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Identification of a Botulinum Neurotoxin-like Toxin in a Commensal Strain of Enterococcus faecium

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by various Clostridium strains, are a family of potent bacterial toxins and potential bioterrorism agents. Here we report that an Enterococcus faecium strain isolated from cow feces carries a BoNT-like toxin, designated BoNT/En. It cleaves both VAMP2 and SNAP-...

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Published in:Cell host & microbe 2018-02, Vol.23 (2), p.169-176.e6
Main Authors: Zhang, Sicai, Lebreton, Francois, Mansfield, Michael J., Miyashita, Shin-Ichiro, Zhang, Jie, Schwartzman, Julia A., Tao, Liang, Masuyer, Geoffrey, Martínez-Carranza, Markel, Stenmark, Pål, Gilmore, Michael S., Doxey, Andrew C., Dong, Min
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Language:English
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Summary:Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by various Clostridium strains, are a family of potent bacterial toxins and potential bioterrorism agents. Here we report that an Enterococcus faecium strain isolated from cow feces carries a BoNT-like toxin, designated BoNT/En. It cleaves both VAMP2 and SNAP-25, proteins that mediate synaptic vesicle exocytosis in neurons, at sites distinct from known BoNT cleavage sites on these two proteins. Comparative genomic analysis determines that the E. faecium strain carrying BoNT/En is a commensal type and that the BoNT/En gene is located within a typical BoNT gene cluster on a 206 kb putatively conjugative plasmid. Although the host species targeted by BoNT/En remains to be determined, these findings establish an extended member of BoNTs and demonstrate the capability of E. faecium, a commensal organism ubiquitous in humans and animals and a leading cause of hospital-acquired multi-drug-resistant (MDR) infections, to horizontally acquire, and possibly disseminate, a unique BoNT gene cluster. [Display omitted] •A botulinum neurotoxin-like toxin (BoNT/En) identified in a commensal E. faecium strain•The gene cluster encoding BoNT/En is located on a conjugative plasmid•BoNT/En cleaves both VAMP2 and SNAP-25 required for synaptic transmission in neurons•The cleavage sites on VAMP2 and SNAP25 are distinct from the sites for other known BoNTs Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are potent toxins produced by diverse bacteria in the Clostridium genus. Zhang et al. report that a commensal strain of Enterococcus faecium carries a conjugative plasmid encoding a BoNT-like toxin gene. Thus, a commensal organism can acquire and possibly disseminate BoNT genes.
ISSN:1931-3128
1934-6069
1934-6069
DOI:10.1016/j.chom.2017.12.018