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Lindbäck T, Llarena AK, Aanrud SG, Monshaugen M, Mekonnen YB, Holmemo CW, Aspholm M. Genetic Profile and Toxigenic Potential of Bacillus cereus Isolates from a Norwegian Ice Cream Production Plant. Foods 2024; 13:3029. [PMID: 39410065 PMCID: PMC11475924 DOI: 10.3390/foods13193029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Members of the B. cereus group are spore-forming organisms commonly associated with spoilage of milk and dairy products. We have determined the genetic identity and growth characteristics of 57 B. cereus isolates collected from a Norwegian ice cream production plant. Our findings revealed persistence of B. cereus spp. strains for up to 19 months, suggesting the plant's susceptibility to long-term colonization. One of the mesophilic isolates, NVH-YM303, carried a complete cereulide synthetase operon. To assess the potential food poisoning risk associated with the presence of cereulide-producing strains in the production line, we examined the production of cereulide in ice cream and milk at different temperatures by NVH-YM303 and by the emetic psychrotrophic B. weihenstephanensis strain BtB2-4. Our findings revealed that NVH-YM303 produced higher levels of cereulide in ice cream as compared to milk. Furthermore, it was observed that NVH-YM303 produced more cereulide in ice cream at 25 °C compared to 15 °C. Conversely, BtB2-4 produced more cereulide in ice cream at 15 °C than at 25 °C. The results obtained in this study contribute to knowledge important for risk assessment of the potential hazards posed by the presence of B. cereus within ice cream production facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toril Lindbäck
- Unit of Food Safety, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway (M.A.)
| | - Ann-Katrin Llarena
- Unit of Food Safety, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway (M.A.)
| | - Stine Göransson Aanrud
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway;
| | - Marte Monshaugen
- Unit of Food Safety, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway (M.A.)
| | - Yohannes B. Mekonnen
- Unit of Food Safety, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway (M.A.)
| | | | - Marina Aspholm
- Unit of Food Safety, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway (M.A.)
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Perchat S, Nevers A, Kranzler M, Ehling-Schulz M, Lereclus D, Gohar M. The megaplasmid pCER270 of Bacillus cereus emetic strain affects the timing of the sporulation process, spore resistance properties, and germination. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0102924. [PMID: 39158315 PMCID: PMC11409700 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01029-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group includes closely related spore-forming Gram-positive bacteria. In this group, plasmids play a crucial role in species differentiation and are essential for pathogenesis and adaptation to ecological niches. The B. cereus emetic strains are characterized by the presence of the pCER270 megaplasmid, which encodes the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase for the production of cereulide, the emetic toxin. This plasmid carries several genes that may be involved in the sporulation process. Furthermore, a transcriptomic analysis has revealed that pCER270 influences the expression of chromosome genes, particularly under sporulation conditions. In this study, we investigated the role of pCER270 on spore properties in different species of the B. cereus group. We showed that pCER270 plays a role in spore wet heat resistance and germination, with varying degrees of impact depending on the genetic background. In addition, pCER270 ensures that sporulation occurs at the appropriate time by delaying the expression of sporulation genes. This regulation of sporulation timing is controlled by the pCER270-borne Rap-Phr system, which likely regulates the phosphorylation state of Spo0A. Acquisition of the pCER270 plasmid by new strains could give them an advantage in adapting to new environments and lead to the emergence of new pathogenic strains. IMPORTANCE The acquisition of new mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids, is essential for the pathogenesis and adaptation of bacteria belonging to the Bacillus cereus group. This can confer new phenotypic traits and beneficial functions that enable bacteria to adapt to changing environments and colonize new ecological niches. Emetic B. cereus strains cause food poisoning linked to the production of cereulide, the emetic toxin whose synthesis is due to the presence of plasmid pCER270. In the environment, cereulide provides a competitive advantage in producing bacteria against various competitors or predators. This study demonstrates that pCER270 also regulates the sporulation process, resulting in spores with improved heat resistance and germination capacity. The transfer of plasmid pCER270 among different strains of the B. cereus group may enhance their adaptation to new environments. This raises the question of the emergence of new pathogenic strains, which could pose a serious threat to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Perchat
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroPariTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Alicia Nevers
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroPariTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Markus Kranzler
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Didier Lereclus
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroPariTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Michel Gohar
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAe, AgroPariTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Saikia L, Medhi D, Bora S, Baishya L, Kataki M, Hazarika SC. An Outbreak of Bacillus cereus Emetic Toxin Mediated Food Poisoning After Consumption of Fried Rice in Assam. Indian J Microbiol 2024; 64:957-962. [PMID: 39282178 PMCID: PMC11399483 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-023-01167-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is an emerging food-borne pathogen responsible for two types of food poisoning: emetic and diarrhoeal type. Here we report an emetic type of food-borne illness attributable to Bacillus cereus. On 2nd February, 2021, 202 people suffered from pain in abdomen and vomiting after consuming the rice provided during a public gathering in Diphu, Assam. Culture of leftover fried rice showed growth of Bacillus cereus group of organisms. Molecular detection of enterotoxin and emetic toxin genes was done in the isolated strains by polymerase chain reaction. Multi locus sequence typing (MLST) and phylogenetic analysis was done to characterise the isolated strains. A total of five strains of Bacillus cereus were isolated. Ces gene was found in isolates GMC22 & GMC24 and other enterotoxins producing genes were found in isolates GMC23 and GMC24. MLST identified four sequence types (STs) (ST1051, ST1616, ST998 and ST1000). Phylogenetic analysis clustered ST-1051 assigned to the GMC22 strain into the previously defined clade I and was in close relation with ST-144, representing a new cereulide-producing emetic cluster. As Bacillus cereus is a common contaminant of foods, it is essential to evaluate the pathogenic potential of the bacteria for a definite link between causative agents and the illness. MLST can be used to characterize the Bacillus cereus strains isolated from outbreak samples in order to link the probable pathogens with the illness. In this outbreak, we suggest that ST-1051 is the strain responsible for the food-borne illness, which was predominantly of emetic type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lahari Saikia
- Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam 781032 India
| | - Devyashree Medhi
- Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam 781032 India
| | - Simi Bora
- Department of Microbiology, Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital, Kokrajhar, Assam 783370 India
| | - Lakshyasri Baishya
- Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam 781032 India
| | - Manjuri Kataki
- Department of Microbiology, Nagaon Medical College and Hospital, Nagaon, Assam 782001 India
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Abdelaziz MNS, Zayda MG, Maung AT, El-Telbany M, Mohammadi TN, Lwin SZC, Linn KZ, Wang C, Yuan L, Masuda Y, Honjoh KI, Miyamoto T. Genetic Characterization, Antibiotic Resistance, and Virulence Genes Profiling of Bacillus cereus Strains from Various Foods in Japan. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:774. [PMID: 39200074 PMCID: PMC11351997 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13080774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu stricto is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. Their spore and biofilm-forming abilities persist in various environments and foods. This study investigated the prevalence, virulence, antibiotic resistance, and genetic diversity of B. cereus s. s. strains isolated from various food samples. Of 179 samples, 22.34% were positive for B. cereus s. s., with significantly high detection rates in milk products and raw chicken meat. Forty strains were isolated from positive samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry analysis revealed nine distinct clusters and multi-locus sequence typing revealed 34 sequence types including 23 novel sequences, demonstrating high genetic diversity among the isolates. PCR analysis revealed that all the strains contained at least one toxin gene, but none contained the cytK gene. Antibiotic resistance tests revealed that all isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant, with high resistance levels, particularly to β-lactam antibiotics and vancomycin, but were susceptible to gentamicin. All isolates showed variations in biofilm formation. This study highlights the significant public health risk due to B. cereus s. s. and underscores the need for stringent monitoring and control measures in food production to manage antimicrobial resistance and ensure food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Nabil Sayed Abdelaziz
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
- Department of Food Hygiene, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Gamaleldin Zayda
- Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City 32897, Egypt;
| | - Aye Thida Maung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Mohamed El-Telbany
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | | | - Su Zar Chi Lwin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Khin Zar Linn
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Lu Yuan
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Yoshimitsu Masuda
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Ken-ichi Honjoh
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
| | - Takahisa Miyamoto
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; (M.N.S.A.); (A.T.M.); (M.E.-T.); (S.Z.C.L.); (K.Z.L.); (C.W.); (L.Y.); (Y.M.); (K.-i.H.)
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Pomari E, Orza P, Bernardi M, Fracchetti F, Campedelli I, De Marta P, Recchia A, Paradies P, Buonfrate D. A Pilot Study for the Characterization of Bacillus spp. and Analysis of Possible B. thuringiensis/ Strongyloides stercoralis Correlation. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1603. [PMID: 39203445 PMCID: PMC11356623 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12081603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Differentiating between Bacillus species is relevant in human medicine. Bacillus thuringiensis toxins might be effective against Strongyloides stercoralis, a nematode causing relevant human morbidity. Our first objective was to evaluate genomic and MALDI-TOF identification methods for B. thuringiensis. Our secondary objective was to evaluate a possible negative selection pressure of B. thuringiensis against S. stercoralis. PCR and Sanger were compared to MALDI-TOF on a collection of 44 B. cereus group strains. B. thuringiensis toxin genes were searched on 17 stool samples from S. stercoralis-infected and uninfected dogs. Metagenomic 16S rRNA was used for microbiome composition. The inter-rate agreement between PCR, Sanger, and MALDI-TOF was 0.631 k (p-value = 6.4 × 10-10). B. thuringiensis toxins were not found in dogs' stool. Bacteroidota and Bacillota were the major phyla in the dogs' microbiome (both represented >20% of the total bacterial community). Prevotella was underrepresented in all Strongyloides-positive dogs. However, the general composition of bacterial communities was not significantly linked with S. stercoralis infection. The genomic methods allowed accurate differentiation between B. thuringiensis and B. cereus. There was no association between B. thuringiensis and S. stercoralis infection, but further studies are needed to confirm this finding. We provide the first descriptive results about bacterial fecal composition in dogs with S. stercoralis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Pomari
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024 Verona, Italy; (P.O.); (M.B.); (D.B.)
| | - Pierantonio Orza
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024 Verona, Italy; (P.O.); (M.B.); (D.B.)
| | - Milena Bernardi
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024 Verona, Italy; (P.O.); (M.B.); (D.B.)
| | - Fabio Fracchetti
- Microbion srl, San Giovanni Lupatoto, 37057 Verona, Italy; (F.F.); (I.C.); (P.D.M.)
| | - Ilenia Campedelli
- Microbion srl, San Giovanni Lupatoto, 37057 Verona, Italy; (F.F.); (I.C.); (P.D.M.)
| | - Patrick De Marta
- Microbion srl, San Giovanni Lupatoto, 37057 Verona, Italy; (F.F.); (I.C.); (P.D.M.)
| | - Alessandra Recchia
- Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), Veterinary Section, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy; (A.R.); (P.P.)
| | - Paola Paradies
- Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), Veterinary Section, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy; (A.R.); (P.P.)
| | - Dora Buonfrate
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, 37024 Verona, Italy; (P.O.); (M.B.); (D.B.)
