Toxin Gene Profiling of Bacillus cereus Food Isolates by PCR

Abstract

Seventy-one Bacillus cereus strains (12 references and 59 food isolates) were analyzed for the occurrence of five different enterotoxin genes (nheABC, hblCDA, entFM, cytK, and bceT) and one emetic toxin cereulide synthetase gene (ces) by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). PCR analysis revealed eight toxigenic patterns in all B. cereus strains tested; they all carried both entFM and nheABC. The presence of hblCDA, cytK, and bceT varied according to the enterotoxin-producing strains, among which hblCDA was the least frequently detected in the food-isolated strains. Only five B. cereus strains harbored ces, associated with the emetic type of food poisoning; however, these strains were devoid of hblCDA, cytK, and bceT.