PCR survey of psychrotrophic Clostridium botulinum-like isolates for the presence of BoNT genes

• Published in: Letters in applied microbiology Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 219 - 223
• Main Authors: Broda, D.M, Boerema, J.A, Bell, R.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.10.1998; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Abattoirs; Animals; bacterial toxins; Biological and medical sciences; Botulinum Toxins - genetics; Clostridium botulinum; Clostridium botulinum - classification; Clostridium botulinum - genetics; Clostridium botulinum - isolation & purification; Food Contamination; Food industries; Food Packaging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Bacterial; Genes, rRNA; luncheon meats; Meat - microbiology; Meat and meat product industries; Meat Products - microbiology; neurotoxins; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; psychrotrophic bacteria; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Clostridium; Enzyme; Clostridiales; Meat product; Metalloendopeptidases; Vacuum packaging; Method; Meat; Polymerase chain reaction; Peptidases; Bontoxilysin; Survey; Toxicology; Food industry; Clostridiaceae; Bacteria; Hydrolases; Psychrotrophy
• ISSN: 0266-8254; 1472-765X
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1472-765X.1998.00420.x

Isolates (259) of psychrotrophic Clostridium spp. associated with either blown pack spoilage (five isolates) or slaughter stock (254 isolates) were screened for the presence of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) genes using degenerate PCR primers capable of amplifying A, B, E, F and G BoNT genes. No BoNT gene amplification products were detected using DNA templates from the 259 psychrotrophic isolates, including 249 isolates that showed the same 16S rRNA gene Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) patterns as authentic Cl. botulinum type B. It is concluded that although the growth of such microorganisms in vacuum‐packed chilled meat leads to product spoilage, it does not prejudice product safety.