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Morandini L, Caulier S, Bragard C, Mahillon J. Bacillus cereus sensu lato antimicrobial arsenal: An overview. Microbiol Res 2024; 283:127697. [PMID: 38522411 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group contains genetically closed bacteria displaying a variety of phenotypic features and lifestyles. The group is mainly known through the properties of three major species: the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis, the animal and human pathogen Bacillus anthracis and the foodborne opportunistic strains of B. cereus sensu stricto. Yet, the actual diversity of the group is far broader and includes multiple lifestyles. Another less-appreciated aspect of B. cereus members lies within their antimicrobial potential which deserves consideration in the context of growing emergence of resistance to antibiotics and pesticides, and makes it crucial to find new sources of antimicrobial molecules. This review presents the state of knowledge on the known antimicrobial compounds of the B. cereus group members, which are grouped according to their chemical features and biosynthetic pathways. The objective is to provide a comprehensive review of the antimicrobial range exhibited by this group of bacteria, underscoring the interest in its potent biocontrol arsenal and encouraging further research in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Caulier
- Laboratory of Plant Health, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Claude Bragard
- Laboratory of Plant Health, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
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Meng JN, Xu ZK, Li PR, Zeng X, Liu Y, Xu ZL, Wang J, Ding Y, Shen X. Universal and Naked-Eye Diagnostic Platform for Emetic Bacillus cereus Based on RPA-Assisted CRISPR/Cas12a. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:8823-8830. [PMID: 38578074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Emetic Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), which can cause emetic food poisoning and in some cases even fulminant liver failure and death, has aroused widespread concern. Herein, a universal and naked-eye diagnostic platform for emetic B. cereus based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-assisted CRISPR/Cas12a was developed by targeting the cereulide synthetase biosynthetic gene (cesB). The diagnostic platform enabled one-pot detection by adding components at the bottom and cap of the tube separately. The visual limit of detection of RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a for gDNA and cells of emetic B. cereus was 10-2 ng μL-1 and 102 CFU mL-1, respectively. Meanwhile, it maintained the same sensitivity in the rice, milk, and cooked meat samples even if the gDNA was extracted by simple boiling. The whole detection process can be finished within 40 min, and the single cell of emetic B. cereus was able to be recognized through enrichment for 2-5 h. The good specificity, high sensitivity, rapidity, and simplicity of the RPA-assisted CRISPR/Cas12a diagnostic platform made it serve as a potential tool for the on-site detection of emetic B. cereus in food matrices. In addition, the RPA-assisted CRISPR/Cas12a assay is the first application in emetic B. cereus detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Nan Meng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- College of Food Engineering, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou 233100, China
- Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ze-Ke Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Peng-Ru Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xi Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangzhou Institute of Food Inspection, Guangzhou 510410, China
| | - Yingju Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhen-Lin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xing Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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8
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Kranzler M, Walser V, Stark TD, Ehling-Schulz M. A poisonous cocktail: interplay of cereulide toxin and its structural isomers in emetic Bacillus cereus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1337952. [PMID: 38596651 PMCID: PMC11002159 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1337952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Food intoxications evoked by emetic Bacillus cereus strains constitute a serious threat to public health, leading to emesis and severe organ failure. The emetic peptide toxin cereulide, assembled by the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase CesNRPS, cannot be eradicated from contaminated food by usual hygienic measures due to its molecular size and structural stability. Next to cereulide, diverse chemical variants have been described recently that are produced concurrently with cereulide by CesNRPS. However, the contribution of these isocereulides to the actual toxicity of emetic B. cereus, which produces a cocktail of these toxins in a certain ratio, is still elusive. Since cereulide isoforms have already been detected in food remnants from foodborne outbreaks, we aimed to gain insights into the composition of isocereulides and their impact on the overall toxicity of emetic B. cereus. The amounts and ratios of cereulide and isocereulides were determined in B. cereus grown under standard laboratory conditions and in a contaminated sample of fried rice balls responsible for one of the most severe food outbreaks caused by emetic B. cereus in recent years. The ratios of variants were determined as robust, produced either under laboratory or natural, food-poisoning conditions. Examination of their actual toxicity in human epithelial HEp2-cells revealed that isocereulides A-N, although accounting for only 10% of the total cereulide toxins, were responsible for about 40% of the total cytotoxicity. An this despite the fact that some of the isocereulides were less cytotoxic than cereulide when tested individually for cytotoxicity. To estimate the additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects of the single variants, each cereulide variant was mixed with cereulide in a 1:9 and 1:1 binary blend, respectively, and tested on human cells. The results showed additive and synergistic impacts of single variants, highlighting the importance of including not only cereulide but also the isocereulides in routine food and clinical diagnostics to achieve a realistic toxicity evaluation of emetic B. cereus in contaminated food as well as in patient samples linked to foodborne outbreaks. Since the individual isoforms confer different cell toxicity both alone and in association with cereulide, further investigations are needed to fully understand their cocktail effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Kranzler
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Walser
- Food Chemistry and Molecular and Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Timo D. Stark
- Food Chemistry and Molecular and Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Ben Akacha R, Gdoura-Ben Amor M, Sellami H, Grosset N, Jan S, Gautier M, Gdoura R. Isolation, Identification, and Characterization of Bacillus cereus Group Bacteria Isolated from the Dairy Farm Environment and Raw Milk in Tunisia. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2024. [PMID: 38502798 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Members of the Bacillus cereus group are well-known opportunistic foodborne pathogens. In this study, the prevalence, hemolytic activity, antimicrobial resistance profile, virulence factor genes, genetic diversity by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping, and adhesion potential were investigated in isolates from a Tunisian dairy farm environment and raw milk. A total of 200 samples, including bedding, feces, feed, liquid manure, and raw bovine milk, were examined. Based on PCR test targeting sspE gene, 59 isolates were detected. The prevalence of B. cereus group isolates in bedding, feces, liquid manure, feed, and raw milk was 48%, 37.8%, 20%, 17.1%, and 12.5%, respectively. Out of the tested strains, 81.4% showed β-hemolytic on blood agar plates. An antimicrobial resistance test against 11 antibiotics showed that more than 50% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin and novobiocin, while a high sensitivity to other antibiotics tested was observed in most isolates. The distribution of enterotoxigenic genes showed that 8.5% and 67.8% of isolates carried hblABCD and nheABC, respectively. In addition, the detection rate of cytotoxin K (cytk), enterotoxin T (bceT), and ces genes was 72.9%, 64.4%, and 5.1%, respectively. ERIC-PCR fingerprinting genotype analysis allowed discriminating 40 different profiles. The adhesion potential of B. cereus group on stainless steel showed that all isolates were able to adhere at various levels, from 1.5 ± 0.3 to 5.1 ± 0.1 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/cm2 for vegetative cells and from 2.6 ± 0.4 to 5.7 ± 0.3 log CFU/cm2 for spores. An important finding of the study is useful for updating the knowledge of the contamination status of B. cereus group in Tunisia, at the dairy farm level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randa Ben Akacha
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology Microbiology and Health (LR17ES06), Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Equipe Microbiologie de l'Œuf et des Ovoproduits (MICOV), Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Œuf, Rennes, France
| | - Maroua Gdoura-Ben Amor
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology Microbiology and Health (LR17ES06), Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Equipe Microbiologie de l'Œuf et des Ovoproduits (MICOV), Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Œuf, Rennes, France
| | - Hanen Sellami
- Laboratory of Treatment and Valorization of Water Rejects, Water Research and Technologies Center (CERTE), Borj-Cedria Technopark, University of Carthage, Soliman, Tunisia
| | - Noël Grosset
- Equipe Microbiologie de l'Œuf et des Ovoproduits (MICOV), Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Œuf, Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Jan
- Equipe Microbiologie de l'Œuf et des Ovoproduits (MICOV), Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Œuf, Rennes, France
| | - Michel Gautier
- Equipe Microbiologie de l'Œuf et des Ovoproduits (MICOV), Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Œuf, Rennes, France
| | - Radhouane Gdoura
- Research Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology Microbiology and Health (LR17ES06), Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
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Agunwah IM, Ogueke CC, Nwosu JN, Anyogu A. Microbiological evaluation of the indigenous fermented condiment okpeye available at various retail markets in the south-eastern region of Nigeria. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25493. [PMID: 38356605 PMCID: PMC10865259 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In Africa, indigenous fermented condiments contribute to food security as a low-cost source of protein. Okpeye is an indigenous fermented condiment produced from Prosopis africana seeds. The reliance on spontaneous fermentation processes and unhygienic practices during production often results in the contamination of the final product with microbial hazards. A microbiological evaluation of 18 commercial samples of okpeye purchased from six markets in two cities in southeastern Nigeria was conducted. Fifty-nine (59) bacteria were isolated and identified at the species level by phenotyping and sequencing the 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoB genes. Bacillus (47.4 %) and Staphylococcus (42.3 %) were the predominant bacterial genera in okpeye. Overall, B. amyloliquefaciens and S. simulans were the most frequently occurring bacteria and were present in all samples. In addition, B. cereus was isolated in samples obtained from all markets. Other bacterial species included B. velezensis, Oceanobacillus caeni, S. cohnii, Escherichia fergusonni and Vagacoccus lutrae. The B. cereus isolates (10) were screened for the presence of 8 enterotoxin genes (hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, nheC, cytK, entFM) and one emetic gene (cesB). The non-haemolytic enterotoxin (nheABC) and haemolytic enterotoxin (hblABD) complexes were present in 70 % and 50 % of B. cereus respectively. The positive rate of cytK and entFM genes was 70 %, while the cesB gene was 30 %. Antibiotic susceptibility assessment showed that most of the isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and erythromycin but resistant to ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. These findings highlight the need for further controls to reduce contamination with potential pathogenic bacteria in indigenous fermented condiments such as okpeye. There is also a need to educate producers regarding hygienic practices to safeguard public health and food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ijeoma M. Agunwah
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
| | - Chika C. Ogueke
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
| | - Justina N. Nwosu
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
| | - Amarachukwu Anyogu
- Food Safety and Security, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of West London, St Mary's Road, Ealing, W5 5RF, London, UK
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11
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Algammal AM, Eid HM, Alghamdi S, Ghabban H, Alatawy R, Almanzalawi EA, Alqahtani TM, Elfouly SG, Mohammed GM, Hetta HF, El-Tarabili RM. Meat and meat products as potential sources of emerging MDR Bacillus cereus: groEL gene sequencing, toxigenic and antimicrobial resistance. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:50. [PMID: 38326741 PMCID: PMC10848520 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03204-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacillus cereus is implicated in severe foodborne infection in humans. This study intended to assess the occurrence, groEL gene sequencing, biofilm production, and resistance profiles of emerged multidrug resistant (MDR) B. cereus in meat and meat product samples. Moreover, this work highlights the virulence and toxigenic genes (hblABCD complex, nheABC complex, cytK, ces, and pc-plc) and antimicrobial resistance genes (bla1, tetA, bla2, tetB, and ermA). METHODS Consequently, 200 samples (sausage, minced meat, luncheon, beef meat, and liver; n = 40 for each) were indiscriminately collected from commercial supermarkets in Port Said Province, Egypt, from March to May 2021. Subsequently, food samples were bacteriologically examined. The obtained isolates were tested for groEL gene sequence analysis, antibiotic susceptibility, biofilm production, and PCR screening of toxigenic and resistance genes. RESULTS The overall prevalence of B. cereus among the inspected food samples was 21%, where the highest predominance was detected in minced meat (42.5%), followed by beef meat (30%). The phylogenetic analysis of the groEL gene exposed that the examined B. cereus strain disclosed a notable genetic identity with other strains from the USA and China. Moreover, the obtained B. cereus strains revealed β-hemolytic activity, and 88.1% of the recovered strains tested positive for biofilm production. PCR evidenced that the obtained B. cereus strains usually inherited the nhe complex genes (nheA and nheC: 100%, and nheB: 83.3%), followed by cytK (76.2%), hbl complex (hblC and hblD: 59.5%, hblB: 16.6%, and hblA: 11.9%), ces (54.7%), and pc-plc (30.9%) virulence genes. Likewise, 42.9% of the examined B. cereus strains were MDR to six antimicrobial classes and encoded bla1, bla2, ermA, and tetA genes. CONCLUSION In summary, this study highlights the presence of MDR B. cereus in meat and meat products, posing a significant public health risk. The contamination by B. cereus is common in minced meat and beef meat. The molecular assay is a reliable fundamental tool for screening emerging MDR B. cereus strains in meat and meat products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelazeem M Algammal
- Department of Bacteriology, Immunology and Mycology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt.
