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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2627-2630, Vol. 66, No. 6
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis---One Species on the Basis of Genetic Evidence

Erlendur Helgason,1,2 Ole Andreas Økstad,1,2 Dominique A. Caugant,3 Henning A. Johansen,1 Agnes Fouet,4 Michéle Mock,4 Ida Hegna,1,2 and Anne-Brit Kolstø1,2,*

The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo, University of Oslo,1 and Department of Microbiology, Institute of Pharmacy,2 Blindern, 0349 Oslo, and Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Public Health, Torshov, 0403 Oslo,3 Norway, and Toxines et Pathogenie Bacteriennes, URA 2172 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France4

Received 28 December 1999/Accepted 19 March 2000

Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis are members of the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria, demonstrating widely different phenotypes and pathological effects. B. anthracis causes the acute fatal disease anthrax and is a potential biological weapon due to its high toxicity. B. thuringiensis produces intracellular protein crystals toxic to a wide number of insect larvae and is the most commonly used biological pesticide worldwide. B. cereus is a probably ubiquitous soil bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen that is a common cause of food poisoning. In contrast to the differences in phenotypes, we show by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and by sequence analysis of nine chromosomal genes that B. anthracis should be considered a lineage of B. cereus. This determination is not only a formal matter of taxonomy but may also have consequences with respect to virulence and the potential of horizontal gene transfer within the B. cereus group.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1125, Blindern, 0349 Oslo, Norway. Phone: 47-229-58460. Fax: 47-2269-4130. E-mail: annebko{at}biotek.uio.no.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2627-2630, Vol. 66, No. 6
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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