Emetic toxin production of Bacillus cereus in a biofilm

Bacillus cereus sensu stricto (B. cereus) belongs to the B. cereus group, and is a well-known foodborne pathogen causing human disease including emesis which is caused by an emetic toxin, cereulide, with 105-108 cells per gram required to cause disease. The presence of this highly heat, pH and protease-resistant toxin presents a serious challenge to the food industry, as the bacteria itself may be eliminated during processing but the cereulide toxin will survive most food processing techniques. This study shows that cereulide toxin is associated with cells and biofilm structures rather than suspended in the surrounding liquid phase or environment. This is the first report investigating the cereulide toxin production in the presence of biofilms of B. cereus, showing that the cereulide toxin produced is associated with biofilm complex and also attaches to the substrate such as glass and stainless-steel on which the biofilm grows. The RT-qPCR showed that the expression of cesA and cesB were comparable between planktonic cells and biofilms. This study contributes a better understanding of food safety issues in the industry caused by cereulide toxin produced by B. cereus, and provides valuable information for developing control methods for cereulide toxin in the food industry.