| | - Hamza M Eid
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Saad Alghamdi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 24381, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanaa Ghabban
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, 71491, Saudi Arabia
| | - Roba Alatawy
- Medical Microbiology Department, School of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, 71491, Saudi Arabia
| | - Enas A Almanzalawi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tahani M Alqahtani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabreen G Elfouly
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health Research Institute, Port-Said branch, Port Said, 42511, Egypt
| | - Gihan M Mohammed
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health Research Institute, Port-Said branch, Port Said, 42511, Egypt
| | - Helal F Hetta
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
| | - Reham M El-Tarabili
- Department of Bacteriology, Immunology and Mycology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
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12
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Soni A, Brightwell G. Effect of novel and conventional food processing technologies on Bacillus cereus spores. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2023; 108:265-287. [PMID: 38461001 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
This chapter provides a summary of the effect of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies on Bacillus cereus spores, a well-known pathogenic bacterium associated with foodborne illnesses. B. cereus has been frequently detected in rice, milk products, infant food, liquid eggs products and meat products all over the world. This Gram positive, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobe can produce endospores that can withstand pasteurization, UV radiation, and chemical reagents commonly used for sanitization. B. cereus spores can germinate into vegetative cells that can produce toxins. The conventional regime for eliminating spores from food is retorting which uses the application of high temperature (121 °C). However, at this temperature, there could be a significant amount of loss in the organoleptic and functional qualities of the food components, especially proteins. This leads to the research on the preventive measures against germination and if possible, to reduce the resistance before using a non-thermal technology (temperatures less than retorting-121 °C) for inactivation. This chapter reviews the development and success of several food processing technologies in their ability to inactivate B. cereus spores in food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathi Soni
- Food System Integrity, Smart Foods and Bioproducts, AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - Gale Brightwell
- Food System Integrity, Smart Foods and Bioproducts, AgResearch Ltd., Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University Manawatu (Turitea), Palmerston North, New Zealand
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13
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Oliveira M, Carvalho M, Teixeira P. Characterization of the Toxigenic Potential of Bacillus cereus sensu lato Isolated from Raw Berries and Their Products. Foods 2023; 12:4021. [PMID: 37959140 PMCID: PMC10648475 DOI: 10.3390/foods12214021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is estimated to be responsible for 1.4-12% of all food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate the toxigenic potential of 181 isolates of B. cereus previously recovered from different types of berries and berry products (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries) by assessing the presence of enterotoxin genes (hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, nheC, and cytK) and an emetic toxin cereulide synthetase gene (ces). The cytotoxic activity on Caco-2 cells was also evaluated for the two isolates containing the gene cytK. Twenty-three toxigenic profiles were found. The nheABC (91.7%) and hblACD (89.0%) complexes were the most prevalent among the isolates, while the cytK and ces genes were detected in low percentages, 1.1% and 3.3%, respectively. In addition, the nheABC/hblACD complex and ces genes were detected in isolates recovered throughout the production process of blackberries and strawberries. The cytotoxic activity on Caco-2 cells was also observed to be greater than 60% for isolates containing the cytK gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia Oliveira
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, University of León, 24071 León, Spain;
| | - Marta Carvalho
- Laboratório Associado, CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Paula Teixeira
- Laboratório Associado, CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal;
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14
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Jenull S, Bauer T, Silbermayr K, Dreer M, Stark TD, Ehling-Schulz M. The toxicological spectrum of the Bacillus cereus toxin cereulide points towards niche-specific specialisation. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2231-2249. [PMID: 37354053 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Most microbes share their environmental niches with very different forms of life thereby engaging in specialised relationships to enable their persistence. The bacterium Bacillus cereus occurs ubiquitously in the environment with certain strain backgrounds causing foodborne and opportunistic infections in humans. The emetic lineage of B. cereus is capable of producing the toxin cereulide, which evokes emetic illnesses. Although food products favouring the accumulation of cereulide are known, the ecological role of cereulide and the environmental niche of emetic B. cereus remain elusive. To better understand the ecology of cereulide-producing B. cereus, we systematically assayed the toxicological spectrum of cereulide on a variety of organisms belonging to different kingdoms. As cereulide is a potassium ionophore, we further tested the effect of environmental potassium levels on the action of cereulide. We found that adverse effects of cereulide exposure are species-specific, which can be exacerbated with increased environmental potassium. Additionally, we demonstrate that cereulide is produced within an insect cadaver indicating its potential ecological function for a saprophytic lifestyle. Collectively, distinct cereulide susceptibilities of other organisms may reflect its role in enabling competitive niche specialization of emetic B. cereus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Jenull
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Bauer
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Silbermayr
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Dreer
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Timo D Stark
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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15
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Nevers A, Kranzler M, Perchat S, Gohar M, Sorokin A, Lereclus D, Ehling-Schulz M, Sanchis-Borja V. Plasmid - Chromosome interplay in natural and non-natural hosts: global transcription study of three Bacillus cereus group strains carrying pCER270 plasmid. Res Microbiol 2023; 174:104074. [PMID: 37149076 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group comprises genetically related Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that colonize a wide range of ecological niches and hosts. Despite their high degree of genome conservation, extrachromosomal genetic material diverges between these species. The discriminating properties of the B. cereus group strains are mainly due to plasmid-borne toxins, reflecting the importance of horizontal gene transfers in bacterial evolution and species definition. To investigate how a newly acquired megaplasmid can impact the transcriptome of its host, we transferred the pCER270 from the emetic B. cereus strains to phylogenetically distant B. cereus group strains. RNA-sequencing experiments allowed us to determine the transcriptional influence of the plasmid on host gene expression and the impact of the host genomic background on the pCER270 gene expression. Our results show a transcriptional cross-regulation between the megaplasmid and the host genome. pCER270 impacted carbohydrate metabolism and sporulation genes expression, with a higher effect in the natural host of the plasmid, suggesting a role of the plasmid in the adaptation of the carrying strain to its environment. In addition, the host genomes also modulated the expression of pCER270 genes. Altogether, these results provide an example of the involvement of megaplasmids in the emergence of new pathogenic strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Nevers
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Markus Kranzler
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna, Austria
| | - Stéphane Perchat
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Michel Gohar
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Alexei Sorokin
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Didier Lereclus
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Vienna, Austria.
