Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| determination of benzethonium chloride in anthrax vaccine adsorbed by hplc. | a novel and sensitive hplc method for the determination of benzethonium chloride (bzc) in anthrax vaccine was developed. adjuvant alhydrogel was removed by syringe filter after a simple sample pretreatment - acidification prior to injection. chromatography was performed by isocratic reverse phase separation with methanol/262 mm ammonium acetate (80/20, v/v) on an endcapped c18 column with diode array detector (dad). the method showed excellent recovery (100+/-1.5%). the results indicated that th ... | 2006 | 16492397 |
| fighting anthrax with flies. | 2006 | 16492749 | |
| [diagnosis image (260). a woman with a black crust in the face]. | a 25-year-old woman presented to a rural outpatient clinic in africa with a black crust in the face due to cutaneous anthrax. | 2006 | 16493988 |
| [virulotypes of bacillus anthracis strains isolated in poland]. | bacillus anthracis--the causative agent of anthrax--possesses several virulence genes located in the chromosome as well as in two b. anthracis virulence plasmids: pxo1 and pxo2. in the presented study, we determined occurrence of six virulence markers located in the virulence plasmids (capa, capb, capc, paga, lef and cya) for capsule and toxin production together with virulence-associated gene gerxa and chromosomal gene sap, which are responsible for germination and s-layer biosynthesis respecti ... | 2005 | 16494203 |
| [application of the multiplex pcr and pcr-rflp method in the identification of the bacillus anthracis]. | the aim of this study was to apply the multiplex pcr and pcr-rflp method for the identification of the b. anthracis strains and to distinguish those bacteria from other members of the bacillus cereus group. the multiplex pcr method enables to detect the virulence factors, i.e. the toxin and the capsule in b. anthracis strains. to do that, the authors have used 5 primer pairs specific for the fragments of lef, cya, pag genes which are present in the pxo1 plasmid and encode the toxin, the cap gene ... | 2005 | 16494204 |
| transcriptional analysis of protective antigen-stimulated pbmc from non-human primates vaccinated with the anthrax vaccine absorbed. | the transcriptional responses in recombinant protective antigen (pa)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs) from anthrax vaccine absorbed (ava)-vaccinated rhesus macaques were evaluated using affymetrix hgu133 plus 2.0 genechips. pbmcs from animals vaccinated at 0, 4, and 26 weeks were harvested at week 30, stimulated with pa, and rna isolated. the expression of 295 unigenes was significantly increased in pa-stimulated compared to non-stimulated pbmcs; no significant decrease in g ... | 2006 | 16494973 |
| estimating the relative contributions of virulence factors for pathogenic microbes. | many pathogenic microbes have multiple virulence factors that can cause damage to the host and thus contribute to an overall virulence phenotype for that organism. although current techniques are suitable for demonstrating that a particular microbial characteristic contributes to virulence, no formal approach for defining the relative contributions of multiple virulence factors to overall virulence has been proposed. this paper describes the use of multivariate linear regression to estimate the ... | 2006 | 16495520 |
| routine markerless gene replacement in bacillus anthracis. | an improved genetic tool suitable for routine markerless allelic exchange in bacillus anthracis has been constructed. its utility was demonstrated by the introduction of insertions, deletions, and missense mutations on the chromosome and plasmid pxo1 of the sterne strain of b. anthracis. | 2006 | 16495572 |
| [toxin-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to the different domains of anthrax protective antigen]. | anthrax toxin from bacillus anthracis is a three-component toxin consisting of lethal factor (lf), edema factor (ef), and protective antigen (pa). pa binds to target cells and transports lf or ef into the cell cytosol where they carry out their enzymatic functions. pa can induce protective immunity to the infection of the bacterium and is the major component in the only anthrax vaccine approved by fda of usa. mouse hybridoma clones specifically secreting anti-pa monoclonal antibodies (mabs) were ... | 2005 | 16496709 |
| patterns of antibody response in humans to the anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava) primary (six-dose) series. | the antibody profile during and after the six-dose primary vaccination series with anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava, biothrax) was characterized in 86 human volunteers. ninety-three percent of recipients developed igg antibodies to bacillus anthracis protective antigen (pa) after two doses, and 100% were seropositive after dose #3. geometric mean concentrations (gmc) of igg to pa measured before and after each dose were significantly lower after injection #3 (peak gmc=146.65 microg/ml, trough gmc=1 ... | 2006 | 16497418 |
| acute lung infections in normal and immunocompromised hosts. | pulmonary infections are among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and contribute substantially to annual medical expenditures in the united states. despite the availability of antimicrobial agents, pneumonia constitutes the sixth most common cause of death and the number one cause of death from infection. pneumonia can be particularly life-threatening in the elderly, in individuals who have pre-existing heart and lung conditions, in patients who have suppressed or weake ... | 2006 | 16500210 |
| a simple, valveless microfluidic sample preparation device for extraction and amplification of dna from nanoliter-volume samples. | a glass microdevice has been constructed for the on-line integration of solid-phase extraction (spe) of dna and polymerase chain reaction (pcr) on a single chip. the chromatography required for spe in the microfluidic sample preparation device (muspd) was carried out in a silica bead/sol-gel spe bed, where the purified dna was eluted directly into a downstream chamber where conventional thermocycling allowed for pcr amplification of specific dna target sequences. through rapid, simple passivatio ... | 2006 | 16503592 |
| anthrax lethal factor (lf) mediated block of the anthrax protective antigen (pa) ion channel: effect of ionic strength and voltage. | the anthrax toxin complex consists of three different molecules, protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor (ef). the activated form of pa, pa(63), forms heptamers that insert at low ph in biological membranes forming ion channels and that are necessary to translocate ef and lf in the cell cytosol. lf and ef are intracellular active enzymes that inhibit the host immune system promoting bacterial outgrowth. here, pa(63) was reconstituted into artificial lipid bilayer membranes ... | 2006 | 16503661 |
