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The Prokaryotes pp 679–697Cite as

Neurotoxigenic Clostridia

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Introduction

Certain bacterial species of the genus Clostridium are characterized by their ability to produce extremely potent neurotoxins: tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) and botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). TeNT inhibits neurotransmitter release of synapses of the central nervous system (CNS) causing the spastic paralysis of tetanus; BoNT inhibits the release of acethylcholine at peripheral cholinergic nerve terminals causing the flaccid paralysis of botulism. To date, one TeNT and seven (A–G) serologically distinct BoNTs are known (Schiavo et al., 2000).

Clostridium Tetani

Morphological and Cultural Characteristics

Tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) is produced by a uniform group of bacteria belonging to the Clostridium tetani species. These bacteria are usually 0.3–0.6 µm in width and may vary considerably in length between 3 and 12 µm. They are Gram positive in young cultures, but they lose the Gram coloration upon prolonged incubations. Clostridium tetaniis usually highly motile by peritrichous...

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Authors
  1. Cesare Montecucco
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  2. Ornella Rossetto
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  3. Michel R. Popoff
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Box 196, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0312, USA

    Martin Dworkin Professor Dr. (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University Medical School, 299 Campus Drive, Fairchild, D039, Stanford, CA, 94305-5124, USA

    Stanley Falkow

  3. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  4. Department of Microbiology, Technical University Munich, 80290, Munich, Germany

    Karl-Heinz Schleifer

  5. DSMZ- German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Mascheroder Weg 1b, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Erko Stackebrandt

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag

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Montecucco, C., Rossetto, O., Popoff, M.R. (2006). Neurotoxigenic Clostridia. In: Dworkin, M., Falkow, S., Rosenberg, E., Schleifer, KH., Stackebrandt, E. (eds) The Prokaryotes. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30744-3_21

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