Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| differentiation and characterization by molecular techniques of bacillus cereus group isolates from poto poto and dégué, two traditional cereal-based fermented foods of burkina faso and republic of congo. | poto poto (a maize sourdough) and dégué (a pearl millet-based food) are two traditional african fermented foods. the molecular biology of toxigenic and pathogenic bacteria found in those foods is largely unknown. the purpose of this study was to study the phylogenetic relatedness and toxigenic potential of 26 bacillus cereus group isolates from these traditional fermented foods. the relatedness of the isolates was evaluated with repetitive element sequence-based pcr (rep-pcr) and 16s rdna sequen ... | 2007 | 17536675 |
| the two-component system bacillus respiratory response a and b (brra-brrb) is a virulence factor regulator in bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis, a bioterrorism threat as well as an agricultural concern, has complex mechanisms for regulation of its major virulence factors. genome searches identified the putative two-component system that we designated bacillus anthracis respiratory response (brr)a-brrb. a brra deletion strain was constructed, and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to assess the effect of brra-brrb on levels of virulence factors, the regulator a ... | 2007 | 17536838 |
| genetic basis for sulfonamide resistance in bacillus anthracis. | natural resistance of field strains of bacillus anthracis to drugs from the sulfonamide class of antimicrobials that act by inhibiting dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) has been reported. though the structure of b. anthracis dhps has been determined, its connection to the apparent intrinsic sulfonamide resistance of the bacterium has not been established. the aim of this study was to determine if a connection exists between dhps and the observed sulfonamide resistance of b. anthracis. microdilutio ... | 2007 | 17536929 |
| targeting host cell furin proprotein convertases as a therapeutic strategy against bacterial toxins and viral pathogens. | pathogens or their toxins, including influenza virus, pseudomonas, and anthrax toxins, require processing by host proprotein convertases (pcs) to enter host cells and to cause disease. conversely, inhibiting pcs is likely to protect host cells from multiple furin-dependent, but otherwise unrelated, pathogens. to determine if this concept is correct, we designed specific nanomolar inhibitors of pcs modeled from the extended cleavage motif tpqrerrrkkr downward arrowgl of the avian influenza h5n1 h ... | 2007 | 17537721 |
| identification and analysis of novel amino-acid sequence repeats in bacillus anthracis str. ames proteome using computational tools. | we have identified four repeats and ten domains that are novel in proteins encoded by the bacillus anthracis str. ames proteome using automated in silico methods. a "repeat" corresponds to a region comprising less than 55-amino-acid residues that occur more than once in the protein sequence and sometimes present in tandem. a "domain" corresponds to a conserved region with greater than 55-amino-acid residues and may be present as single or multiple copies in the protein sequence. these correspond ... | 2007 | 17538688 |
| potential bio-terror agents. | 2007 | 17540235 | |
| primary involvement of pharynx and peyer's patch in inhalational and intestinal anthrax. | bacillus anthracis causes three forms of anthrax: inhalational, gastrointestinal, and cutaneous. anthrax is characterized by both toxemia, which is caused by secretion of immunomodulating toxins (lethal toxin and edema toxin), and septicemia, which is associated with bacterial encapsulation. here we report that, contrary to the current view of b. anthracis pathogenesis, b. anthracis spores germinate and establish infections at the initial site of inoculation in both inhalational and cutaneous in ... | 2007 | 17542645 |
| a rare cause of preseptal cellulitis: anthrax. | infection of the eyelids confined to the preseptal space is relatively common but potentially serious. we report a child with cutaneous anthrax to remind that the interesting contagious cause be included in the differential diagnosis of the preseptal cellulitis. | 2007 | 17542898 |
| assembly of the small outer capsid protein, soc, on bacteriophage t4: a novel system for high density display of multiple large anthrax toxins and foreign proteins on phage capsid. | bacteriophage t4 capsid is a prolate icosahedron composed of the major capsid protein gp23*, the vertex protein gp24*, and the portal protein gp20. assembled on its surface are 810 molecules of the non-essential small outer capsid protein, soc (10 kda), and 155 molecules of the highly antigenic outer capsid protein, hoc (39 kda). in this study soc, a "triplex" protein that stabilizes t4 capsid, is targeted for molecular engineering of t4 particle surface. using a defined in vitro assembly system ... | 2007 | 17544446 |