| | - Vincent Sanchis-Borja
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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16
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Cruz-Facundo IM, Toribio-Jiménez J, Castro-Alarcón N, Leyva-Vázquez MA, Rodríguez-Ruíz HA, Pérez-Olais JH, Adame-Gómez R, Rodríguez-Bataz E, Reyes-Roldán J, Muñoz-Barrios S, Ramírez-Peralta A. Bacillus cereus in the Artisanal Cheese Production Chain in Southwestern Mexico. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1290. [PMID: 37317264 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacillus cereus is associated with milk, dairy product, and dairy farm contamination. The aim of this study was to characterize strains of B. cereus in the small-scale artisanal cheese production chain in southwestern Mexico. METHODS 130 samples were collected. B. cereus isolation was performed on Mannitol Egg Yolk Polymyxin (MYP) agar. Genotyping, enterotoxigenic profile, and determination of genes involved in the formation of B. cereus biofilm were performed by PCR. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was made by broth microdilution assay. The phylogenetic analysis was performed by amplification and sequencing of 16s rRNA. RESULTS B. cereus sensu lato was isolated and molecularly identified in 16 samples and B. cereus sensu stricto (B. cereus) was the most frequently isolated and identified species (81.25%). Of all the isolated B. cereus sensu lato strains, 93.75% presented at least one gene for some diarrheagenic toxins, 87.5% formed biofilms, and 18.75% were amylolytic. All B. cereus sensu lato strains were resistant to beta-lactams and folate inhibitors. A close phylogenetic relationship between isolates was found between the cheese isolates and the air isolates. CONCLUSIONS Strains of B. cereus sensu lato were found in small-scale artisanal cheeses on a farm in southwestern Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itzel-Maralhi Cruz-Facundo
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Patometabolismo Microbiano, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Jeiry Toribio-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Natividad Castro-Alarcón
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Microbiologia, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Marco-Antonio Leyva-Vázquez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Biomedicina Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Hugo-Alberto Rodríguez-Ruíz
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Biomedicina Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Obesidad y Diabetes, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - José-Humberto Pérez-Olais
- Unidad de Investigación en Virología y Cancer, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, Ciudad de Mexico 06720, Mexico
| | - Roberto Adame-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Patometabolismo Microbiano, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Elvia Rodríguez-Bataz
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Parasitologia, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Joel Reyes-Roldán
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Patometabolismo Microbiano, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Salvador Muñoz-Barrios
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Inmunotoxigenomica, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
| | - Arturo Ramírez-Peralta
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Patometabolismo Microbiano, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero 39074, Mexico
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Bianco A, Normanno G, Capozzi L, Del Sambro L, Di Fato L, Miccolupo A, Di Taranto P, Caruso M, Petruzzi F, Ali A, Parisi A. High Genetic Diversity and Virulence Potential in Bacillus cereus sensu lato Isolated from Milk and Cheeses in Apulia Region, Southern Italy. Foods 2023; 12:foods12071548. [PMID: 37048369 PMCID: PMC10094235 DOI: 10.3390/foods12071548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group includes species that act as food-borne pathogens causing diarrheal and emetic symptoms. They are widely distributed and can be found in various foods. In this study, out of 550 samples of milk and cheeses, 139 (25.3%) were found to be contaminated by B. cereus sensu lato (s.l.). One isolate per positive sample was characterized by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and for the presence of ten virulence genes. Based on MLST, all isolates were classified into 73 different sequence types (STs), of which 12 isolates were assigned to new STs. Virulence genes detection revealed that 90% and 61% of the isolates harboured the nheABC and the hblCDA gene cluster, respectively. Ninety-four percent of the isolates harboured the enterotoxin genes entS and entFM; 8% of the isolates possessed the ces gene. Thirty-eight different genetic profiles were identified, suggesting a high genetic diversity. Our study clearly shows the widespread diffusion of potentially toxigenic isolates of B. cereus s.l. in milk and cheeses in the Apulia region highlighting the need to adopt GMP and HACCP procedures along every step of the milk and cheese production chain in order to reduce the public health risk linked to the consumption of foods contaminated by B. cereus s.l.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Bianco
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Normanno
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Loredana Capozzi
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Laura Del Sambro
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Laura Di Fato
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Angela Miccolupo
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Pietro Di Taranto
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Marta Caruso
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Fiorenza Petruzzi
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Ashraf Ali
- Department of Sciences of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering (DAFNE), University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Antonio Parisi
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
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Yu Y, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Liao M, Li B, Rong X, Wang C, Ge J, Wang J, Zhang Z. The Genetic and Phenotypic Diversity of Bacillus spp. from the Mariculture System in China and Their Potential Function against Pathogenic Vibrio. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21040228. [PMID: 37103367 PMCID: PMC10146669 DOI: 10.3390/md21040228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus spp. could be one of the most suitable substitutes for the control and prevention of aquatic diseases. The occurrence of species population, antimicrobial character, and virulence diversity in Bacillus spp. recovered from the mariculture system in China between 2009 and 2021 were investigated, screening for probiotic Bacillus strains with good biological safety that can inhibit Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, V. harveyi, V. owensii, V. campbellii. The results showed that 116 Bacillus isolates were divided into 24 species, and the top three species were B. subtilis (37/116), B. velezensis (28/116), and B. amyloliquefaciens (10/116). Among the 116 Bacillus isolates, 32.8% were effective against V. parahaemolyticus, 30.1% for V. alginolyticus, 60.3% for V. harveyi, 69.8% for V. owensii and 74.1% for V. campbellii. More than 62% of Bacillus isolates were susceptible to florfenicol, doxycycline and tetracycline, etc., and 26/116 Bacillus isolates were found to be multiple-antibiotic-resistant (MAR), with MARI values ranging from 0 to 0.06. Eighteen kinds of antibiotic resistance genes were tested; only tetB, blaTEM, and blaZ were detected. And 9 isolates in 2 Bacillus species were excluded by 6/10 kinds of Bacillus-related toxin gene (hblA, hblC, nheB, nheC, entFM, cykK). Bio-safety testing indicated that three kinds of probiotics were good probiotic candidates to prevent Vibriosis. These results provide comprehensive genetic diversity, potential risks, and probiotic characteristics of Bacillus in the mariculture system in China, and provide basic support for green and healthy development of aquatic industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiang Yu
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yingeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Meijie Liao
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Bin Li
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xiaojun Rong
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chunyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jianlong Ge
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jinjin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academic of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
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Intraspecific Diversity and Pathogenicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from an Emetic Illness. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15020089. [PMID: 36828404 PMCID: PMC9963800 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15020089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
This study describes an emetic food-borne intoxication associated with a Bacillus cereus group species and the characterization of the bacterial isolates from the incident in aspects of molecular tying, genetic factors, cytotoxicity, and pathogenic mechanisms relating to emetic illness. Through the polyphasic identification approach, all seven isolates obtained from food and clinical samples were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis. According to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis, intraspecific diversity was found within the B. thuringiensis isolates. Four allelic profiles were found, including two previously known STs (ST8 and ST15) and two new STs (ST2804 and ST2805). All isolates harbored gene fragments located in the cereulide synthetase (ces) gene cluster. The heat-treated culture supernatants of three emetic B. thuringiensis isolates, FC2, FC7, and FC8, caused vacuolation and exhibited toxicity to Caco-2 cells, with CC50 values of 56.57, 72.17, and 79.94 µg/mL, respectively. The flow cytometry with the Annexin V/PI assay revealed both apoptosis and necrosis mechanisms, but necrosis was the prominent mechanism that caused Caco-2 cell destruction by FC2, the most toxic isolate.
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20
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Occurrence and characterization of toxigenic Bacillus cereus in dairy products with an inactivation trial using D-Tryptophan and ascorbic acid in the rice pudding. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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21
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Hwang D, Oh TY, Baek SY, Kang MS, Hong SI, Kim HJ. Enterotoxin genes, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial and disinfectant resistance of Bacillus cereus isolates from primary producing stages. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Impact of a Novel PagR-like Transcriptional Regulator on Cereulide Toxin Synthesis in Emetic Bacillus cereus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911479. [PMID: 36232797 PMCID: PMC9570423 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The emetic type of foodborne disease caused by Bacillus cereus is produced by the small peptide toxin cereulide. The genetic locus encoding the Ces nonribosomal peptide synthetase (CesNRPS) multienzyme machinery is located on a 270 kb megaplasmid, designated pCER270, which shares its backbone with the Bacillus anthracis toxin plasmid pXO1. Although the ces genes are plasmid-borne, the chromosomally encoded pleiotropic transcriptional factors CodY and AbrB are key players in the control of ces transcription. Since these proteins only repress cereulide synthesis during earlier growth phases, other factors must be involved in the strict control of ces expression and its embedment in the bacterial life cycle. In silico genome analysis revealed that pCER270 carries a putative ArsR/SmtB family transcription factor showing high homology to PagR from B. anthracis. As PagR plays a crucial role in the regulation of the protective antigen gene pagA, which forms part of anthrax toxin, we used a gene-inactivation approach, combined with electrophoretic mobility shift assays and a bacterial two-hybrid system for dissecting the role of the PagR homologue PagRBc in the regulation of cereulide synthesis. Our results highlight that the plasmid-encoded transcriptional regulator PagRBc plays an important role in the complex and multilayered process of cereulide synthesis.