| uk armed forces responses to an informed consent policy for anthrax vaccination: a paradoxical effect? | in recognition of concerns that anthrax vaccination might be a trigger for "gulf war syndrome", anthrax vaccinations were offered to uk armed forces in the 2003 iraq conflict using explicit as opposed to implicit consent, as is the policy for all other vaccinations. this paper examines responses of personnel to this policy. | 2006 | 16504348 |
| antibiotic selection and resistance issues with fluoroquinolones and doxycycline against bioterrorism agents. | bacillus anthracis (anthrax), yersinia pestis (plague), francisella tularensis (tularemia), coxiella burnetti (q fever), and brucella sp (brucellosis) are all potential bioterrorism agents. their known virulence, potential lethality, and ability to develop resistance to known antibiotic treatments make these pathogens particularly dangerous. we reviewed the scientific literature by searching medline databases and published abstracts from the interscience conference on antimicrobial agents and ch ... | 2006 | 16506347 |
| [preliminary study of lfn-mage3 fusion protein expression and its biological function]. | to explore the possibility of using the nontoxic form of anthrax toxin in cancer immunotherapy by lfn-mage3 fusion protein expression. | 2006 | 16507254 |
| an outbreak of human anthrax in mysore (india). | anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by bacillus anthracis. intestinal anthrax though a rare entity mostly ends with fatal outcome. very few cases of intestinal anthrax are reported. present outbreak of intestinal anthrax is unique in itself that four cases succumbed to the illness within a span of 48-72 hours in a small hamlet of mysore district of karnataka, after consuming diseased deer meat. confirmation of the diagnosis was carried out at nicd, delhi by bacteriological culture isolation, bi ... | 2004 | 16509258 |
| [anthrax in georgia: epidemiological situation and prognosis]. | anthrax, as an especially dangerous infection, needs permanent control from specialised institutions. the investigations became more important since the attempts to use bacillus anthracis as the bioterrorism warfare. the issue is more acute for countries where the cases of anthrax are often registered. cases of anthrax are registered whole around the territory of georgia (69 regions). analysis of morbidity during 1980-1989, 1990-1995 and 1996-2004 years showed the trend of increase of frequency ... | 2006 | 16510917 |
| structure of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (deod) from bacillus anthracis. | protein structures from the causative agent of anthrax (bacillus anthracis) are being determined as part of a structural genomics programme. amongst initial candidates for crystallographic analysis are enzymes involved in nucleotide biosynthesis, since these are recognized as potential targets in antibacterial therapy. purine nucleoside phosphorylase is a key enzyme in the purine-salvage pathway. the crystal structure of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (deod) from b. anthracis has been solved by ... | 2005 | 16511068 |
| structures of two superoxide dismutases from bacillus anthracis reveal a novel active centre. | the ba4499 and ba5696 genes of bacillus anthracis encode proteins homologous to manganese superoxide dismutase, suggesting that this organism has an expanded repertoire of antioxidant proteins. differences in metal specificity and quaternary structure between the dismutases of prokaryotes and higher eukaryotes may be exploited in the development of therapeutic antibacterial compounds. here, the crystal structure of two mn superoxide dismutases from b. anthracis solved to high resolution are repo ... | 2005 | 16511113 |
| anthrax epizootic in white-tailed deer. | bacillus anthracis caused high mortality among white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) on beulah island, desha county, arkansas. sixty-seven carcasses were located and the total loss was estimated between 200 and 300 deer. range conditions indicated that the deer herd had greatly exceeded carrying capacity. lesions in deer were similar to those ascribed to anthrax in domestic cattle, sheep, and goats. | 1970 | 16512117 |
| cereulide synthetase gene cluster from emetic bacillus cereus: structure and location on a mega virulence plasmid related to bacillus anthracis toxin plasmid pxo1. | cereulide, a depsipeptide structurally related to valinomycin, is responsible for the emetic type of gastrointestinal disease caused by bacillus cereus. recently, it has been shown that this toxin is produced by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (nrps), but its exact genetic organization and biochemical synthesis is unknown. | 2006 | 16512902 |
| bearing true faith and allegiance? allowing recovery for soldiers under fire in military experiments that violate the nuremberg code. | 2002 | 16514768 | |
| molecular approaches to identify and differentiate bacillus anthracis from phenotypically similar bacillus species isolates. | bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus can usually be distinguished by standard microbiological methods (e.g., motility, hemolysis, penicillin susceptibility and susceptibility to gamma phage) and pcr. however, we have identified 23 bacillus spp. isolates that gave discrepant results when assayed by standard microbiological methods and pcr. we used multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (mlva), multiple-locus sequence typing (mlst), and phenotypic analysis to characterize these is ... | 2006 | 16515693 |
| elucidation of sulfadoxine resistance with structural models of the bifunctional plasmodium falciparum dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase-dihydropteroate synthase. | resistance of the most virulent human malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum, to antifolates is spreading with increasing speed, especially in africa. antifolate resistance is mainly caused by point mutations in the p. falciparum dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) and dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) target proteins. homology models of the bifunctional p. falciparum dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase-dihydropteroate synthase (pppk-dhps) enzyme as well as the separate domains complete with bound substra ... | 2006 | 16517168 |
