SUMMARY: Bacteriophages, lytic for wild-type strains of Clostridium botulinum and different from the phages that can be induced from these lysogenic cultures, were isolated from bottom sediments of an inland bay and its tributary river. The host ranges indicated seven phages, in three morphological groups: three were tailless phages, three had hexagonal head and sheathless flexible tail, and one had a sheathed tail. The hosts were restricted to non-proteolytic C. botulinum strains producing type B, E, or F toxin and to a few of the non-toxigenic clostridia which resemble C. botulinum type E. None of the phages was active on proteolytic C. botulinum producing type A, B, or F toxin or cultures producing type C or D toxin. The host ranges of the phages are considered to be part of the evidence that the C. botulinum types, as defined at present, based on the serological specificity of the toxins, obscure the natural relationships among the strains of the species.
BengstonI. A.1924; Studies on organisms concerned as causative factors in botulism. United States Public Health Service, Hygiene and Laboratory Bulletin 136:1–97
BottT. L., JohnsonJ., FosterE. M., SugiyamaH.1968; Possible origin of the high incidence of Clostridium botulinum type E in an inland bay (Green Bay of Lake Michigan). Journal of Bacteriology 95:1542–1547
EklundM. W., PoyskyF. T., BoatmanE. S.1969; Bacteriophages of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E, and F and nontoxigenic strains resembling type E. Journal of Virology 3:270–274
EklundM. W., PoyskyF. T., ReedS. M., SmithC. A.1971; -Bacteriophage and the toxigenicity of Clostridium botulinum type C. science; New York: 172480–482
EklundM. W., PoyskyF. T., WielerD. I.1967; Characteristics of Clostridium botulinum type F isolated from the Pacific coast of the United States. Applied Microbiology 15:1316–1323
EklundM. W., WielerD. I., PoyskyF. T.1967; Outgrowth and toxin production of non-proteolytic type B Clostridium botulinum at 3·3 to 5·6C. Journal of Bacteriology 93:1461–1462
GunnisonJ. B., MeyerK. F.1929; Cultural study of an international collection of Clostridium botulinum and parabotulinum. Journal of Infectious Diseases 45:119–134
KautterD. A., HarmonS. M., LyntR. K., LillyT.1966; Antagonistic effect on Clostridium botulinum type E by organisms resembling it. Applied Microbiology 14:616–622
LeeW. H., RiemannH.1970a; Correlation of toxic and non-toxic strains of Clostridium botulinum by DNA composition and homology. Journal of General Microbiology 60:117–123
SchmidtC. F.1964; Spores of C. botulinum: Formation, resistance, germination. In Botulism, Proceedings of a Symposium pp. 79–82LewisK. H., CasselK. Edited by Public Health Service Publication no999-FP-1;
SolomonH. M., LyntR. K., KautterD. A., LillyT.1971; Antigenic relationships among the proteolytic and nonproteolytic strains of Clostridium botulinum. Applied Microbiology 21:295–299