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Genome of Clostridium botulinum was sequenced, the world most deadliest toxin producing Organism
Genome of Clostridium botulinum was sequenced, the world most deadliest toxin producing Organism
The genome of the organism that produces the world’s most lethal toxin is revealed today. This toxin is the one real weapon in the genome of Clostridium botulinum and less than 2 kg — the weight of two bags of sugar — is enough to kill every person on the planet. Very small amounts of the same toxin are used in medical treatments, one of which is known as Botox®.
The genome sequence shows that C. botulinum doesn’t have subtle tools to evade our human defences or tricky methods of acquiring resistance to antibiotics. It lives either as a dormant spore or as a scavenger of decaying animal materials in the soil, and doesn’t interact with human or other large animal hosts for prolonged periods of time.
Occasionally it gets into a living animal, via contaminated food or open wounds, leading to infant botulism or wound botulism, both of which are serious human infections. The host can be quickly overpowered and, in some cases, killed by the toxin, and C. botulinum has a new food source.
There are several types of C. botulinum: although described as variants of a single species, they are really very different organisms linked simply because they have the deadly toxin. For each type, there is also a near-identical but harmless relative that lacks the toxin. C. sporogenes is the non-malignant, near twin of the organism sequenced.
C. botulinum toxin stops nerves from working — the basis of its use in medicine to control tremors and in cosmetic treatments. For the prey of its opportunistic attacks, death is swift. Perhaps the most important tool it has to act out its stealth attacks is its ability to hibernate when times are hard by forming dormant spores.
More than 110 of its set of almost 3700 genes are used to control spore formation and germination when opportunity arises.
The genome sequence is peppered with genes that produce enzymes to digest proteins and other animal material in the soil. Also found, uniquely in this species, is a range of genes that allow it to attack the many insect and other small creatures that live in the soil. The ‘chitinases’ produced by these genes can degrade the casing of insects and small crustaceans.
This remarkable, stable genome demonstrates the wide range of strategies used by bacteria to enhance their chances of survival. For the Clostridia, these range from the approach used by Cdiff — long-term interaction with hosts, which involves evading the immune system and countering antibiotics — to the single-minded opportunistic approach of C. botulinum. Source : University of Nottingham
Best Regards
Aftab Ahmad
Posted by: aftabacPosts: 271 :: 29-05-2007 :: | Reply to this Message
Re: Genome of Clostridium botulinum was sequenced, the world most deadliest toxin producing Organism
very informative article. Botulism effect the nervous system and result in double vision followed by death. it is also one of the major cause of death in alcohol drinker that produce alcohol by classical way and get contemination from the C.botulinum that produce toxin result in death of drinker.
irum
Posted by: irumbuttPosts: 4 :: 29-05-2007 :: | Reply to this Message