| use of single-point genome signature tags as a universal tagging method for microbial genome surveys. | we developed single-point genome signature tags (sp-gsts), a generally applicable, high-throughput sequencing-based method that targets specific genes to generate identifier tags from well-defined points in a genome. the technique yields identifier tags that can distinguish between closely related bacterial strains and allow for the identification of microbial community members. sp-gsts are determined by three parameters: (i) the primer designed to recognize a conserved gene sequence, (ii) the a ... | 2006 | 16517658 |
| single-nucleotide repeat analysis for subtyping bacillus anthracis isolates. | single-nucleotide repeats (snrs) are variable-number tandem repeats that display very high mutation rates. in an outbreak situation, the use of a marker system that exploits regions with very high mutation rates, such as snrs, allows the differentiation of isolates with extremely low levels of genetic diversity. this report describes the identification and analysis of snr loci of bacillus anthracis. snr loci were selected in silico, and the loci with the highest diversity were used to design and ... | 2006 | 16517854 |
| comparative vaccine efficacy of different isoforms of recombinant protective antigen against bacillus anthracis spore challenge in rabbits. | the next-generation human anthrax vaccine developed by the united states army medical research institute of infectious diseases (usamriid) is based upon purified bacillus anthracis recombinant protective antigen (rpa) adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide adjuvant (alhydrogel). in addition to being safe, and effective, it is important that such a vaccine be fully characterized. four major protein isoforms detected in purified rpa by native page during research and development were reduced to two primar ... | 2006 | 16519970 |
| epithelial cells are sensitive detectors of bacterial pore-forming toxins. | epithelial cells act as an interface between human mucosal surfaces and the surrounding environment. as a result, they are responsible for the initiation of local immune responses, which may be crucial for prevention of invasive infection. here we show that epithelial cells detect the presence of bacterial pore-forming toxins (including pneumolysin from streptococcus pneumoniae, alpha-hemolysin from staphylococcus aureus, streptolysin o from streptococcus pyogenes, and anthrolysin o from bacillu ... | 2006 | 16520379 |
| a new role for old ligands: discerning chelators for zinc metalloproteinases. | in an effort to identify promising non-hydroxamate inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (mmps) several new zinc-binding groups (zbgs) based on pyridine-derived or aza-macrocycle chelators have been examined. fluorescence-based enzyme assays have been used to determine the ic50 values for these zbgs against mmp-1, mmp-3, and anthrax lethal factor (lf). many of these ligands were found to be remarkably potent, with ic50 values as much as 185-fold lower than that found for acetohydroxamic acid. ... | 2006 | 16522091 |
| the cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce mortality from an intentional release of aerosolized anthrax spores. | intentional exposures to aerosolized bacillus anthracis spores have caused fatalities. | 2006 | 16525172 |
| a population survey--would australian general practice be the first point of contact during an anthrax bioterrorism event? | anthrax bioterrorism is a new threat to australians. how they would respond to an anthrax bioterrorism event is unknown. | 2006 | 16525535 |
| what dermatologists do not know about smallpox vaccination: results from a worldwide electronic survey. | the risk of a bioterrorist attack with smallpox has increased owing to breakthroughs in the de novo synthesis of long-chain dna molecules. although the leading roles of dermatologists in diagnosing recent outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax and monkeypox demonstrate the importance of dermatologist preparedness for bioterrorism, dermatologist knowledge regarding smallpox vaccination has not been extensively examined. we conducted a cross-sectional worldwide electronic survey of all members of the amer ... | 2006 | 16528357 |
| regulatory networks for virulence and persistence of bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is a gram-positive sporulating bacterium. its life-cycle can be divided schematically into two phases: multiplication in the mammalian host and persistence in the soil. a central regulator atxa interferes with expression of more than 70 genes in vitro and an undefined number ex vivo. the exact molecular mechanism of action of atxa is unknown, but the involvement of cascades of relay regulators has been described. other regulators have also be ... | 2006 | 16529984 |
| an intranasal vaccine targeting both the bacillus anthracis toxin and bacterium provides protection against aerosol spore challenge in rabbits. | an intranasal vaccine targeting the bacillus anthracis toxin and vegetative bacterium was tested for the ability to protect immunized rabbits against aerosol b. anthracis spore exposure. rabbits were vaccinated intranasally with pa-based vaccines formulated as dry powders with or without chitosan (chisys, archimedes development limited), a compound that exhibits muco-adhesive properties, or as a liquid. formulations also contained mpl adjuvant and pa. some vaccines contained pa conjugated to a 1 ... | 2006 | 16530302 |
| transposon mutagenesis of bacillus anthracis strain sterne using bursa aurealis. | bacillus anthracis, a spore forming gram-positive microbe, is the causative agent of anthrax. although plasmid encoded factors such as lethal toxin (letx), edema toxin (edtx), and gamma-poly-d-glutamic acid (pga) capsule are known to be required for disease pathogenesis, b. anthracis genes that enable spore invasion, phagosomal escape and macrophage replication are still unknown. to establish transposon mutagenesis as a tool for the characterization of anthrax genes, we employed the mariner-base ... | 2006 | 16530833 |
| [role of the components of the s-layer in immunogenicity of bacillus anthracis]. | the immunogenicity of proteins sap and ea1, contained in b. anthracis s-layer, was evaluated in experiments on laboratory animals. these proteins were found to produce protective effect and could be regarded as additional immunogenic factors. the use of the newly constructed isogenic pair sap+ and sap- of b. anthracis strains made it possible to study the influence of sap- mutation on the immunological properties of the causative agent of anthrax. | 2006 | 16532637 |