| the contribution of gc1qr/p33 in infection and inflammation. | human gc1qr/p33 is a multi-compartmental and multi-functional cellular protein expressed on a wide range of tissues and cell types including lymphocytes, endothelial cells, dendritic cells, and platelets. although originally isolated as a receptor for c1q by virtue of its affinity (k(d)=15-50 nm), and specificity for the globular heads of this molecule, a large body of evidence has now been accumulated which shows that in addition to c1q, gc1qr can serve as a receptor for diverse proinflammatory ... | 2007 | 17544818 |
| activation of inhibitors by sortase triggers irreversible modification of the active site. | sortases anchor surface proteins to the cell wall of gram-positive pathogens through recognition of specific motif sequences. loss of sortase leads to large reductions in virulence, which identifies sortase as a target for the development of antibacterials. by screening 135,625 small molecules for inhibition, we report here that aryl (beta-amino)ethyl ketones inhibit sortase enzymes from staphylococci and bacilli. inhibition of sortases occurs through an irreversible, covalent modification of th ... | 2007 | 17545669 |
| lung dendritic cells rapidly mediate anthrax spore entry through the pulmonary route. | inhalational anthrax is a life-threatening infectious disease of considerable concern, especially because anthrax is an emerging bioterrorism agent. the exact mechanisms leading to a severe clinical form through the inhalational route are still unclear, particularly how immobile spores are captured in the alveoli and transported to the lymph nodes in the early steps of infection. we investigated the roles of alveolar macrophages and lung dendritic cells (ldc) in spore migration. we demonstrate t ... | 2007 | 17548636 |
| murine monoclonal antibodies against murine upa receptor produced in gene-deficient mice: inhibitory effects on receptor-mediated upa activity in vitro and in vivo. | binding of urokinase plasminogen activator (upa) to its cellular receptor, upar, potentiates plasminogen activation and localizes it to the cell surface. focal plasminogen activation is involved in both normal and pathological tissue remodeling processes including cancer invasion. the interaction between upa and upar therefore represents a potential target for anti-invasive cancer therapy. inhibitors of the human upa-upar interaction have no effect in the murine system. to enable in-vivo studies ... | 2007 | 17549305 |
| developing disaster management modules: a collaborative approach. | disasters, whether natural or human induced, can strike when least expected. the events of 9/11 in the us, the 7/7 bombings in the uk, and the anthrax incident in the us on 10th october 2001 indicate that there is a need to have a nursing workforce who is able to respond effectively to mass casualty events and incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear substances. multi-agency collaboration is one of the fundamental principles of disaster preparedness and response. it was ... | 2007 | 17551443 |
| molecular analysis of the interaction of bordetella pertussis adenylyl cyclase with fluorescent nucleotides. | the calmodulin (cam)-dependent adenylyl cyclase (ac) toxin from bordetella pertussis (cyaa) substantially contributes to the pathogenesis of whooping cough. thus, potent and selective cyaa inhibitors may be valuable drugs for prophylaxis of this disease. we examined the interactions of fluorescent 2',3'-n-methylanthraniloyl (mant)-, anthraniloyl- and trinitrophenyl (tnp)-substituted nucleotides with cyaa. compared with mammalian ac isoforms and bacillus anthracis ac toxin edema factor, nucleotid ... | 2007 | 17553924 |
| new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of anthrax toxin-induced shock. | inhalational bacillus anthracis infection is a leading bioterrorist health threat in the us today. lethal (letx) and edema toxin production are key to the virulent effects of this lethal bacteria. recent insights into the structure and function of these toxins have increased the understanding of both the pathogenesis and treatment of anthrax. these are binary type toxins comprised of protective antigen necessary for their cellular uptake and either lethal or edema factors, the toxigenic moieties ... | 2007 | 17555370 |
| characterization of a small plcr-regulated gene co-expressed with cereolysin o. | in the human pathogen bacillus cereus, the expression of most extracellular virulence factors is controlled by the transcriptional activator plcr. among these virulence factors, cereolysin o (clo) is an haemolysin belonging to the cholesterol-dependant cytolysins, a protein family extensively studied in gram-positive bacteria. | 2007 | 17555563 |
