Open AccessTaxonomic identity of type E botulinum toxin‐producing Clostridium butyricum strains by sequencing of a short 16S rDNA region
Author(s) -
Pourshaban Manoocheher,
Franciosa Giovanna,
Fenicia Lucia,
Aureli Paolo
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11334.x
Subject(s) - clostridium butyricum , biology , clostridium botulinum , botulism , 16s ribosomal rna , microbiology and biotechnology , clostridiales , toxin , organism , clostridiaceae , pathogen , ribosomal rna , gene , bacteria , genetics
Several micro‐organisms capable of producing botulinum neurotoxin type E, though phenotypically similar to Clostridium butyricum (a normally non‐neurotoxigenic organism), have recently been isolated in Italy and China. Some of these micro‐organisms had been implicated in food‐borne botulism, a serious neuroparalytic disease. The taxonomic identity of the type E botulinum toxin‐producing strains is confirmed here, through sequencing of a genus‐ and species‐specific segment of the 16S rRNA gene. Confirmation leads to the conclusion that neurotoxigenic C. butyricum must be regarded as an emergent food‐borne pathogen.