| [germination of bacillus anthracis spores]. | the influence of amino acids, nucleosides and inorganic components on the kinetics and effectiveness of the germination of b. anthracis spores was studied. the study revealed that the rapid germination of the spores took place after their activation at 65 degrees c in tris buffer with l-alanine in combination with inosine or adenosine added; less pronounced germinative action was caused by the addition of alanine only and the combination of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. the rapidity of ... | 2006 | 16532648 |
| immunomagnetic-electrochemiluminescent detection of bacillus anthracis spores in soil matrices. | rapid (<=1.5-h) detection of anthrax spores in soil suspensions was accomplished by an immunomagnetic electrochemiluminescence method. strain-dependent detection limits in the range of 10(sup2) to 10(sup5) spores were achieved in buffer. the rank order of sensitivity for the assay in buffer was sterne > ames > vollum 1b. detection was up to 3 orders of magnitude less sensitive in soil suspensions, and the rank order of sensitivity was altered. | 1996 | 16535408 |
| detection of bacillus subtilis spores using peptide-functionalized cantilever arrays. | we move beyond antibody-antigen binding systems and demonstrate that short peptide ligands can be used to efficiently capture bacillus subtilis (a simulant of bacillus anthracis) spores in liquids. on an eight-cantilever array chip, four cantilevers were coated with binding peptide (nhflpkv-gggc) and the other four were coated with control peptide (lfnkhvp-gggc) for reagentless detection of whole b. subtilis spores in liquids. the peptide-ligand-functionalized microcantilever chip was mounted on ... | 2006 | 16536545 |
| gold nanoparticles-based protease assay. | we describe here a simple assay that allows the visual detection of a protease. the method takes advantage of the high molar absorptivity of the plasmon band of gold colloids and is based on the color change of their solution when treated with dithiols. we used c- and n-terminal cysteinyl derivatives of a peptide substrate exploiting its selective recognition and cleavage by a specific protease. contrary to the native ones, cleaved peptides are unable to induce nanoparticles aggregation; hence, ... | 2006 | 16537471 |
| old legacies and new paradigms: confusing "research" and "treatment" and its consequences in responding to emergent health threats. | 2005 | 16538801 | |
| peptide inhibitors map the way towards fighting anthrax pathogenesis. | the pathogenesis of anthrax is such that unless antibiotic treatment is initiated at an early stage in the disease, it is ineffective against the bacteria-induced toxaemia that subverts the immune response, inflicts massive tissue damage and is ultimately the major factor contributing to death during anthrax infection. as current events have demonstrated the feasibility of the use of anthrax as a bioterrorism agent, and exemplified the difficulty of treating the ensuing infection, inhibition of ... | 2006 | 16541485 |
| a hypothesis test for the end of a common source outbreak. | the objective of this article is to develop a hypothesis-testing procedure to determine whether a common source outbreak has ended. we consider the case when neither the calendar date of exposure to the pathogen nor the exact incubation period distribution is known. the hypothesis-testing procedure is based on the spacings between ordered calendar dates of disease onset of the cases. a simulation study was performed to evaluate the robustness of the methods to various models for the incubation p ... | 2006 | 16542230 |
| novel technology for rapid species-specific detection of bacillus spores. | there is an urgent need for a small, inexpensive sensor that can rapidly detect bio-warfare agents with high specificity. bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, would be a perilous disease-causing organism in the event of a release. currently, most anthrax detection research is based on nucleic acid detection, immunoassays and mass spectrometry, with few detection levels reported below 10(5) spores. here, we show the ability to distinguish bacillus spores to a level approaching 10(3 ... | 2006 | 16542873 |
| inhalation anthrax associated with dried animal hides--pennsylvania and new york city, 2006. | on february 21, 2006, the pennsylvania department of health (pdoh) reported to cdc and the new york city (nyc) department of health and mental hygiene (dohmh) a case of inhalation anthrax in a man who resided in new york city. this report summarizes the joint epidemiologic and environmental investigation conducted by local, state, and federal public health, animal health, and law enforcement authorities in pennsylvania and nyc to determine the source of exposure and identify other persons who we ... | 2006 | 16543883 |
| false alarms, real challenges--one university's communication response to the 2001 anthrax crisis. | considerable research exists on how government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels communicated during the fall 2001 anthrax attacks. however, there is little research on how other institutions handled this crisis, in terms of their response to potential anthrax contamination (aka "white powder scares") and their approach to disseminating important health and safety information. in this article, we investigate a major university's communication response to the anthrax crisis. first, ... | 2006 | 16545026 |
| the role of lumbar puncture as a diagnostic tool in 2005. | analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (csf) obtained by lumbar puncture (lp) is fundamental to the management of inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (cns), particularly that due to infection. this review summarises the role of lumbar puncture, anatomy and pathophysiology of csf, techniques of obtaining csf, indications, contraindications and complications of lp, methods of analysis and some of the implications of specific changes in csf. the cns is protected by unique immunological barr ... | 2005 | 16545048 |
| tropical dermatology: bacterial tropical diseases. | bacterial infections are common in tropical parts of the world and can include those species also seen regularly in temperate climates. many tropical bacterial infections, however, are rarely diagnosed in temperate parts of the world and include bartonellosis, tropical ulcer, tropical pyomyositis, granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum, yaws, pinta, melioidosis, and glanders. some tropical bacterial diseases, eg, plague and anthrax, are associated with high mortality rates and are of pote ... | 2006 | 16546577 |