| evaluation of immune response to orally administered sterne strain 34f2 anthrax vaccine. | present animal vaccines against bacillus anthracis infection are capable of inducing protective immunity. however, due to the route of administration, the vaccine has limited or no use in wildlife especially in rural areas of the world. hence, an oral vaccine is needed for controlling this disease. for proof of concept we used the commercially available sterne strain 34f2 vaccine mixed with oral scarifying agents. although the immunological response as measured by elisa in this group was not equ ... | 2007 | 17555849 |
| colorimetric detection of anthrax dna with a peptide nucleic acid sandwich-hybridization assay. | 2007 | 17569540 | |
| inhibition of s. aureus alpha-hemolysin and b. anthracis lethal toxin by beta-cyclodextrin derivatives. | many pathogens utilize the formation of transmembrane pores in target cells in the process of infection. a great number of pore-forming proteins, both bacterial and viral, are considered to be important virulence factors, which makes them attractive targets for the discovery of new therapeutic agents. our research is based on the idea that compounds designed to block the pores can inhibit the action of virulence factors, and that the chances to find high affinity blocking agents increase if they ... | 2007 | 17572091 |
| inhibitors of anthrax lethal factor. | an inhibitor of anthrax lethal toxin mediated cell death (1) was identified by a medium throughput cell-based screen. this compound was determined to specifically inhibit anthrax lethal factor (lf), and subsequent sar studies produced an even more potent inhibitor (4). mechanistic studies identified these agents as uncompetitive inhibitors of lf with ki values of 3.0 and 1.7 microm, respectively, with good cell potency and low cytotoxicity. | 2007 | 17574849 |
| a bacillus anthracis-based in vitro system supports replication of plasmid pxo2 as well as rolling-circle-replicating plasmids. | capsule-encoding virulence plasmid pxo2 of bacillus anthracis is predicted to replicate by a unidirectional theta-type mechanism. to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of replication of pxo2 and other plasmids in b. anthracis and related organisms, we have developed a cell-free system based on b. anthracis that can faithfully replicate plasmid dna in vitro. the newly developed system was shown to support the in vitro replication of plasmid pt181, which replicates by the rolling-circle ... | 2007 | 17575005 |
| flagellin (flic) protein sequence diversity among bacillus thuringiensis does not correlate with h serotype diversity. | in escherichia coli, the flic gene encodes flagellin, the protein responsible for eliciting the immunological reaction in h serotyping. here, the presence of the flagellin flic gene was studied in 86 bacillus thuringiensis strains encompassing 67 h serotypes. nineteen strains from four additional species in the b. cereus sensu lato group, b. cereus, b. anthracis, b. mycoides, and b. weihenstephanensis, were added for comparison purposes. the flic genes were amplified, cloned and their nucleotide ... | 2007 | 17578675 |
| enzymatic logic of anthrax stealth siderophore biosynthesis: asba catalyzes atp-dependent condensation of citric acid and spermidine. | 2007 | 17579415 | |
| project bioshield: what it is, why it is needed, and its accomplishments so far. | project bioshield is a comprehensive effort involving the us department of health and human services (hhs), its component agencies, and other partner federal agencies to speed the research, development, acquisition, and availability of medical countermeasures to improve the government's preparedness for and ability to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threat agents. the legislation authorizes use of the special reserve fund, which makes available $5.6 billion over 10 years ... | 2007 | 17582574 |
| development of a cell-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer reporter for bacillus anthracis lethal factor protease. | we report the construction of a cell-based fluorescent reporter for anthrax lethal factor (lf) protease activity using the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret). this was accomplished by engineering an escherichia coli cell line to express a genetically encoded fret reporter and lf protease. both proteins were encoded in two different expression plasmids under the control of different tightly controlled inducible promoters. the fret-based reporter was designed to contain a l ... | 2007 | 17586456 |
| susceptibility of bacillus anthracis, bacillus cereus, bacillus mycoides, bacillus pseudomycoides and bacillus thuringiensis to 24 antimicrobials using sensititre automated microbroth dilution and etest agar gradient diffusion methods. | to examine susceptibilities of bacillus anthracis and related species to 24 antimicrobials using and concurrently comparing two methods. | 2007 | 17586563 |
