Isolation and properties of a subtilin resistant strain of Clostridium botulinum.

Several investigations have revealed that Clostridium botlelinum is sensitive to the polypeptide antibiotic subtilini (Andersen, 1952; Williams and Fleming, 1952; Andersen et al., 1953; Le Blanc et al., 1953; Lewis et al., 1954; Michener, 1955; O'Brien et al., 1956). For this and other reasons, subtilin has been extensively studied for its potential use ill the preservation of canned foods (Campbell and O'Brien, 1955). Before subtilin can be employed safely in the preservation of certain low-acid canned foods, however, it is essential that information be obtained on the ability of C. botulinum to become resistant to this antibiotic. Salle and Jann (1948) and M\IcVeigh and Hobdy (1952) have reported that several types of bacteria develop a resistance to subtilin after exposure to sublethal concentrations of the antibiotic. The present paper is concerned with the isolation and properties of a subtilin-resistant strain of Clostridiutm botidinuim.