| plyph, a bacteriolytic enzyme with a broad ph range of activity and lytic action against bacillus anthracis. | we have cloned a lytic enzyme, plyph, with a specific lytic effect on bacillus anthracis strains. plyph remains active between ph 4 and 10.5, and a single dose rescued a significant percentage of mice infected intraperitoneally with an attenuated b. anthracis strain. we propose plyph as a novel therapeutic agent. | 2006 | 16547060 |
| high-sensitivity bacterial detection using biotin-tagged phage and quantum-dot nanocomplexes. | with current concerns of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and biodefense, it has become important to rapidly identify infectious bacteria. traditional technologies involving isolation and amplification of the pathogenic bacteria are time-consuming. we report a rapid and simple method that combines in vivo biotinylation of engineered host-specific bacteriophage and conjugation of the phage to streptavidin-coated quantum dots. the method provides specific detection of as few as 10 bacterial cells per ... | 2006 | 16549760 |
| importance of nitric oxide synthase in the control of infection by bacillus anthracis. | the spore-forming, gram-positive bacterium bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has achieved notoriety due to its use as a bioterror agent. in the environment, b. anthracis exists as a dormant endospore. upon infection, germination of endospores occurs during their internalization within the phagocyte, and the ability to survive exposure to antibacterial killing mechanisms, such as o2*-, no*, and h2o2, is a key initial event in the infective process. macrophages generate no* from ... | 2006 | 16552057 |
| evaluation of different methods to discriminate bacillus anthracis from other bacteria of the bacillus cereus group. | to evaluate different methods that are useful for rapid and definitive discrimination of bacillus anthracis from other bacteria of the bacillus cereus group in environmental samples like letters claimed to contain anthrax spores. | 2006 | 16553722 |
| imaging specific cell-surface proteolytic activity in single living cells. | we describe a simple, sensitive and noninvasive assay that uses nontoxic, reengineered anthrax toxin-beta-lactamase fusion proteins with altered protease cleavage specificity to visualize specific cell-surface proteolytic activity in single living cells. the assay could be used to specifically image endogenous cell-surface furin, urokinase plasminogen activator and metalloprotease activity. we have adapted the assay for fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and fluorescent plate reader formats ... | 2006 | 16554829 |
| electron microscopy of the phagocytosis of capsulated bacillus anthracis. | the phagocytosis of capsulated vegetative cells of bacillus anthracis in the mouse spleen was studied by thin sectioning techniques of electron microscopy. mice were injected with autoclaved suspensions of capsulated and noncapsulated vegetative cells via the tail vein. the animals were killed 5, 10, and 30 min and 4 hr postinjection, with the central portion of the spleen being removed and procssed for electron microscopy. fixation was with 2% kmno(4) for 2 hr. results of this study indicated t ... | 1970 | 16557822 |
| studies on immunity in anthrax xii. requirement for phosphate for elaboration of protective antigen and its partial replacement by charcoal. | retention of protective antigen on columns of diethylaminoethyl cellulose was inhibited by the 0.01 m phosphate salts in the standard growth medium. reduction in the concentration of phosphate to 0.001 m allowed satisfactory retention of antigen on diethylaminoethyl cellulose but decreased significantly the elaboration of antigen during growth of the cultures. growth remained normal at phosphate concentrations as low as 0.0001 m. inhibition of antigen elaboration in media containing reduced conc ... | 1970 | 16557915 |
| the diagnosis of anthrax from putrefying animal tissues. | 1920 | 16558881 | |
| germicidal efficiency of chlorine and the n-chloro derivatives of ammonia, methylamine and glycine against anthrax spores. | 1930 | 16559428 | |
| comparison of graded and quantal virulence tests for bacillus anthracis spores. | 1960 | 16561854 | |
| mechanism of action of the toxin of bacillus anthracis ii. : alkaline phosphatasemia produced by culture filtrates of various bacilli. | slein, milton w. (fort detrick, frederick, md.) and gerald f. logan, jr. mechanism of action of the toxin of bacillus anthracis. ii. alkaline phosphatasemia produced by culture filtrates of various bacilli. j. bacteriol. 83:359-369. 1962.-a factor which produces hyperphosphatasemia after intravenous injection into animals has been found in culture filtrates of several bacilli. the factor appears not to be lecithinase, although it has been found only in culture filtrates of microorganisms, such a ... | 1962 | 16561930 |
| carbon dioxide fixation in bacillus anthracis. | eastin, jerry d. (u.s. army chemical corps, frederick, md.) and curtis b. thorne. carbon dioxide fixation in bacillus anthracis j. bacteriol. 85:410-417. 1963.-virulent strains of bacillus anthracis require a concentration of co(2) greater than that of the normal atmosphere (air) for the production of capsular material (glutamyl polypeptide); avirulent strains may produce no polypeptide or may produce polypeptide in air. fixation of c(14)o(2) by each of the three types tested resulted in labelin ... | 1963 | 16561995 |
| differential cytotoxicity of bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus culture filtrates. | 1965 | 16562033 | |
| lrp6 holds the key to the entry of anthrax toxin. | in this issue of cell, it is demonstrated that the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (lrp6) promotes endocytosis of the anthrax toxin into cells. lrp6 acts as a coreceptor with either tem8 or cmg2, the two previously identified receptors for anthrax toxin. | 2006 | 16564002 |
| the ldl receptor-related protein lrp6 mediates internalization and lethality of anthrax toxin. | toxins produced by bacillus anthracis and other microbial pathogens require functions of host cell genes to yield toxic effects. here we show that low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (lrp6), previously known to be a coreceptor for the wnt signaling pathway, is required for anthrax toxin lethality in mammalian cells. downregulation of lrp6 or coexpression of a truncated lrp6 dominant-negative peptide inhibited cellular uptake of complexes containing the protective antigen (pa) carr ... | 2006 | 16564009 |
| mn(ii) binding by the anthracis repressor from bacillus anthracis. | the anthracis repressor (antr) is a manganese-activated transcriptional regulator from bacillus anthracis and is a member of the diphtheria toxin repressor (dtxr) family of proteins. in this paper, we characterize the mn(ii) binding and protein dimerization state using a combination of continuous wave (cw) and pulsed epr methods. equilibrium metal binding experiments showed that antr binds 2 equivalents of mn(ii) with positive cooperativity and apparent dissociation constants of 210 and 16.6 mic ... | 2006 | 16566604 |