| sortase c-mediated anchoring of basi to the cell wall envelope of bacillus anthracis. | vegetative forms of bacillus anthracis replicate in tissues of an infected host and precipitate lethal anthrax disease. upon host death, bacilli form dormant spores that contaminate the environment, thereby gaining entry into new hosts where spores germinate and once again replicate as vegetative forms. we show here that sortase c, an enzyme that is required for the formation of infectious spores, anchors basi polypeptide to the envelope of predivisional sporulating bacilli. basi anchoring to th ... | 2007 | 17586639 |
| autonomous microfluidic sample preparation system for protein profile-based detection of aerosolized bacterial cells and spores. | for domestic and military security, an autonomous system capable of continuously monitoring for airborne biothreat agents is necessary. at present, no system meets the requirements for size, speed, sensitivity, and selectivity to warn against and lead to the prevention of infection in field settings. we present a fully automated system for the detection of aerosolized bacterial biothreat agents such as bacillus subtilis (surrogate for bacillus anthracis) based on protein profiling by chip gel el ... | 2007 | 17591754 |
| detection of anti-protective antigen salivary igg antibodies in recipients of the us licensed anthrax vaccine. | the immune response of anthrax vaccine recipients is not routinely monitored. for field use, a noninvasive test would be beneficial to evaluate the antibody response of anthrax-vaccinated individuals working within a high-risk area of possible exposure. the aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether whole saliva can be used as a surrogate matrix for the detection of 83 kda protective antigen (pa)-specific immunoglobulin g (igg). an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for t ... | 2007 | 17597265 |
| activation of the nalp3 inflammasome is triggered by low intracellular potassium concentration. | inflammasomes are nod-like receptor(nlr)- and caspase-1-containing cytoplasmic multiprotein complexes, which upon their assembly, process and activate the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (il)-1beta and il-18. the inflammasomes harboring the nlr members nalp1, nalp3 and ipaf have been best characterized. while the ipaf inflammasome is activated by bacterial flagellin, activation of the nalp3 inflammasome is triggered not only by several microbial components, but also by a plethora of danger ... | 2007 | 17599094 |
| nosocomial spread of bacillus anthracis. | 2007 | 17602791 | |
| a model-based optimization framework for the inference of regulatory interactions using time-course dna microarray expression data. | proteins are the primary regulatory agents of transcription even though mrna expression data alone, from systems like dna microarrays, are widely used. in addition, the regulation process in genetic systems is inherently non-linear in nature, and most studies employ a time-course analysis of mrna expression. these considerations should be taken into account in the development of methods for the inference of regulatory interactions in genetic networks. | 2007 | 17603872 |
| immune response to two different dosing schedules of the anthrax vaccine precipitated (avp) vaccine. | a pilot study compared the immune response of regular (0, 3, 6, 32 weeks) and extended (0, 10, 13, 32 weeks) schedules of the uk anthrax vaccine (anthrax vaccine precipitated, avp). concentrations of antibodies to protective antigen (pa) were higher (p<0.05) among recipients of the extended (n=7) versus regular schedule (n=6) at week 32, and 2 weeks after the second and third vaccinations. toxin neutralisation assay levels and anti-lethal factor antibodies followed patterns similar to anti-pa an ... | 2007 | 17604880 |
| bacillus anthracis spores of the bcla mutant exhibit increased adherence to epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells but not to macrophages. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, and the spore form of the bacterium represents the infectious particle introduced into a host. the spore is surrounded by an exosporium, a loose-fitting membrane composed of proteins and carbohydrates from which hair-like projections extend. these projections are composed mainly of bcla (bacillus-collagen-like protein of b. anthracis). to date, exact roles of the exosporium structure and bcla protein remain undetermined. we examined differenc ... | 2007 | 17606596 |
| evaluation of vacuum filter sock surface sample collection method for bacillus spores from porous and non-porous surfaces. | vacuum filter socks were evaluated for recovery efficiency of powdered bacillus atrophaeus spores from two non-porous surfaces, stainless steel and painted wallboard and two porous surfaces, carpet and bare concrete. two surface coupons were positioned side-by-side and seeded with aerosolized bacillus atrophaeus spores. one of the surfaces, a stainless steel reference coupon, was sized to fit into a sample vial for direct spore removal, while the other surface, a sample surface coupon, was sized ... | 2007 | 17607386 |
