDC588 have been reported. In this study, we sequenced the entire bont/A- and bont/B-associated neurotoxin gene clusters of C. botulinum...

Purification of Clostridium botulinum type A neurotoxin.

Validity of botulinum neurotoxin serotype H.

TO THE EDITOR—I write in reference to the publication of the articles and commentaries regarding the purported new botulinum neurotoxin serotype H [1–4]. For the past 30 years, the genetics and physiology of Clostridium botulinum, particularly the properties of serotypes and subtypes of botulinum neurotoxins, have been studied in my tier 1 select agent laboratory. I also have a dual use researc...

Conjugative Botulinum Neurotoxin-Encoding Plasmids in Clostridium botulinum

BACKGROUND Clostridium botulinum produces seven distinct serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). The genes encoding different subtype neurotoxins of serotypes A, B, F and several dual neurotoxin-producing strains have been shown to reside on plasmids, suggesting that intra- and interspecies transfer of BoNT-encoding plasmids may occur. The objective of the present study was to determine whe...