| application of gaseous ozone for inactivation of bacillus subtilis spores. | the effectiveness of gaseous ozone (o3) as a disinfectant was tested on bacillus subtilis spores, which share the same physiological characteristics as bacillus anthracis spores that cause the anthrax disease. spores dried on surfaces of different carrier material were exposed to o3 gas in the range of 500-5000 ppm and at relative humidity (rh) of 70-95%. gaseous o3 was found to be very effective against the b. subtilis spores, and at o3 concentrations as low as 3 mg/l (1500 ppm), approximately ... | 2006 | 16568801 |
| plasmid vaccines and therapeutics: from design to applications. | in the late 1980s, vical and collaborators discovered that the injection into tissues of unformulated plasmid encoding various proteins resulted in the uptake of the plasmid by cells and expression of the encoded proteins. after this discovery, a period of technological improvements in plasmid delivery and expression and in pharmaceutical and manufacturing development was quickly followed by a plethora of human clinical trials testing the ability of injected plasmid to provide therapeutic benefi ... | 2005 | 16568888 |
| recombinant hepatitis b large surface antigen, successfully produced in escherichia coli, stimulates t-cell response in mice. | a fusion protein consisting of the pa binding domain of anthrax lethal factor (lfn) and a codon optimized hepatitis b virus large surface antigen (lhbsag) expresses well in escherichia coli. the lfn-lhbsag fusion protein effectively elicits a cell-mediated immune (cmi) response to the hepatitis b viral antigens in mice. | 2006 | 16574283 |
| a novel ftsz-like protein is involved in replication of the anthrax toxin-encoding pxo1 plasmid in bacillus anthracis. | plasmid pxo1 encodes the tripartite anthrax toxin, which is the major virulence factor of bacillus anthracis. in spite of the important role of pxo1 in anthrax pathogenesis, very little is known about its replication and maintenance in b. anthracis. we cloned a 5-kb region of the pxo1 plasmid into an escherichia coli vector and showed that this plasmid can replicate when introduced into b. anthracis. mutational analysis showed that open reading frame 45 (repx) of pxo1 was required for the replic ... | 2006 | 16585744 |
| detailed genomic analysis of the wbeta and gamma phages infecting bacillus anthracis: implications for evolution of environmental fitness and antibiotic resistance. | phage-mediated lysis has been an essential laboratory tool for rapidly identifying bacillus anthracis for more than 40 years, relying on the gamma phage derivative of a bacillus cereus prophage called w. the complete genomic sequences of the temperate w phage, referred to as wbeta, and its lytic variant gamma were determined and found to encode 53 open reading frames each, spanning 40,864 bp and 37,373 bp, respectively. direct comparison of the genomes showed that gamma evolved through mutations ... | 2006 | 16585764 |
| evaluation of the immune response induced by a nasal anthrax vaccine based on the protective antigen protein in anaesthetized and non-anaesthetized mice. | to better protect against inhalational anthrax infection, a nasal anthrax vaccine based on the protective antigen (pa) protein of bacillus anthracis could be an attractive alternative to the current anthrax-vaccine-adsorbed (ava), which was licensed for cutaneous anthrax prevention. previously, we have demonstrated that an anti-pa immune response comparable with that in mice subcutaneously immunized with pa protein adjuvanted with aluminium hydroxide was induced in both the systemic compartment ... | 2006 | 16597361 |
| some bacillus thuringiensis strains share rpob nucleotide polymorphisms also present in bacillus anthracis. | 2006 | 16597912 | |
| genotyping of bacillus anthracis strains based on automated capillary 25-loci multiple locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis. | the genome of bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is highly monomorphic which makes differentiation between strains difficult. a multiple locus variable-number tandem repeats (vntr) analysis (mlva) assay based on 20 markers was previously described. it has considerable discrimination power, reproducibility, and low cost, especially since the markers proposed can be typed by agarose-gel electrophoresis. however in an emergency situation, faster genotyping and access to represent ... | 2006 | 16600037 |
| the bacillus anthracis chromosome contains four conserved, excision-proficient, putative prophages. | bacillus anthracis is considered to be a recently emerged clone within the bacillus cereus sensu lato group. the b. anthracis genome sequence contains four putative lambdoid prophages. we undertook this study in order to understand whether the four prophages are unique to b. anthracis and whether they produce active phages. | 2006 | 16600039 |
| microsphere-based protease assays and screening application for lethal factor and factor xa. | proteases regulate many biological pathways in humans and are components of several bacterial toxins. protease studies and development of protease inhibitors do not follow a single established methodology and are mostly protease specific. | 2006 | 16604538 |
| neutron-based sterilization of anthrax contamination. | with the anthrax threat becoming a reality, it is very important to have an effective way to sterilize areas contaminated by anthrax. anthrax spores are the dormant form of the anthrax bacteria. they can germinate in tissues, producing new bacteria that release lethal toxins. neutrons can be a powerful tool in our defense against anthrax contamination. neutrons are elementary particles that have no charge, which allows them to be very penetrating, killing the anthrax spores on the surface and in ... | 2006 | 16607173 |
| genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to lung disease. | susceptibility to infection by bacterium such as bacillus anthracis has a genetic basis in mice and may also have a genetic basis in humans. in the limited human cases of inhalation anthrax, studies suggest that not all individuals exposed to anthrax spores were infected, but rather, individuals with underlying lung disease, particularly asthma, sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, might be more susceptible. in this study, we determined if polymorphisms in genes important in innate immunity are associa ... | 2006 | 16608528 |