| novel semisynthetic derivative of antibiotic eremomycin active against drug-resistant gram-positive pathogens including bacillus anthracis. | five adamantyl-containing carboxamides of eremomycin or vancomycin were synthesized and their antibacterial activities against some gram-positive clinical isolates were investigated in vitro and in vivo. the adamantyl-2 amide of glycopeptide antibiotic eremomycin (1a in chart 1, an0900) was the most active compound and showed high activity against several gram-positive pathogens: vancomycin-susceptible staphylococci and enterococci, glycopeptide-intermediate-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and ... | 2007 | 17608397 |
| recent progress in biodefence countermeasure development. | 2007 | 17608594 | |
| strengthening bioterrorism prevention: global biological materials management. | the anthrax attacks of 2001 demonstrated that bioterrorism poses a significant threat to u.s. national security. this threat is increasing as a result of the rapid expansion in scale and technical capabilities of the global biotechnology industry, which is broadening the availability of materials, technologies, and expertise needed to produce a biological weapon and is lowering the barriers to biological weapons terrorism and proliferation. at the same time, there has been a rise of sophisticate ... | 2007 | 17608597 |
| structural and functional analysis of two glutamate racemase isozymes from bacillus anthracis and implications for inhibitor design. | glutamate racemase (race) is responsible for converting l-glutamate to d-glutamate, which is an essential component of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and the primary constituent of the poly-gamma-d-glutamate capsule of the pathogen bacillus anthracis. race enzymes are essential for bacterial growth and lack a human homolog, making them attractive targets for the design and development of antibacterial therapeutics. we have cloned, expressed and purified the two glutamate racemase isozymes, race1 an ... | 2007 | 17610893 |
| development of a competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to identify epitope specific antibodies in recipients of the u.s. licensed anthrax vaccine. | vaccination with anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava) results in the production of protective antigen (pa) specific antibodies, which play an important protective role against anthrax toxins. analyzing the specificity of serum antibodies generated in response to ava vaccination can provide insight into the mechanisms of protective immunity against this important pathogen. the goal of this study was to develop a competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (celisa) to test human immune serum for antib ... | 2007 | 17613668 |
| comparative sporicidal effects of disinfectants after release of a biological agent. | because of spore formation, bacillus anthracis is considered the most resistant biological warfare agent known. the present study aimed to assess and compare well-known decontamination routes to inactivate the spores on daily-use environmental tools contaminated previously. to simulate the agent, bacillus atrophaeus was used. various environmental samples (such as tile, fabric clothing, wood, protective suit, glass, paper, soil, water, plastic, and metal) that may be contaminated after a biologi ... | 2007 | 17615843 |
| lethal factor of anthrax toxin binds monomeric form of protective antigen. | anthrax toxin consists of three components: the enzymatic moieties edema factor (ef) and the lethal factor (lf) and the receptor-binding moiety protective antigen (pa). these toxin components are released from bacillus anthracis as unassociated proteins and form complexes on the surface of host cells after proteolytic processing of pa into pa20 and pa63. the sequential order of pa heptamerization and ligand binding, as well as the exact mechanism of anthrax toxin entry into cells, are still uncl ... | 2007 | 17617379 |
| mitochondrial proteins bnip3 and bnip3l are involved in anthrax lethal toxin-induced macrophage cell death. | anthrax lethal toxin (letx) induces rapid cell death of raw246.7 macrophages. we recently found that a small population of these macrophages is spontaneously and temporally refractory to letx-induced cytotoxicity. analysis of genome-wide transcripts of a resistant clone before and after regaining letx sensitivity revealed that a reduction of two closely related mitochondrial proteins, bcl-2/adenovirus e1b 19-kda interacting protein 3 (bnip3) and bnip3-like (bnip3l), correlates with letx resistan ... | 2007 | 17623653 |