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Kowalska J, Maćkiw E, Korsak D, Postupolski J. Characteristic and Antimicrobial Resistance of <i>Bacillus cereus</i> Group Isolated from Food in Poland. POL J FOOD NUTR SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.31883/pjfns/152677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Fraccalvieri R, Bianco A, Difato LM, Capozzi L, Del Sambro L, Simone D, Catanzariti R, Caruso M, Galante D, Normanno G, Palazzo L, Tempesta M, Parisi A. Toxigenic Genes, Pathogenic Potential and Antimicrobial Resistance of Bacillus cereus Group Isolated from Ice Cream and Characterized by Whole Genome Sequencing. Foods 2022; 11:foods11162480. [PMID: 36010481 PMCID: PMC9407285 DOI: 10.3390/foods11162480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is isolated from a variety of foods where it may cause food spoilage and/or food poisoning due to its toxigenic and pathogenic nature. In this study, we identified members of B. cereus groups in 65% of the ice cream samples analyzed, which were characterized based on multi locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The MLVA revealed that 36 strains showed different allelic profiles. Analyses of WGS data enabled the identification of three members of the B. cereus group: B. cereus sensu stricto, B. mosaicus and B. thuringiensis. Based on the multi locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme, the strains were classified in 27 sequence types (STs), including ST26 that causes food poisoning. Toxin genes’ detection revealed the presence of the genes encoding nonhemolytic enterotoxin (NHE), hemolysin BL (HBL), cytotoxin K (cytK) and cereulide (ces) in 100%, 44%, 42% and 8% of the strains, respectively. The identification of eleven antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes predicted the resistance to five different antimicrobials, and the resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics was confirmed with a phenotypic antimicrobial test. Taken together, the results showed that the B. cereus strains isolated from ice cream were a potential hazard for consumer safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Fraccalvieri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Angelica Bianco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
- Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Apulia and Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-080-4057858; Fax: +39-080-4057753
| | - Laura Maria Difato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Loredana Capozzi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Laura Del Sambro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Domenico Simone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Roberta Catanzariti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Marta Caruso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Domenico Galante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Normanno
- Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and the Environment (SAFE), University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Lucia Palazzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Tempesta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University Aldo Moro of Bari, Strada per Casamassima Km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy
| | - Antonio Parisi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS PB), Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy
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Chen J, Zhang J, Zhan L, Chen H, Zhang Z, Huang C, Yue M. Prevalence and antimicrobial-resistant characterization of Bacillus cereus isolated from ready-to-eat rice products in Eastern China. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:964823. [PMID: 35928146 PMCID: PMC9344136 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.964823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a major food-borne bacterial pathogen in the world, which can cause diarrhea and emetic syndrome. This study aimed to reveal the quantitative prevalence of B. cereus in ready-to-eat (RTE) rice products in Eastern China and to gain essential information on the characteristics of B. cereus isolates. A total of 91 out of the 1071 samples were positive for B. cereus. The contamination level of B. cereus in 0.5 % of RTE rice product samples outnumbered 103 CFU/g. The number of B. cereus attained 105−106 CFU/g in one sample. The distribution patterns of virulence genes in B. cereus isolates were identified. 84.6% of the B. cereus isolates had at least one enterotoxin or emetic toxin gene. The predominant pattern was XXV. 9.9% of isolates belonged to it and possessed one enterotoxin gene entFM. The occurrence rate of hblACD and nheABC was 36.3% and 47.3%, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed a high resistance rate toward penicillin, and 23.1% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. B. cereus isolates were genotyped by using ERIC-PCR. 89 genotypes were determined. The Hunter Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI) attained 0.9995. Relationships analysis revealed that Group A B. cereus isolates tended to carry hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, and show resistance to penicillin/trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. This study was useful for updating the knowledge of the contamination status of B. cereus in RTE rice products in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiancai Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junyan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Zhan
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Honghu Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Cheng Huang,
| | - Min Yue
- Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Sciences and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Min Yue,
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26
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Ibrahim AS, Hafiz NM, Saad MF. Prevalence of Bacillus cereus in dairy powders focusing on its toxigenic genes and antimicrobial resistance. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:339. [PMID: 35589862 PMCID: PMC9120150 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02945-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a common environmental foodborne microorganism that is mainly found to harbor toxigenic genes with multiple antibiotic resistances and is linked to threatening the safety of dried milk in concern to powdered infant milk formula. In the current investigation, the mean value of B. cereus in 140 samples of powdered milk was 0.57 × 102 ± 0.182 × 102, 0.15 × 102 ± 0.027 × 102, 0.21 × 102 ± 0.035 × 102, and 0.32 × 102 ± 0.072 × 102 CFU/g in a percentage of 64.0 samples of whole milk powder, 43.3 of skim milk powder, 26.7 of powdered infant milk formula and 36.7 milk–cereal-based infant formula, respectively. The results revealed that B. cereus isolates were found to harbor toxigenic genes in the following percentages: 77.8, 2.0, 72.7, 16.2, and 67.7 for nhe, hbl, cytK, ces, and bceT, respectively. Despite all evaluated B. cereus strains were originated from dairy powders, they showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) in their harbored toxigenic cytK gene between whole and skim milk powders with powdered infant formula and milk–cereal-based infant formula, as well as between powdered infant formula and milk–cereal-based infant formula. All isolated B. cereus strains were resistant to cefoxitin, colistin sulfate, neomycin, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, oxacillin, and penicillin. Based on the antimicrobial resistance of B. cereus strains to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and tetracycline, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between powdered infant milk formula and whole milk powder strains. This survey is one of few studies proceeded in Egypt to determine the prevalence of toxigenic B. cereus strains in milk–cereal-based infant formula and powdered infant formula as well as skim milk powder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aml S Ibrahim
- Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Nagah M Hafiz
- Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - M F Saad
- Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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27
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Detection of emetic Bacillus cereus and the emetic toxin cereulide in food matrices: Progress and perspectives. Trends Food Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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28
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Bacillus cereus Invasive Infections in Preterm Neonates: an Up-to-Date Review of the Literature. Clin Microbiol Rev 2022; 35:e0008821. [PMID: 35138121 PMCID: PMC8826972 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00088-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus group species are widespread, Gram-positive, spore-forming environmental bacteria. B. cereus sensu stricto is one of the major causes of food poisoning worldwide. In high-risk individuals, such as preterm neonates, B. cereus infections can cause fatal infections. It is important to note that the phenotypic identification methods commonly used in clinical microbiology laboratories make no distinction between B. cereus sensu stricto and the other members of the group (Bacillus anthracis excluded). As a result, all the invasive infections attributed to B. cereus are not necessarily due to B. cereus sensu stricto but likely to other closely related species of the B. cereus group. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) should be used to characterize the whole genome of the strains belonging to the B. cereus group. This could confirm whether the strains involved in previously reported B. cereus invasive infections preferentially belong to formerly known or emerging individual species. Moreover, infections related to B. cereus group species have probably been overlooked, since their isolation in human bacteriological samples has for a long time been regarded as an environmental contaminant of the cultures. Recent studies have questioned the emergence or reemergence of B. cereus invasive infections in preterm infants. This review reports our current understanding of B. cereus infections in neonates, including taxonomical updates, microbiological characteristics, bacterial identification, clinical features, host-pathogen interactions, environmental sources of contamination, and antimicrobial resistance.
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Bacillus cereus Toxin Repertoire: Diversity of (Iso)cereulide(s). MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27030872. [PMID: 35164132 PMCID: PMC8840689 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The emetic Bacillus cereus toxin cereulide (1) poses a significant safety risk in the food industry, causing emesis and nausea after consumption of contaminated foods. Analogously to cereulide, the structures of various isocereulides, namely, isocereulides A–G, have been recently reported and could also be identified in B. cereus-contaminated food samples. The HPLC fractionation of B. cereus extracts allows us to isolate additional isocereulides. By applying MSn sequencing, post-hydrolytic dipeptide, amino acid and α-hydroxy acid analyses using UPLC-ESI-TOF-MS to purify the analytes, seven new isocereulides H–N (2–8) could be elucidated in their chemical structures. The structure elucidation was supported by one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR spectra of the isocereulides H (2), K (5), L and N (6 + 8) and M (7). The toxicity of 2–8 was investigated in a HEp-2 cell assay to determine their respective 50% effective concentration (EC50). Thus, 2–8 exhibited EC50 values ranging from a 0.4- to 1.4-fold value compared to cereulide (1). Missing structure-activity correlations indicate the necessity to determine the toxic potential of all naturally present isocereulides as single compounds to be able to perform a thorough toxicity evaluation of B. cereus-contaminated foods in the future.
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The Membrane Proteome of Spores and Vegetative Cells of the Food-Borne Pathogen Bacillus cereus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212475. [PMID: 34830357 PMCID: PMC8624511 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins are fascinating since they play an important role in diverse cellular functions and constitute many drug targets. Membrane proteins are challenging to analyze. The spore, the most resistant form of known life, harbors a compressed inner membrane. This membrane acts not only as a barrier for undesired molecules but also as a scaffold for proteins involved in signal transduction and the transport of metabolites during spore germination and subsequent vegetative growth. In this study, we adapted a membrane enrichment method to study the membrane proteome of spores and cells of the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus using quantitative proteomics. Using bioinformatics filtering we identify and quantify 498 vegetative cell membrane proteins and 244 spore inner membrane proteins. Comparison of vegetative and spore membrane proteins showed there were 54 spore membrane-specific and 308 cell membrane-specific proteins. Functional characterization of these proteins showed that the cell membrane proteome has a far larger number of transporters, receptors and proteins related to cell division and motility. This was also reflected in the much higher expression level of many of these proteins in the cellular membrane for those proteins that were in common with the spore inner membrane. The spore inner membrane had specific expression of several germinant receptors and spore-specific proteins, but also seemed to show a preference towards the use of simple carbohydrates like glucose and fructose owing to only expressing transporters for these. These results show the differences in membrane proteome composition and show us the specific proteins necessary in the inner membrane of a dormant spore of this toxigenic spore-forming bacterium to survive adverse conditions.
