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Common name
– Botulinum Toxin, BOTOX
Scientific
name – Clostridium botulinum
Domain -- Bacteria
Kingdom -- Bacteria
Phylum –
Firmicutes
Class -- Clostridia
Order -- Clostridiales
Family --
Clostridiaceae
Genus -- Clostridium
Species – Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum belongs to the
Domain Bacteria because it is a single-celled organism with no
membrane bound organelles except for ribosomes, undergoes cell
division by utilizing binary fission, has a single, circular
chromosome, and reproduces asexually– all possible
characteristics of Bacteria. Clostridium botulinum is
categorized in the Kingdom Bacteria because it has petidoglycan
in its cell wall, is a unicellular multiorganism, and does not
have a nucleus. It belongs to the Phylum Firmicutes because it
is an obligate anaerobe (does not require air or oxygen to
survive) with the ability to produce endospores. It is a member
of the Class Clostridia and the Order Clostridiales because it
is spore forming, anerobic, and is a bacillus organism (rod
shaped cells). It is considered to be part of the Genus
Clostridium because it is gram-positive, pathogenic, and
bacilli-shaped. Lastly, its species name is Clostridium
botulinum because this particular pathogenic species was
originally found in blood sausage, and the Latin word for
sausage is botulus.
Clostridium botulinum is also
separated into four groups and seven types depending on chemical
and physiological characteristics, as well as susceptibility in
species to the toxin.
|
Group |
Characteristics |
Types |
|
I |
Proteolytic, produce high heat resistant spores, minimum growth
temperature of 10 degrees C |
All type A, and proteolytic strains of types B and F |
|
II |
Nonpreoteolytic, produce spores of a low heat resistance, and are
capable of grow in low temperatures |
All of type E, and nonproteolytic strains of types B and F |
|
III |
Nonproteolytic, little known in regards to heat resistance since these
strains are not involved in human botulism |
All of types C and D strains
|
|
IV |
Proteolytic, nonsaccharolytic, with little known of heat resistance of
spores |
All of type G strains |
Table Table 1 – Produced with information
from Louis Smith’s book “Botulism.”
|
Type |
Species |
Site of Outbreak |
|
A |
Humans |
United States, U.S.S.R. |
|
B |
Humans, Horses |
United States, Northern Europe, U.S.S.R. |
|
C |
Birds, Turtles, Cattle, Sheep, Horses |
Worldwide |
|
D |
Cattle, Sheep |
Autrailia, South Africa |
|
E |
Humans, Birds |
Northern Europe, Canada, United States, Japan, U.S.S.R. |
|
F |
Humans |
Denmark, United States |
|
G |
None
identified |
None
identified |
Table 2 – Produced with information from
Louis Smith’s book “Botulism.”
In terms of research done on the different
strains of C. botulinum, those that involve the
intoxication of humans are by far researched more.
Now that you know all about the
classification of C. botulinum, why not learn where it's
located compared to other bacteria on the
Phylogenetic Tree page.
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