| cryo-electron microscopy study of bacteriophage t4 displaying anthrax toxin proteins. | the bacteriophage t4 capsid contains two accessory surface proteins, the small outer capsid protein (soc, 870 copies) and the highly antigenic outer capsid protein (hoc, 155 copies). as these are dispensable for capsid formation, they can be used for displaying proteins and macromolecular complexes on the t4 capsid surface. anthrax toxin components were attached to the t4 capsid as a fusion protein of the n-terminal domain of the anthrax lethal factor (lfn) with soc. the lfn-soc fusion protein w ... | 2007 | 17624389 |
| supercritical carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide cause mild changes in spore structures associated with high killing rate of bacillus anthracis. | the present work examines chemical and structural response in b. anthracis spores killed by a mixture of supercritical carbon dioxide (scco(2)) and hydrogen peroxide (h(2)o(2)). deactivation of 6-log of b. anthracis spores by scco(2)+h(2)o(2) was demonstrated, but changes in structure were observed in only a small portion of spores. results from phase contrast microscopy proved that this treatment is mild and does not trigger germination-like changes. tem imaging revealed mild damage in a portio ... | 2007 | 17628729 |
| a brief history of vaccines and vaccination. | human vaccinology, with its primary focus on the individual, seems far removed from veterinary medicine, with its concern for the health of the herd. yet several episodes in the past (smallpox, fowl cholera, anthrax, swine erysipelas, rabies, tuberculosis, etc.) serve to illustrate the proximity between research on veterinary and human vaccines. in some cases the human vaccine was developed first, while in other cases it was the animal vaccine. the history of vaccinology clearly demonstrates the ... | 2007 | 17633292 |
| in vitro screen of bioinformatically selected bacillus anthracis vaccine candidates by coupled transcription, translation, and immunoprecipitation analysis. | the availability of the bacillus anthracis genome sequence allowed for in silico selection of a few hundred open reading frames (orfs) as putative vaccine candidates. to screen such a vast number of candidate orfs, without resorting to laborious cloning and protein purification procedures, methods were developed for generation of pcr elements, compatible with in vitro transcription-translation and immunoprecipitation, as well as with their evaluation as dna vaccines. protocols will be provided f ... | 2007 | 17634604 |
| bactericidal activity of chlorine-loaded carbide-derived carbon against escherichia coli and bacillus anthracis. | the authors investigated the bactericidal activity of high-chlorine-content nanoporous carbide-derived carbon (cdc) against the gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium bacillus anthracis and the common gram-negative enteric bacterium escherichia coli. chlorine-loaded nanoporous cdc produced by thermochemical etching of metals and metalloids by chlorination of carbides can retain up to 40 wt % of chlorine. etching temperature and the structure and composition of carbides allow tuning the porosity ... | 2008 | 17635016 |
| cross-linked forms of the isolated n-terminal domain of the lethal factor are potent inhibitors of anthrax toxin. | the proteins that comprise anthrax toxin self-assemble at the mammalian cell surface into a series of toxic complexes, each containing a heptameric form of protective antigen (pa) plus up to a total of three molecules of the enzymatic moieties of the toxin (lethal factor [lf] and edema factor [ef]). these complexes are trafficked to the endosome, where the pa heptamer forms a pore in the membrane under the influence of low ph, and bound lf and ef unfold and translocate through the pore to the cy ... | 2007 | 17635861 |
| noncapsulated toxinogenic bacillus anthracis presents a specific growth and dissemination pattern in naive and protective antigen-immune mice. | bacillus anthracis is a spore-forming bacterium that causes anthrax. b. anthracis has three major virulence factors, namely, lethal toxin, edema toxin, and a poly-gamma-d-glutamic acid capsule. the toxins modulate host immune responses, and the capsule inhibits phagocytosis. with the goal of increasing safety, decreasing security concerns, and taking advantage of mammalian genetic tools and reagents, mouse models of b. anthracis infection have been developed using attenuated bacteria that produc ... | 2007 | 17635863 |
| withdrawn: vaccines for preventing anthrax. | anthrax is a potentially fatal bacterial disease with cutaneous, inhalation, and gastrointestinal forms. three anthrax vaccines are commercially available, but their comparative effectiveness and safety is not clear. | 2007 | 17636647 |