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31
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Gamage NW, Bamforth J, Ashfaq T, Bernard K, Gräfenhan T, Walkowiak S. Profiling of Bacillus cereus on Canadian grain. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259209. [PMID: 34735500 PMCID: PMC8568128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms that cause foodborne illnesses challenge the food industry; however, environmental studies of these microorganisms on raw grain, prior to food processing, are uncommon. Bacillus cereus sensu lato is a diverse group of bacteria that is common in our everyday environment and occupy a wide array of niches. While some of these bacteria are beneficial to agriculture due to their entomopathogenic properties, others can cause foodborne illness; therefore, characterization of these bacteria is important from both agricultural and food safety standpoints. We performed a survey of wheat and flax grain samples in 2018 (n = 508) and 2017 (n = 636) and discovered that B. cereus was present in the majority of grain samples, as 56.3% and 85.2%, in two years respectively. Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics of 109 presumptive B. cereus isolates indicates that most of the isolates were closely related and formed two genetically distinct groups. Comparisons to the available genomes of reference strains suggested that the members of these two groups are not closely related to strains previously reported to cause foodborne illness. From the same data set, another, genetically more diverse group of B. cereus was inferred, which had varying levels of similarity to previously reported strains that caused disease. Genomic analysis and PCR amplification of genes linked to toxin production indicated that most of the isolates carry the genes nheA and hbID, while other toxin genes and gene clusters, such as ces, were infrequent. This report of B. cereus on grain from Canada is the first of its kind and demonstrates the value of surveillance of bacteria naturally associated with raw agricultural commodities such as cereal grain and oilseeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janice Bamforth
- Canadian Grain Commission, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Tehreem Ashfaq
- Canadian Grain Commission, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Kathryn Bernard
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Tom Gräfenhan
- Canadian Grain Commission, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
- * E-mail: (TG); (SW)
| | - Sean Walkowiak
- Canadian Grain Commission, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
- * E-mail: (TG); (SW)
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Qu Y, Wei C, Dai X, Bai Y, Zhao X, Lan Q, Wang W, Wu Y, Gao M, Tang W, Zhou C, Suo Y. The Possible Transmission and Potential Enterotoxicity of Bacillus cereus on Lettuce Farms in Five Chinese Provinces. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:746632. [PMID: 34659182 PMCID: PMC8517410 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.746632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a well-characterized human pathogen that produces toxins associated with diarrheal and emetic foodborne diseases. To investigate the possible transmission of B. cereus on lettuce farms in China and determine its enterotoxicity, (I) a total of 524 samples (lettuce: 332, soil: 69, water: 57, manure: 57, pesticide: 9) were collected from 46 lettuce farms in five Chinese provinces, (II) multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to classify B. cereus isolates and for trace analysis, and (III) the presence of toxin genes and enterotoxins (Hbl and Nhe) was detected in 68 strains. The results showed that one hundred and sixty-one lettuce samples (48.5%) tested positive for B. cereus at levels ranging from 10 to 5.3 × 104 CFU/g. Among the environmental sample categories surveyed, the highest positive rate was that of the pesticide samples at 55.6%, followed by soil samples at 52.2% and manure samples at 12.3%. Moreover, one hundred isolates of B. cereus yielded 68 different sequence types (STs) and were classified into five phylogenetic clades. Furthermore, Nhe toxin genes (nheA, nheB, nheC) were broadly distributed and identified in all 68 strains (100%), while Hbl toxin genes (hblA, hblC, hblD) were present in 61 strains (89.7%), entFM was detected in 62 strains (91.2%), and cytK was found in 29 strains (42.6%). All strains were negative for ces. As for the enterotoxin, Nhe was observed in all 68 isolates carrying nheB, while Hbl was present in 76.5% (52/68) of the strains harboring hblC. This study is the first report of possible B. cereus transmission and of its potential enterotoxicity on lettuce farms in China. The results showed that soil and pesticides are the main sources of B. cereus on lettuce farms in China, and the possible transmission routes are as follows: soil-lettuce, manure-lettuce, pesticide-lettuce, manure-soil-lettuce, and water-manure-soil-lettuce. Furthermore, the B. cereus isolates, whether from lettuce or the environment, pose a potential risk to health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Qu
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute for Agro-Food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Co-Elite Agro-Food Testing Service Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Wei
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohang Dai
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yalong Bai
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute for Agro-Food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Qingkuo Lan
- Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Standards and Testing Technology for Agri-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yuanjuan Wu
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Standards and Testing Technology for Agri-Products, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Min Gao
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Weihao Tang
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Changyan Zhou
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute for Agro-Food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Co-Elite Agro-Food Testing Service Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Yujuan Suo
- Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-Products of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute for Agro-Food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Co-Elite Agro-Food Testing Service Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
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Impact of Phytochemicals on Viability and Cereulide Toxin Synthesis in Bacillus cereus Revealed by a Novel High-Throughput Method, Coupling an AlamarBlue-Based Assay with UPLC-MS/MS. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13090672. [PMID: 34564676 PMCID: PMC8470179 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13090672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to its food-poisoning potential, Bacillus cereus has attracted the attention of the food industry. The cereulide-toxin-producing subgroup is of particular concern, as cereulide toxin is implicated in broadscale food-borne outbreaks and occasionally causes fatalities. The health risks associated with long-term cereulide exposure at low doses remain largely unexplored. Natural substances, such as plant-based secondary metabolites, are widely known for their effective antibacterial potential, which makes them promising as ingredients in food and also as a surrogate for antibiotics. In this work, we tested a range of structurally related phytochemicals, including benzene derivatives, monoterpenes, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and vitamins, for their inhibitory effects on the growth of B. cereus and the production of cereulide toxin. For this purpose, we developed a high-throughput, small-scale method which allowed us to analyze B. cereus survival and cereulide production simultaneously in one workflow by coupling an AlamarBlue-based viability assay with ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). This combinatory method allowed us to identify not only phytochemicals with high antibacterial potential, but also ones specifically eradicating cereulide biosynthesis already at very low concentrations, such as gingerol and curcumin.
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Mbhele ZN, Shobo CO, Amoako DG, Zishiri OT, Bester LA. Occurrence, Antibiotic Resistance, Virulence Factors, and Genetic Diversity of Bacillus spp. from Public Hospital Environments in South Africa. Microb Drug Resist 2021; 27:1692-1704. [PMID: 34546077 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2020.0543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the molecular dissemination of Bacillus species in public hospitals in South Africa. The study conducted over 3 months during 2017 involved representative samples obtained from three wards (general ward, intensive care unit, and pediatric unit) from four public hospitals denoted as A (Central), B (Tertiary), C (Regional), and D (District). Swabs collected from 11 distinct hospital surfaces were screened using selective media, biochemical testing, and molecular methods. Overall, 17% (135/777) isolates were identified with a prevalence of 24% (32/135) for central, 33% (45/135) for tertiary, 27% (36/135) for regional, and 16% (22/135) for district hospital. Bacillus species were further confirmed to belong to Bacillus cereus (129/135; 96%) and Bacillus subtilis (6/135; 4%). Prevalence was similar across the wards, averaging 33.3% (45/135). The highest prevalence of Bacillus isolates was found on the drip stands (11.8%), sink (11.8%), ward phone (11.5%), and nurses' tables (10.3%). Minimum inhibitory concentration analyses revealed high resistance to β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines. The most common resistance genes detected were ermB (56%) and tetM (5%). Enterotoxin virulence genes hblA (77%) and hblD (88%) associated with the diarrheal syndrome were most detected; however, no ces genes (cereulide toxin) for emetic syndrome was found. The enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR revealed considerable diversity at the different levels of health care, although the clonal spread of strains between the sites/wards within each specific hospital was revealed. The study highlighted the dissemination of drug-resistant Bacillus spp. in public hospital environments and calls for the design of optimal strategies to curb their spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zamile N Mbhele
- Biomedical Resource Unit, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban, Durban, South Africa
| | - Christiana O Shobo
- Biomedical Resource Unit, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban, Durban, South Africa
| | - Daniel G Amoako
- Biomedical Resource Unit, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban, Durban, South Africa.,Antimicrobial Research Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Oliver T Zishiri
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture Engineering and Science University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban, Durban, South Africa
| | - Linda A Bester
- Biomedical Resource Unit, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban, Durban, South Africa
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Cereulide Exposure Caused Cytopathogenic Damages of Liver and Kidney in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179148. [PMID: 34502057 PMCID: PMC8431326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cereulide is one of the main food-borne toxins for vomiting synthesized by Bacillus cereus, and it widely contaminates meat, eggs, milk, and starchy foods. However, the toxicological effects and mechanisms of the long-time exposure of cereulide in vivo remain unknown. In this study, oral administration of 50 and 200 μg/kg body weight cereulide in the mice for 28 days caused oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues and induce abnormal expression of inflammatory factors. In pathogenesis, cereulide exposure activated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) via the pathways of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α)/Xbox binding protein (XBP1) and PRKR-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), and consequently led to the apoptosis and tissue damages in mouse liver and kidney. In vitro, we confirmed that the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by cereulide is the main factor leading to ER stress in HepaRG and HEK293T cells. Supplementation of sodium butyrate (NaB) inhibited the activations of IRE1α/XBP1 and PERK/eIF2α pathways caused by cereulide exposure in mice, and reduced the cell apoptosis in liver and kidney. In conclusion, this study provides a new insight in understanding the toxicological mechanism and prevention of cereulide exposure.
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Wang X, Lyu Y, Wang S, Zheng Q, Feng E, Zhu L, Pan C, Wang S, Wang D, Liu X, Wang H. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 System for Plasmid Elimination and Bacterial Killing of Bacillus cereus Group Strains. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:536357. [PMID: 34177818 PMCID: PMC8222586 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.536357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system has been widely applied in prokaryotic genome editing with its high efficiency and easy operation. We constructed some "scissors plasmids" via using the temperature-sensitive pJOE8999 shuttle plasmid, which carry the different 20nt (N20) guiding the Cas9 nuclease as a scissors to break the target DNA. We successfully used scissors plasmids to eliminate native plasmids from Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus, and specifically killed B. anthracis. When curing pXO1 and pXO2 virulence plasmids from B. anthracis A16PI2 and A16Q1, respectively, we found that the plasmid elimination percentage was slightly higher when the sgRNA targeted the replication initiation region (96-100%), rather than the non-replication initiation region (88-92%). We also tried using a mixture of two scissors plasmids to simultaneously eliminate pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids from B. anthracis, and the single and double plasmid-cured rates were 29 and 14%, respectively. To our surprise, when we used the scissor plasmid containing two tandem sgRNAs to cure the target plasmids pXO1 and pXO2 from wild strain B. anthracis A16 simultaneously, only the second sgRNA could guide Cas9 to cleave the target plasmid with high efficiency, while the first sgRNA didn't work in all the experiments we designed. When we used the CRISPR/cas9 system to eliminate the pCE1 mega-virulence plasmid from B. cereus BC307 by simply changing the sgRNA, we also obtained a plasmid-cured isogenic strain at a very high elimination rate (69%). The sterilization efficiency of B. anthracis was about 93%, which is similar to the efficiency of plasmid curing, and there was no significant difference in the efficiency of among the scissors plasmids containing single sgRNA, targeting multi-sites, or single-site targeting and the two tandem sgRNA. This simple and effective curing method, which is applicable to B. cereus group strains, provides a new way to study these bacteria and their virulence profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Yufei Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Siya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- Experimental Teaching Center, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qingfang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquatic Product Processing & Preservation, Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Product on Storage and Preservation, Shanghai, China
| | - Erling Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Shenghou Wang
- Experimental Teaching Center, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dongshu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiankai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Hengliang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
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Incidence, toxin gene profiling, antimicrobial susceptibility, and genetic diversity of Bacillus cereus isolated from quick-frozen food in China. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2020.110824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Walser V, Kranzler M, Ehling-Schulz M, Stark TD, Hofmann TF. Structure Revision of Isocereulide A, an Isoform of the Food Poisoning Emetic Bacillus cereus Toxin Cereulide. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051360. [PMID: 33806334 PMCID: PMC7961578 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emetic Bacillus cereus toxin cereulide presents an enormous safety hazard in the food industry, inducing emesis and nausea after the consumption of contaminated foods. Additional to cereulide itself, seven structurally related isoforms, namely the isocereulides A–G, have already been elucidated in their chemical structure and could further be identified in B. cereus contaminated food samples. The newly performed isolation of isocereulide A allowed, for the first time, 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy of a biosynthetically produced isocereulide, revealing results that contradict previous assumptions of an l-O-Leu moiety within its chemical structure. By furthermore applying posthydrolytical dipeptide analysis, amino acid and α-hydroxy acid analysis by means of UPLC-ESI-TOF-MS, as well as MSn sequencing, the structure of previously reported isocereulide A could be corrected. Instead of the l-O-Leu as assumed to date, one l-O-Ile unit could be verified in the cyclic dodecadepsipeptide, revising the structure of isocereulide A to [(d-O-Leu-d-Ala-l-O-Val-l-Val)2(d-O-Leu-d-Ala-l-O-Ile-l-Val)].
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Walser
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany; (V.W.); (T.F.H.)
| | - Markus Kranzler
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (M.K.); (M.E.-S.)
