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.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 109361 |
Journal | Food Research International |
Volume | 137 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2020 Nov |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was partially supported by a Korea University grant. The authors also thank the School of Life Science and Biotechnology of Korea University for BK 21 PLUS, and the Institute of Biomedical Science and Food Safety, Korea University Food Safety Hall, for access to equipment and facilities.
Funding Information:
This research was partially supported by a Korea University grant. The authors also thank the School of Life Science and Biotechnology of Korea University for BK 21 PLUS, and the Institute of Biomedical Science and Food Safety, Korea University Food Safety Hall , for access to equipment and facilities.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- Bacillus cereus
- Cereulide
- Enterotoxin
- Fermented alcoholic beverage
- Toxin gene
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Food Science