Characterization of Neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum Strain by DNA Hybridization Test and by in vivo and in vitro Germination Tests of Spores

The germination of spores of a neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum strain (BL 6340), which was isolated from infant botulism in Italy, and that of a nontoxigenic C. butyricum type strain (NCIB 7423) were studied. The spores of BL 6340 strain were killed at 80 C for 10 min, and required the mixture of L-alanine, L-lactate, glucose and bicarbonate for their optimal germination. These characteristics are the same as those of Clostridium botulinum type E strain, but different from those of NCIB 7423 strain. In a hybridization test, however, the labeled DNAs extracted from NCIB 7423 strain highly (98%) hybridized to the DNAs of the BL 6340 strain, but little (45%) to the DNAs of C. botulinum type E strain. The biochemical properties of the BL 6340 and NCIB 7423 strains were identical, but different from those of C. botulinum type E. These data confirmed that the BL 6340 strain belongs to C. butyricum species, but that only its characteristics of toxin production, its minimum requirements for germination, and the behavior of its spores to heat treatment are the same as those of C. botulinum type E. When conventionally raised suckling mice were injected with 5 x 10(7) spores of BL 6340 strain intra- or orogastrically, botulism was not observed. However, 8- to 13-day-old mice had type E botulinum toxin in the large intestine 3 days after introduction of its spores.