| development of automated amperometric detection of antibodies against bacillus anthracis protective antigen. | picogram levels of antibodies against the protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis were detected in an automated electrochemical sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. the antibodies were captured and detected using an 8 x 3 array of 50-microm-diameter cavities. the reagent and sample volumes were as low as 200 nl in a less than 25-min assay from capture to signal generation. the electrochemical detection of the antibodies was demonstrated at 0.05-10 microg/ml containing only 10-5 ... | 2007 | 17639359 |
| [molecular characterisation of the haemolytic isolates of bacillus anthracis originated in poland]. | bacillus anthracis is generally considered non-haemolytic, when cultured on the solid media. however, strains capable to lyse sheep erythrocytes have been reported. anthrolysin o, an orthologue of cereolysin was proposed as a putative haemolysin of b. anthracis. | 2006 | 17642311 |
| [valuation for usefulness of selected chromosomal markers for bacillus anthracis identification. i. valuation for markers sg-749, sg-450 and sg-300]. | the article presents results of valuation for b. anthracis-specificity and usefulness for its identification obtained for different chromosomal markers. in the first part of the study markers sg-749, sg-300 and sg-450 were analyzed. for the investigation rflp-pcr and msscp techniques were used and different electrophoresis methods were tested. the results gave an information not only about specificity of tested markers but also about the possibility of shorten time necessary to obtain results of ... | 2006 | 17642312 |
| [valuation for usefulness of selected chromosomal markers for bacillus anthracis identification. ii. valuation for markers ssh and rpob]. | the article presents results of valuation for b. anthracis-specificity and usefulness for its identification obtained for different chromosomal markers. in the second part of the study markers ssh241, ssh196, ssh163, ssh133 as well as a fragment of the house-keeping gene rpob were analyzed. for the investigation msscp and multiplex-pcr assays were used. there were also tested different techniques of electrophoresis. the results gave an information about specificity of tested markers and their us ... | 2006 | 17642313 |
| structural adaptation of an interacting non-native c-terminal helical extension revealed in the crystal structure of nad+ synthetase from bacillus anthracis. | the crystal structures of nh(3)-dependent nad+ synthetase from bacillus anthracis as the apoenzyme (1.9 a), in complex with the natural catalytic products amp and pyrophosphate (2.4 a) and in complex with the substrate analog adenosine 5'-(alpha,beta-methylene)triphosphate (2.0 a) have been determined. nad+ synthetase catalyzes the last step in the biosynthesis of the vitally important cofactor nad+. in comparison to other nad+ synthetase crystal structures, the c-terminal his-tagged end of the ... | 2007 | 17642516 |
| cutaneous anthrax of the eyelid. | 2003 | 17642834 | |
| plants as alternative systems for production of vaccines. | subunit vaccine production is typically associated with bacterial, yeast, insect or mammalian cell culture systems. plants, however, are emerging as an alternative platform for producing vaccine antigens, and offer some advantages over other recombinant systems. in particular, plant virus-based transient expression systems are suitable for rapid engineering, ease of scale-up and cost-effective production of target antigens. in addition, this system provides an ideal approach for producing large ... | 2007 | 17643065 |
| the bclb glycoprotein of bacillus anthracis is involved in exosporium integrity. | anthrax is a highly fatal disease caused by the gram-positive, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium bacillus anthracis. spores, rather than vegetative bacterial cells, are the source of anthrax infections. spores of b. anthracis are enclosed by a prominent loose-fitting structure called the exosporium. the exosporium is composed of a basal layer and an external hair-like nap. filaments of the hair-like nap are made up largely of a single collagen-like glycoprotein called bcla. a second glycop ... | 2007 | 17644587 |
| human monoclonal antibodies against anthrax lethal factor and protective antigen act independently to protect against bacillus anthracis infection and enhance endogenous immunity to anthrax. | the unpredictable nature of bioterrorism and the absence of real-time detection systems have highlighted the need for an efficient postexposure therapy for bacillus anthracis infection. one approach is passive immunization through the administration of antibodies that mitigate the biological action of anthrax toxin. we isolated and characterized two protective fully human monoclonal antibodies with specificity for protective antigen (pa) and lethal factor (lf). these antibodies, designated iqnpa ... | 2007 | 17646360 |
