Implications of Genome-Based Discrimination between Clostridium botulinum Group I and Clostridium sporogenes Strains for Bacterial Taxonomy.

ABSTRACT: Taxonomic classification of Clostridium botulinum is based on the production of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), while closely related, nontoxic organisms are classified as Clostridium sporogenes. However, this taxonomic organization does not accurately mirror phylogenetic relationships between these species. A phylogenetic reconstruction using 2,016 orthologous genes shared among strains of C. botulinum group I and C. sporogenes clearly separated these two species into discrete clades which showed ∼93% average nucleotide identity (ANI) between them. Clustering of strains based on the presence of variable orthologs revealed 143 C. sporogenes clade-specific genetic signatures, a subset of which were further evaluated for their ability to correctly classify a panel of presumptive C. sporogenes s

SUBMITTER: Weigand MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4510194 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature