Production of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) and associated non-toxic proteins (ANTPs), which include a non-toxic non-haemagglutinin (NTNH/A) as well as haemagglutinins (HAs), was found previously to be dependent upon an RNA polymerase alternative sigma factor (BotR/A). Expression of the botR/A, bont/A and antp genes, monitored by reverse transcription and real-time PCR analysis, occurred conc...

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...

Here, we present a closed genome sequence for Clostridium argentinense strain 89G, the first strain identified to produce botulinum neurotoxin type G (BoNT/G). Although discovered in 1970, to date, there have been no reference quality sequences publicly available for this species.

Clostridium botulinum secretes a potent neurotoxin that causes devastating effects when ingested, including paralysis and death if not treated. In the United States, some clinically significant strains produce toxin type A while also harboring a silent B gene. These are the first two closed genome sequences published for this subset.

Botulism is a disease involving intoxication with botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), toxic proteins produced by Clostridium botulinum and other clostridia. The 150 kDa neurotoxin is produced in conjunction with other proteins to form the botulinum progenitor toxin complex (PTC), alternating in size from 300 kDa to 500 kDa. These progenitor complexes can be classified into hemagglutinin positive or ...

Plastic Surgery, the number of aesthetic procedures involving botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) increased 3681% between 1997 and 2008. Almost 2.5 million procedures were performed using this neurotoxin last year, accounting for approximately 25% of all nonsurgical aesthetic procedures performed in 2008.1 Both aesthetic and therapeutic uses of this neurotoxin are likely to increase in the com...

Clostridium tetani and Clostridium botulinum produce two of the most potent neurotoxins known, tetanus neurotoxin and botulinum neurotoxin, respectively. Extensive biochemical and genetic investigation has been devoted to identifying and characterizing various C. botulinum strains. Less effort has been focused on studying C. tetani likely because recently sequenced strains of C. tetani show muc...

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...