Previous Article | Next Article 
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2009, p. 2643-2651, Vol. 75, No. 9
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/AEM.02557-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis of Two Predominant Nordic Group I (Proteolytic) Clostridium botulinum Type B Clusters
,
Miia Lindström,1*
Katja Hinderink,1
Panu Somervuo,1
Katri Kiviniemi,1
Mari Nevas,1
Ying Chen,1
Petri Auvinen,2
Andrew T. Carter,3
David R. Mason,3
Michael W. Peck,3 and
Hannu Korkeala1
Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,1 Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,2 Institute of Food Research, Norwich, United Kingdom3
Received 10 November 2008/ Accepted 23 February 2009
Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of 32 Nordic group I Clostridium botulinum type B strains isolated from various sources revealed two homogeneous clusters, clusters BI and BII. The type B strains differed from reference strain ATCC 3502 by 413 coding sequence (CDS) probes, sharing 88% of all the ATCC 3502 genes represented on the microarray. The two Nordic type B clusters differed from each other by their response to 145 CDS probes related mainly to transport and binding, adaptive mechanisms, fatty acid biosynthesis, the cell membranes, bacteriophages, and transposon-related elements. The most prominent differences between the two clusters were related to resistance to toxic compounds frequently found in the environment, such as arsenic and cadmium, reflecting different adaptive responses in the evolution of the two clusters. Other relatively variable CDS groups were related to surface structures and the gram-positive cell wall, suggesting that the two clusters possess different antigenic properties. All the type B strains carried CDSs putatively related to capsule formation, which may play a role in adaptation to different environmental and clinical niches. Sequencing showed that representative strains of the two type B clusters both carried subtype B2 neurotoxin genes. As many of the type B strains studied have been isolated from foods or associated with botulism, it is expected that the two group I C. botulinum type B clusters present a public health hazard in Nordic countries. Knowing the genetic and physiological markers of these clusters will assist in targeting control measures against these pathogens.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki University, Finland. Phone: 358-9-191 57107. Fax: 358-9-191 57101. E-mail: miia.lindstrom{at}helsinki.fi
Published ahead of print on 6 March 2009.
Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://aem.asm.org/.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2009, p. 2643-2651, Vol. 75, No. 9
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/AEM.02557-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»