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (M.K.); (M.E.-S.)
| | - Timo D. Stark
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany; (V.W.); (T.F.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-8161-71-2911
| | - Thomas F. Hofmann
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany; (V.W.); (T.F.H.)
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Abt K, Castelo-Branco R, Leão PN. Biosynthesis of Chlorinated Lactylates in Sphaerospermopsis sp. LEGE 00249. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2021; 84:278-286. [PMID: 33444023 PMCID: PMC7923214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Lactylates are an important group of molecules in the food and cosmetic industries. A series of natural halogenated 1-lactylates, chlorosphaerolactylates (1-4), were recently reported from Sphaerospermopsis sp. LEGE 00249. Here, we identify the cly biosynthetic gene cluster, containing all the necessary functionalities for the biosynthesis of the natural lactylates, based on in silico analyses. Using a combination of stable isotope incorporation experiments and bioinformatic analysis, we propose that dodecanoic acid and pyruvate are the key building blocks in the biosynthesis of 1-4. We additionally report minor analogues of these molecules with varying alkyl chains. This work paves the way to accessing industrially relevant lactylates through pathway engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Abt
- Interdisciplinary
Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Institute
of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Castelo-Branco
- Interdisciplinary
Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Pedro N. Leão
- Interdisciplinary
Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
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Cormontagne D, Rigourd V, Vidic J, Rizzotto F, Bille E, Ramarao N. Bacillus cereus Induces Severe Infections in Preterm Neonates: Implication at the Hospital and Human Milk Bank Level. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:123. [PMID: 33562185 PMCID: PMC7915446 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human breast milk (HBM) is a source of essential nutrients for infants and is particularly recommended for preterm neonates when their own mother's milk is not available. It provides protection against infections and decreases necrotizing enterocolitis and cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, HBM spoilage can occur due to contamination by pathogens, and the risk of a shortage of HBM is very often present. B. cereus is the most frequent ubiquitous bacteria responsible for HBM being discarded. It can contaminate HBM at all stages, from its collect point to the storage and delivery. B. cereus can induce severe infection in newborns with very low birth weight, with sometimes fatal outcomes. Although the source of contamination is rarely identified, in some cases, HBM was suspected as a potential source. Even if the risk is low, as infection due to B. cereus in preterm infants should not be overlooked, human milk banks follow strict procedures to avoid contamination, to accurately identify remaining bacteria following pasteurization and to discard non-compliant milk samples. In this review, we present a literature overview of B. cereus infections reported in neonates and the suspected sources of contamination. We highlight the procedures followed by the human milk banks from the collection of the milk to its microbiological characterization in Europe. We also present improved detection and decontamination methods that might help to decrease the risk and to preserve the public's confidence in this vital biological product for infants whose mothers cannot breastfeed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Cormontagne
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (D.C.); (J.V.); (F.R.)
| | - Virginie Rigourd
- Région Île-de-France Human Milk Bank, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 75015 Paris, France;
| | - Jasmina Vidic
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (D.C.); (J.V.); (F.R.)
| | - Francesco Rizzotto
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (D.C.); (J.V.); (F.R.)
| | - Emmanuelle Bille
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Necker Enfants-Malades Hospital, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France;
- INSERM U1151-CNRS UMR 8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Nalini Ramarao
- Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; (D.C.); (J.V.); (F.R.)
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Kalbhenn EM, Bauer T, Stark TD, Knüpfer M, Grass G, Ehling-Schulz M. Detection and Isolation of Emetic Bacillus cereus Toxin Cereulide by Reversed Phase Chromatography. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13020115. [PMID: 33557428 PMCID: PMC7915282 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The emetic toxin cereulide is a 1.2 kDa dodecadepsipeptide produced by the food pathogen Bacillus cereus. As cereulide poses a serious health risk to humans, sensitive and specific detection, as well as toxin purification and quantification, methods are of utmost importance. Recently, a stable isotope dilution assay tandem mass spectrometry (SIDA–MS/MS)-based method has been described, and an method for the quantitation of cereulide in foods was established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). However, although this SIDA–MS/MS method is highly accurate, the sophisticated high-end MS equipment required for such measurements limits the method’s suitability for microbiological and molecular research. Thus, we aimed to develop a method for cereulide toxin detection and isolation using equipment commonly available in microbiological and biochemical research laboratories. Reproducible detection and relative quantification of cereulide was achieved, employing reversed phase chromatography (RPC). Chromatographic signals were cross validated by ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). The specificity of the RPC method was tested using a test panel of strains that included non-emetic representatives of the B. cereus group, emetic B. cereus strains, and cereulide-deficient isogenic mutants. In summary, the new method represents a robust, economical, and easily accessible research tool that complements existing diagnostics for the detection and quantification of cereulide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Maria Kalbhenn
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.K.); (T.B.)
| | - Tobias Bauer
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.K.); (T.B.)
| | - Timo D. Stark
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Straße 34, 85354 Freising, Germany;
| | - Mandy Knüpfer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstraße 11, 80937 Munich, Germany; (M.K.); (G.G.)
| | - Gregor Grass
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstraße 11, 80937 Munich, Germany; (M.K.); (G.G.)
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (E.M.K.); (T.B.)
- Correspondence:
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The Food Poisoning Toxins of Bacillus cereus. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13020098. [PMID: 33525722 PMCID: PMC7911051 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous soil bacterium responsible for two types of food-associated gastrointestinal diseases. While the emetic type, a food intoxication, manifests in nausea and vomiting, food infections with enteropathogenic strains cause diarrhea and abdominal pain. Causative toxins are the cyclic dodecadepsipeptide cereulide, and the proteinaceous enterotoxins hemolysin BL (Hbl), nonhemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe) and cytotoxin K (CytK), respectively. This review covers the current knowledge on distribution and genetic organization of the toxin genes, as well as mechanisms of enterotoxin gene regulation and toxin secretion. In this context, the exceptionally high variability of toxin production between single strains is highlighted. In addition, the mode of action of the pore-forming enterotoxins and their effect on target cells is described in detail. The main focus of this review are the two tripartite enterotoxin complexes Hbl and Nhe, but the latest findings on cereulide and CytK are also presented, as well as methods for toxin detection, and the contribution of further putative virulence factors to the diarrheal disease.
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Traceability of potential enterotoxigenic Bacillus cereus in bee-pollen samples from Argentina throughout the production process. Int J Food Microbiol 2020; 334:108816. [PMID: 32835996 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Bee-pollen is a functional food sold for human and animal consumption but also is a favorable microhabitat for many spore-forming bacteria. Among them, Bacillus cereus can produce several toxins and other virulence factors, causing an emetic or diarrheal syndrome after ingestion. The study involved 36 bee-pollen samples obtained from different sampling points throughout the production process (collecting, freezing, drying, and cleaning) in Argentina. Fifty isolates of B. cereus yielded 24 different fingerprint patterns with BOX and ERIC primers. Only three fingerprint patterns were maintained throughout the production process. In contrast, others were lost or incorporated during the different steps, suggesting that cross-contamination occurred as shown by differences in fingerprint patterns after freezing, drying, and cleaning steps compared to the initial collection step. Genes encoding for cereulide (ces), cytotoxin K (cytK), sphingomyelinase (sph), the components of hemolysin BL (hblA, hblB, hblC, hblD) and non-hemolytic complex (nheAB) were studied. All the isolates displayed one or more enterotoxin genes. The most frequent virulence genes detected belong to the HBL complex, being the most abundant hblA (98%), followed by hblD (64%), hblB (54%), and hblC (32%), respectively. Ten strains (20%), present at all sampling points, carried all the subunits of the HBL complex. The non-hemolytic enterotoxic complex (nheAB) was found in 48 strains (96%), while seven strains (14%) present at all sampling points showed the amplification product for sphingomyelinase (sph). One cereulide-producer was isolated at the cleaning step; this strain contained all the components for the hemolytic enterotoxin complex HBL, the NHE complex, and cytotoxin K related to the foodborne diarrhoeal syndrome. In total, 11 different virulence patterns were observed, and also a correlation between rep-fingerprint and virulence patterns. The results suggest that bee-pollen can be contaminated at any point in the production process with potential enterotoxic B. cereus strains, emphasizing the importance of hygienic processing.
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Kim SA, Park HJ, Cho TJ, Rhee MS. Toxic potential of Bacillus cereus isolated from fermented alcoholic beverages. Food Res Int 2020; 137:109361. [PMID: 33233064 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenicity of Bacillus cereus is associated with the production of various toxins. This study investigated the distribution of toxin genes encoding haemolysin BL (hblA, hblC, and hblD), nonhemolytic enterotoxin (nheA, nheB, and nheC), enterotoxin FM (entFM), cytotoxin K (cytK), and cereulide (ces) in 185 B. cereus strains isolated from draft beer, microbrewed beer, pasteurized beer, grape wine, other fruit wine, refined rice wine, traditional Korean pure liquor, and traditional Korean turbid rice wines. A total of 93.0% (172 isolates) of these isolates possessed at least one toxin gene. The nonhemolytic enterotoxin-encoding genes were highly prevalent in the isolates; the detection rate of enterotoxins was 91.4% for nheC, 81.6% for entFM, 62.7% for nheB, 57.3% for nheA, 53.0% for hblC, 48.6% for cytK, 36.8% for hblA, and 36.2% for hblD. Overall, 54.6% and 33.0% of strains carried the integrated Nhe-encoding gene cluster (nheA, nheB, nheC at the same time) and had the Hbl-encoding gene cluster, respectively. The cereulide synthetase gene was detected in only 2.2% of isolates. Toxin gene distribution patterns could be classified into 8 major profile clusters, and the most prevalent profile was the presence of enterotoxin genes only and no emetic toxin genes. Therefore, B. cereus in fermented alcoholic beverages was predominantly of the diarrhoeagenic type. Our results may provide important basic information when considering microbial standards and regulations for B. cereus in related products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Ae Kim
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, South Korea
| | - Hyun Jin Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Tae Jin Cho
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong 30019, South Korea
| | - Min Suk Rhee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea.