| new insights into the functions of anthrax toxin. | anthrax is the disease caused by the gram-positive bacterium bacillus anthracis. two toxins secreted by b. anthracis - lethal toxin (lt) and oedema toxin (ot) - contribute significantly to virulence. although these toxins have been studied for half a century, recent evidence indicates that lt and ot have several roles during infection not previously ascribed to them. research on toxin-induced effects other than cytolysis of target cells has revealed that lt and ot influence cell types previously ... | 2006 | 16608555 |
| proteomics study of anthrax lethal toxin-treated murine macrophages. | the anthrax lethal toxin (letx) is composed of two proteins, protective antigen and lethal factor, which bind and enter the cell through a host receptor termed the anthrax toxin receptor (atr). in the cell, letx targets p38, part of the map kinase signaling pathway. the toxin appears to initiate an apoptotic pathway in infected cells, indicating additional downstream targets of the toxin. we have applied a proteomics approach to investigate these downstream targets and the affected processes. in ... | 2006 | 16609935 |
| re-evaluating russia's biological weapons policy, as reflected in the criminal code and official admissions: insubordination leading to a president's subordination. | half-heartedly acknowledged by the russian federation, the soviet union ran the world's largest offensive program for biological weapons, breaching the biological and toxin weapons convention. russia criminalized biological weapons in 1993 only to decriminalize them in 1996, but in 2003 president putin partly recriminalized them. none of these changes were declared within the convention. several well-known official statements, when reviewed in their context, turned out to admit to neither an off ... | 2006 | 16610333 |
| antisense treatments for biothreat agents. | antisense oligomers (asos) represent a promising technology to treat viral and bacterial infections, and have already been shown to be successful against a variety of pathogens in cell culture studies and nonhuman primate models of infection. for these reasons, antisense technologies are being pursued as treatments against biothreat agents such as ebola virus, dengue virus and bacillus anthracis. several generations of modified oligonucleotides have been developed to maximize nuclease resistance ... | 2006 | 16610760 |
| polychromatic microarrays: simultaneous multicolor array hybridization of eight samples. | high-throughput microscale platforms have transformed modern analytical investigations. traditional microarray analyses involve a comparative approach, with two samples, a known control and an unknown sample, hybridized side-by-side and then contrasted for genetic differences. the samples are labeled with separate dyes and hybridized together, providing a differential expression pattern based on the reporter intensities. in contrast, the fiber-optic microarray platform described herein is analyz ... | 2006 | 16615753 |
| propagation of program control: a tool for distributed disease surveillance. | the purpose of the study was (1) to identify the requirements for syndromic, disease surveillance and epidemiology systems arising from events such as the sars outbreak in march 2003, and the deliberate spread of bacillus anthracis, or anthrax, in the us in 2001; and (2) to use these specifications as input to the construction of a system intended to meet these requirements. an important goal was to provide information about the diffusion of a communicable disease without being dependent on cent ... | 2007 | 16621681 |
| pathogenomic sequence analysis of bacillus cereus and bacillus thuringiensis isolates closely related to bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis, bacillus cereus, and bacillus thuringiensis are closely related gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria of the b. cereus sensu lato group. while independently derived strains of b. anthracis reveal conspicuous sequence homogeneity, environmental isolates of b. cereus and b. thuringiensis exhibit extensive genetic diversity. here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of the genomes of two members of the b. cereus group, b. thuringiensis 97-27 subsp. konkukian serotyp ... | 2006 | 16621833 |
| sequencing bacillus anthracis typing phages gamma and cherry reveals a common ancestry. | the genetic relatedness of the bacillus anthracis typing phages gamma and cherry was determined by nucleotide sequencing and comparative analysis. the genomes of these two phages were identical except at three variable loci, which showed heterogeneity within individual lysates and among cherry, wbeta, fah, and four gamma bacteriophage sequences. | 2006 | 16621835 |
| histopathology in a murine model of anthrax. | systemic anthrax infection is usually fatal even with optimal medical care. further insights into anthrax pathogenesis are therefore urgently needed to develop more effective therapies. animal models that reproduce human disease will facilitate this research. here, we describe the detailed histopathology of systemic anthrax infection in a/j mice infected with bacillus anthracis sterne, a strain with reduced virulence for humans. subcutaneous infection leads to systemic disease with multiple path ... | 2006 | 16623757 |
| evaluation of the cepheid genexpert system for detecting bacillus anthracis. | the cepheid genexpert is a four-site, automated sample preparation and real-time pcr detection system. in this study, the capability of the genexpert to isolate and detect nucleic acid from bacillus anthracis ames spores was assessed. | 2006 | 16630001 |
| low doses of antigen coupled to anti-cr2 mabs induce rapid and enduring igg immune responses in mice and in cynomolgus monkeys. | the complement system and b cell complement receptor 2 (cr2), specific for c component c3dg, play important roles in both the innate and adaptive immune response. we used hapten and protein conjugates of anti-cr2 mabs as models for c3dg-opsonized antigens and immune complexes to examine the handling of and immune response to these reagents in mice and in non-human primates (nhp). mice immunized and boosted i.v. with only 100 ng of alexa 488 rat anti-mouse cr1/2 mab 7g6 had strong igg immune resp ... | 2007 | 16631928 |
| statistical pattern matching facilitates the design of polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax and cholera toxins. | numerous biological processes involve the recognition of a specific pattern of binding sites on a target protein or surface. although ligands displayed by disordered scaffolds form stochastic rather than specific patterns, theoretical models predict that recognition will occur between patterns that are characterized by similar or "matched" statistics. endowing synthetic biomimetic structures with statistical pattern matching capabilities may improve the specificity of sensors and resolution of s ... | 2006 | 16633350 |
