Sequence diversity of genes encoding botulinum neurotoxin type F.

Botulism due to type F botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT/F) is rare (<1% of cases), and only a limited number of clostridial strains producing this toxin type have been isolated. As a result, analysis of the diversity of genes encoding BoNT/F has been challenging. In this study, the entire bont/F nucleotide sequences were determined from 33 type F botulinum toxin-producing clostridial strains isolated from environmental sources and botulism outbreak investigations. We examined proteolytic and nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum type F strains, bivalent strains, including Bf and Af, and Clostridium baratii type F strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the bont/F genes examined formed 7 subtypes (F1 to F7) and that the nucleotide sequence identities of these subtypes differed by up to 25%. The genes from proteolytic (group I) C. botulinum strains formed subtypes F1 through F5, while the genes from nonproteolytic (group II) C. botulinum strains formed subtype F6. Subtype F7 was composed exclusively of bont/F genes from C. baratii strains. The region of the bont/F5 gene encoding the neurotoxin light chain was found to be highly divergent compared to the other subtypes. Although the bont/F5 nucleotide sequences were found to be identical in strains harboring this gene, the gene located directly upstream (ntnh/F) demonstrated sequence variation among representative strains of this subtype. These results demonstrate that extensive nucleotide diversity exists among genes encoding type F neurotoxins from strains with different phylogenetic backgrounds and from various geographical sources.