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Alonzo DA, Schmeing TM. Biosynthesis of depsipeptides, or Depsi: The peptides with varied generations. Protein Sci 2020; 29:2316-2347. [PMID: 33073901 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Depsipeptides are compounds that contain both ester bonds and amide bonds. Important natural product depsipeptides include the piscicide antimycin, the K+ ionophores cereulide and valinomycin, the anticancer agent cryptophycin, and the antimicrobial kutzneride. Furthermore, database searches return hundreds of uncharacterized systems likely to produce novel depsipeptides. These compounds are made by specialized nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). NRPSs are biosynthetic megaenzymes that use a module architecture and multi-step catalytic cycle to assemble monomer substrates into peptides, or in the case of specialized depsipeptide synthetases, depsipeptides. Two NRPS domains, the condensation domain and the thioesterase domain, catalyze ester bond formation, and ester bonds are introduced into depsipeptides in several different ways. The two most common occur during cyclization, in a reaction between a hydroxy-containing side chain and the C-terminal amino acid residue in a peptide intermediate, and during incorporation into the growing peptide chain of an α-hydroxy acyl moiety, recruited either by direct selection of an α-hydroxy acid substrate or by selection of an α-keto acid substrate that is reduced in situ. In this article, we discuss how and when these esters are introduced during depsipeptide synthesis, survey notable depsipeptide synthetases, and review insight into bacterial depsipeptide synthetases recently gained from structural studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Alonzo
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T Martin Schmeing
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Liu C, Yu P, Yu S, Wang J, Guo H, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Liao X, Li C, Wu S, Gu Q, Zeng H, Zhang Y, Wei X, Zhang J, Wu Q, Ding Y. Assessment and molecular characterization of Bacillus cereus isolated from edible fungi in China. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:310. [PMID: 33054711 PMCID: PMC7557095 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01996-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen commonly found in nature and food and can cause food spoilage and health issues. Although the prevalence of B. cereus in foods has been reported worldwide, the extent of contamination in edible fungi, which has become increasingly popular as traditional or functional food, is largely unknown. Here we investigated the prevalence, toxin genes’ distribution, antibiotic resistance, and genetic diversity of B. cereus isolated from edible fungi in China. Results Six hundred and ninety-nine edible fungi samples were collected across China, with 198 (28.3%) samples found to be contaminated by B. cereus, with an average contamination level of 55.4 most probable number (MPN)/g. Two hundred and forty-seven B. cereus strains were isolated from the contaminated samples. Seven enterotoxin genes and one cereulide synthetase gene were detected. The detection frequencies of all enterotoxin genes were ≥ 80%, whereas the positive rate of the cesB gene in B. cereus was 3%. Most isolates were resistant to penicillins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, cephems, and ansamycins, but were susceptible to penems, aminoglycosides, macrolides, ketolide, glycopeptides, quinolones, phenylpropanol, tetracyclines, lincosamides, streptogramins, and nitrofurans. Meanwhile, 99.6% of all isolates displayed multiple antimicrobial resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials. Using genetic diversity analysis, all isolates were defined in 171 sequence types (STs), of which 83 isolates were assigned to 78 new STs. Conclusions This study provides large-scale insight into the prevalence and potential risk of B. cereus in edible fungi in China. Approximately one-third of the samples were contaminated with B. cereus, and almost all isolates showed multiple antimicrobial resistance. Detection frequencies of all seven enterotoxin genes were equal to or more than 80%. These new findings may indicate a need for proper pre-/post-processing of edible fungi to eliminate B. cereus, thereby preventing the potential risk to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Liu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shubo Yu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Junhui Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiyu Liao
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Chun Li
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shi Wu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Qihui Gu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Haiyan Zeng
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Youxiong Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Xianhu Wei
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China.
| | - Yu Ding
- Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Xianlie Zhong Road 100#, 58th Building, Guangzhou, 510070, China. .,Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Huangpu Ave. 601, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Doellinger J, Schneider A, Stark TD, Ehling-Schulz M, Lasch P. Evaluation of MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Detection of Cereulide From Bacillus cereus Cultures. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:511674. [PMID: 33329410 PMCID: PMC7709880 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.511674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus plays an often unrecognized role in food borne diseases. Food poisoning caused by this pathogen is manifested by either diarrhea or emesis. Due to the relatively high prevalence of emetic toxin cereulide associated food poisoning, methods for simple and reliable detection of cereulide producing strains are of utmost importance. Recently, two different studies reported on the application of MALDI-ToF MS for either the differentiation of emetic and non-emetic strains of B. cereus or for direct detection of cereulide from bacterial colony smears. However, for implementation of cereulide detection using MALDI-ToF MS in routine microbiological diagnostics additional investigations on the sensitivity and specificity as well as on the fitting into common workflows for bacterial identification are needed. These aspects prompted us to investigate open issues and to test sample preparation methods, commonly used for microbial identification for their suitability to detect the emetic toxin from bacteria. Based on our experimental findings we propose a workflow that allows identification of B. cereus and sensitive detection of cereulide in parallel, using linear-mode MALDI-ToF MS equipment. The protocol was validated in a blinded study and is based on the well-established ethanol/formic acid extraction method. Cereulide is detected in the ethanol wash solution of samples identified as B. cereus as peaks at m/z 1175 and 1191. Peak position difference of 16 Th (Thomson) indicates detection of the sodium and potassium adducts of cereulide. This sample treatment offers possibilities for further characterization by more sophisticated LC-MS-based methods. In summary, the ease of use and the achieved level of analytical sensitivity as well as the wide-spread availability of MALDI-ToF MS equipment in clinical microbiological laboratories provides a promising tool to improve and to facilitate routine diagnostics of B. cereus associated food intoxications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Doellinger
- Proteomics and Spectroscopy Unit (ZBS 6), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andy Schneider
- Proteomics and Spectroscopy Unit (ZBS 6), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo D Stark
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Lasch
- Proteomics and Spectroscopy Unit (ZBS 6), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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Beyond Toxin Transport: Novel Role of ABC Transporter for Enzymatic Machinery of Cereulide NRPS Assembly Line. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.01577-20. [PMID: 32994334 PMCID: PMC7527721 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01577-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study revealed a novel, potentially conserved mechanism involved in the biosynthesis of microbial natural products, exemplified by the mitochondrial active depsipeptide cereulide. Similar to other bioactive substances, such as the last-resort antibiotics vancomycin and daptomycin, the antitumor drug cryptophycin or the cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin, cereulide is synthesized nonribosomally by multienzyme machinery, requiring the concerted actions of multiple proteins to ensure correct product assembly. Given the importance of microbial secondary metabolites in human and veterinary medicine, it is critical to understand how these processes are orchestrated within the host cells. By revealing that tethering of a biosynthetic enzyme to the cell membrane by an ABC transporter is essential for nonribosomal peptide production, our study provides novel insights into synthesis of microbial secondary metabolites, which could contribute to isolation of novel compounds from cryptic secondary metabolite clusters or improve the yield of produced pharmaceuticals. Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthetases (PKSs) play a pivotal role in the production of bioactive natural products, such as antibiotics and cytotoxins. Despite biomedical and pharmaceutical importance, the molecular mechanisms and architectures of these multimodular enzyme complexes are not fully understood. Here, we report on an ABC transporter that forms a vital part of the nonribosomal peptide biosynthetic machinery. Emetic Bacillus cereus produces the highly potent, mitochondrial active nonribosomal depsipeptide cereulide, synthesized by the NRPS Ces. The ces gene locus includes, next to the structural cesAB genes, a putative ABC transporter, designated cesCD. Our study demonstrates that tethering of CesAB synthetase to the cell membrane by CesCD is critical for peptide assembly. In vivo studies revealed that CesAB colocalizes with CesCD on the cell membrane, suggesting direct involvement of this ABC transporter in the biosynthesis of a nonribosomal peptide. Mutation of cesCD, disrupting the assembly of the CesCD complex, resulted in decreased interaction with CesAB and, as a consequence, negatively affected cereulide biosynthesis. Specific domains within CesAB synthetase interacting with CesC were identified. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the structurally similar BerAB transporter from Bacillus thuringiensis complements CesCD function in cereulide biosynthesis, suggesting that the direct involvement of ABC transporter in secondary metabolite biosynthesis could be a widespread mechanism. In summary, our study revealed a novel, noncanonical function for ABC transporter, which is essential for megaenzyme functionality of NRPS. The new insights into natural product biosynthesis gained may facilitate the discovery of new metabolites with bioactive potential.
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Hamidpour M, Mahdavi S. Prevalence of ces and cytk Genes of Bacillus cereus Isolated From Raw Milk in Tabriz, Iran. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENTERIC PATHOGENS 2020. [DOI: 10.34172/ijep.2020.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium which is widespread in nature. It also has been known as a major foodborne pathogen that often plays a role in the contamination of ready-to-eat and dairy products. It causes two different types of food poisoning in human: the diarrheal type and the emetic type. Objective: The current study was planned to determine the prevalence of ces and cytk genes of Bacillus cereus isolated from raw milk in Tabriz, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 B. cereus strains isolated from cow raw milk, that had already been identified phenotypically, were assessed for molecular confirmation by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Then, they were evaluated for presence of ces and cytK genes by specific primers. Results: Of 40 B. cereus strains, 39 strains were confirmed molecularly. The frequency of cytK and ces genes was reported 38 (97.43%) and 0 (0%), respectively. Conclusion: The results of present study showed that B. cereus strains isolated from raw milk had high potential in causing diarrhea poisoning. Therefore, using procedures to reduce the bacterial contamination during the processing of dairy product is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahtab Hamidpour
- Department of Microbiology, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saman Mahdavi
- Department of Microbiology, Maragheh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Maragheh, Iran
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50
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Liu XY, Hu Q, Xu F, Ding SY, Zhu K. Characterization of Bacillus cereus in Dairy Products in China. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E454. [PMID: 32674390 PMCID: PMC7405013 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12070454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a common and ubiquitous foodborne pathogen with an increasing prevalence rate in dairy products in China. High and unmet demands for such products, particularly milk, raise the risk of B. cereus associated contamination. The presence of B. cereus and its virulence factors in dairy products may cause food poisoning and other illnesses. Thus, this review first summarizes the epidemiological characteristics and analytical assays of B. cereus from dairy products in China, providing insights into the implementation of intervention strategies. In addition, the recent achievements on the cytotoxicity and mechanisms of B. cereus are also presented to shed light on the therapeutic options for B. cereus associated infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ye Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.-Y.L.); (Q.H.)
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Emerging Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Qiao Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.-Y.L.); (Q.H.)
- National Center for Veterinary Drug Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Fei Xu
- National Feed Drug Reference Laboratory, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Shuang-Yang Ding
- National Center for Veterinary Drug Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Kui Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (X.-Y.L.); (Q.H.)
- National Center for Veterinary Drug Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
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