Competitive inhibition between different Clostridium botulinum types and strains

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 67; no. 12; pp. 2682 - 2687
• Main Authors: Eklund, M.W, Poysky, F.T, Peterson, M.E, Paranjpye, R.N, Pelroy, G.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians 01.12.2004
• Subjects: antibacterial proteins; Antibiosis; bacterial contamination; bacteriocin-like agents; bacteriocins; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; botulinum toxin; Botulinum Toxins - biosynthesis; Botulinum Toxins - pharmacology; Clostridium botulinum; Clostridium botulinum - classification; Clostridium botulinum - physiology; Clostridium botulinum A; Clostridium botulinum B; Clostridium botulinum C; Clostridium botulinum E; Clostridium botulinum F; Clostridium botulinum G; Clostridium sporogenes; colonizing ability; Consumer Product Safety; culture media; ecological invasion; Food Contamination; Food industries; Food Microbiology; food pathogens; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; invasive species; microbial competition; Neutralization Tests; nonproteolytic strains; nontoxigenic strains; proteolysis; Species Specificity; toxigenic strains; Microorganism interrelationships; Clostridium botulinum; Sensitivity resistance; Clostridiaceae; Bacteriocin; Clostridiales; Bacteria; Competitive inhibition; Strain
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X-67.12.2682
• ISSN: 0362-028X

Mixtures of proteolytic and nonproteolytic strains of toxigenic Clostridium botulinum types A, B, and F; nonproteolytic types B, E, and F; Clostridium sporogenes; and nontoxic E-like organisms resembling nonproteolytic C. botulinum were tested against each other for the purpose of selecting a mixture of compatible C. botulinum strains for inoculated pack studies on the basis of their sensitivity to bacteriophages and bacteriocin-like agents. All of the proteolytic strains produced bacteriocin-like agents that were inhibitory to three or more of the other proteolytic types and C. sporogenes. When selected strains of proteolytic types A and B were grown together, type A cultures produced neurotoxin, but type B toxin production was inhibited. Nonproteolytic strains of C. botulinum also produced bacteriocin-like agents against each other. Of these, type E strain EF4 produced bacteriocin-like agents against both proteolytic and nonproteolytic types of C. botulinum and C. sporogenes. EF4, however, was not inhibitory to the nontoxigenic E-like strains. When EF4 was grown with type A strain 62A, it had an inhibitory effect on type A toxin production. Strain 62A inactivated the type E toxin of EF4 after 7 to 21 days at 30 degrees C. On the basis of the production of these bacteriocin-like agents by different strains of C. botulinum and their potential effect on neurotoxin production, it is very important that compatible strains are used in mixtures for inoculated pack studies to determine the safety of a food process or product.