| simple and rapid method for detection of bacterial spores in powder useful for first responders. | the need for a rapid method by which first responders can screen for the presence of spores in powder samples has been increased since the anthrax attack of 2001. the majority of powders that were sampled in the context of that attack were hoaxes and did not contain bacillus anthracis. the large number of samples overwhelmed the analysis capacity of public health laboratories. a rapid screening method for determining the presence of viable spores would eliminate much laboratory work and expedite ... | 2006 | 16637561 |
| alleged b. anthracis exposure claims in a workers' compensation setting. | workers' compensation insurance in some states may not provide coverage for medical evaluation costs of workplace exposures related to potential bioterrorism acts if there is no diagnosed illness or disease. personal insurance also may not provide coverage for these exposures occurring at the workplace. governmental entities, insurers, and employers need to consider how to address such situations and the associated costs. the objective of this study was to examine characteristics of workers and ... | 2006 | 16640147 |
| simulation and virtual reality in medical education and therapy: a protocol. | continuing medical education has historically been provided primarily by didactic lectures, though adult learners prefer experiential or self-directed learning. young physicians have extensive experience with computer-based or "video" games, priming them for medical education--and treating their patients--via new technologies. we report our use of standardized patients (sps) to educate physicians on the diagnosis and treatment of biological and chemical warfare agent exposure. we trained profess ... | 2006 | 16640488 |
| discovery of a significant optical chromatographic difference between spores of bacillus anthracis and its close relative, bacillus thuringiensis. | a significant difference between two closely related bacillus spores has been discovered using optical chromatography. this difference can be harnessed for the separation of microscopic particles using opposing laser and fluid flow forces. particles of different size, composition, and shape experience different optical and fluid forces and come to rest at unique equilibrium positions where the two forces balance. separations in excess of 600 mum have been observed between bacillus anthracis ster ... | 2006 | 16643018 |
| monoclonal antibodies for bacillus anthracis spore detection and functional analyses of spore germination and outgrowth. | all members of the bacillus genus produce endospores as part of their life cycle; however, it is not possible to determine the identity of spores by casual or morphological examination. the 2001 anthrax attacks demonstrated a need for fast, dependable methods for detecting bacillus anthracis spores in vitro and in vivo. we have developed a variety of isotypes and specificities of mabs that were able to distinguish b. anthracis spores from other bacillus spores. the majority of abs were directed ... | 2006 | 16670316 |
| anthrax lethal toxin has direct and potent inhibitory effects on b cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production. | protective host immune responses to anthrax infection in humans and animal models are characterized by the development of neutralizing abs against the receptor-binding anthrax protective ag (pa), which, together with the lethal factor (lf) protease, composes anthrax lethal toxin (lt). we now report that b cells, in turn, are targets for lt. anthrax pa directly binds primary b cells, resulting in the lf-dependent cleavage of the mapk kinases (mapkks) and disrupted signaling to downstream mapk tar ... | 2006 | 16670324 |
| preventive and therapeutic effects of alpha-acid glycoprotein in mice infected with b. anthracis. | we studied the effects of alpha1-acid glycoprotein preparations on the survival rate of balb/c mice infected with the lethal dose of b. anthracis sti-1. apart from native alpha1-acid glycoprotein from donor blood, we studied 3 glycoforms differing in the affinity for concanavalin a and structure of carbohydrate chains. the protective effect of alpha1-acid glycoprotein preparations did not depend on its dose and was observed 3 months after treatment (0.3 mg per mouse). the protective effect was r ... | 2005 | 16671576 |
| short-course postexposure antibiotic prophylaxis combined with vaccination protects against experimental inhalational anthrax. | prevention of inhalational anthrax after bacillus anthracis spore exposure requires a prolonged course of antibiotic prophylaxis. in response to the 2001 anthrax attack in the united states, approximately 10,000 people were offered 60 days of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent inhalational anthrax, but adherence to this regimen was poor. we sought to determine whether a short course of antibiotic prophylaxis after exposure could protect non-human primates from a high-dose spore challenge if vacci ... | 2006 | 16672361 |
| bacillus anthracis multiplication, persistence, and genetic exchange in the rhizosphere of grass plants. | bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is known for its rapid proliferation and dissemination in mammalian hosts. in contrast, little information exists regarding the lifestyle of this important pathogen outside of the host. considering that bacillus species, including close relatives of b. anthracis, are saprophytic soil organisms, we investigated the capacity of b. anthracis spores to germinate in the rhizosphere and to establish populations of vegetative cells that could support ... | 2006 | 16672454 |
| the international bacillus anthracis, b. cereus, and b. thuringiensis conference, "bacillus-act05". | 2006 | 16672596 | |
| differential proteomic analysis of the bacillus anthracis secretome: distinct plasmid and chromosome co2-dependent cross talk mechanisms modulate extracellular proteolytic activities. | the secretomes of a virulent bacillus anthracis strain and of avirulent strains (cured of the virulence plasmids pxo1 and pxo2), cultured in rich and minimal media, were studied by a comparative proteomic approach. more than 400 protein spots, representing the products of 64 genes, were identified, and a unique pattern of protein relative abundance with respect to the presence of the virulence plasmids was revealed. in minimal medium under high co(2) tension, conditions considered to simulate th ... | 2006 | 16672610 |