The genetically remote pathogenic strain NVH391-98 of the Bacillus cereus group is representative of a cluster of thermophilic strains

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Feb;74(4):1276-80. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02242-07. Epub 2007 Dec 21.

Abstract

Bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group are known to cause food poisoning. A rare phylogenetically remote strain, NVH391-98, was recently characterized to encode a particularly efficient cytotoxin K presumably responsible for food poisoning. This pathogenic strain and its close relatives can be phenotypically distinguished from other strains of the B. cereus group by the inability to grow at temperatures below 17 degrees C and by the ability to grow at temperatures from 48 to 53 degrees C. A temperate phage, phBC391A2, residing in the genome of NVH391-98 allows us to distinguish the three known members of this thermophilic strain cluster.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus cereus / classification
  • Bacillus cereus / genetics
  • Bacillus cereus / growth & development*
  • Bacillus cereus / pathogenicity
  • Bacteriophages / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cytotoxins / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Temperature*

Substances

  • Cytotoxins