| in situ detection of bacillus anthracis spores using fully submersible, self-exciting, self-sensing pmn-pt/sn piezoelectric microcantilevers. | in this study, we have demonstrated in situ, all-electrical detection of bacillus anthracis (ba) spores using lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate/tin (pmn-pt/sn) piezoelectric microcantilever sensors (pems) fabricated from pmn-pt freestanding films and electrically insulated with methyltrimethoxysilane (mtms) coatings on the tin surface. antibody specific to ba spore surface antigen was immobilized on the platinum electrode of the pmn-pt layer. in phosphate-buffered saline (pbs) solution, the p ... | 2007 | 17646877 |
| the use of sulphanilamide in anthrax. | 1939 | 17647516 | |
| demonstration of complement fixing antibody in the sera of cattle vaccinated with combined living blackleg-anthrax vaccine. | complement fixing antibodies could be detected in the sera of cattle vaccinated with combined living blackleg-anthrax vaccine by modified complement fixation tests. conventional direct complement fixation tests with bovine antibody-antigen systems often caused false negative reactions; however, in the modified test, when guinea pig complement was supplemented with fresh unheated normal rabbit serum, positive reactions were obtained and the sensitivity of the test was increased without loss of sp ... | 1971 | 17647601 |
| diagnosis of anthrax by stevenel blue method. | 1945 | 17648109 | |
| personal observations on anthrax. | 1954 | 17648692 | |
| anthrax toxin evades toll-like receptor recognition, whereas its cell wall components trigger activation via tlr2/6 heterodimers. | bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive bacillus that is the causative agent of anthrax. the virulence of the bacillus is partly due to the production of a tripartite virulence factor: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef). recognition of the bacillus and its toxins by the innate immune system is likely to play a key role following infection. in this study we set out to investigate whether anthrax cell wall (acw) components as well as the lethal toxin are sensed by toll ... | 2007 | 17651447 |
| the seminal literature of anthrax research. | a chronically weak area in research papers, reports, and reviews is the complete identification of seminal background documents that formed the building blocks for these papers. a method for systematically determining these seminal references is presented. citation-assisted background (cab) is based on the assumption that seminal documents tend to be highly cited. application of cab to the field of anthrax research is presented. while cab is a highly systematic approach for identifying seminal r ... | 2007 | 17653986 |
| cutaneous anthrax: an indian perspective. | 2002 | 17656987 | |
| binding and enrichment of escherichia coli spheroplasts expressing inner membrane tethered scfv antibodies on surface immobilized antigens. | anchored periplasmic expression (apex) is a new method for the isolation of high affinity ligand-binding proteins from large combinatorial libraries (harvey et al., 2004, proc natl acad sci usa 101(25): 9193-9198). in apex, proteins are expressed as fusions to a membrane anchor that tethers them onto the periplasmic side of the escherichia coli inner membrane. conversion of the cells into spheroplasts and incubation with soluble fluorescently conjugated ligands results in the specific labeling o ... | 2007 | 17657772 |
| unsupported conclusions on the bacillus anthracis spores. | 2007 | 17660313 | |
| synthesis of the antigenic tetrasaccharide side chain from the major glycoprotein of bacillus anthracis exosporium. | a synthesis of the pentenyl glycoside of the tetrasaccharide side chain from the major glycoprotein of bacillus anthracis by a [3 + 1] approach is described. the construction of the 1,2-trans-glycosidic linkage in the terminal anthrose moiety was achieved through the application of known alpha-nitrilium ion-mediated beta-selective glycosylation methodology. an iterative glycosylation strategy was used for the assembly of the trirhamnan building block. a new route to the anthrose saccharide was d ... | 2007 | 17661521 |
| bacillus anthracis: interactions with the host and establishment of inhalational anthrax. | due to its potential as a bioweapon, bacillus anthracis has received a great deal of attention in recent years, and a significant effort has been devoted to understanding how this organism causes anthrax. there has been a particular focus on the inhalational form of the disease, and studies over the past several years have painted an increasingly complex picture of how b. anthracis enters the mammalian host, survives the host's defense mechanisms, disseminates throughout the body and causes deat ... | 2006 | 17661631 |
| anthrax meningoencephalitis successfully treated. | 2007 | 17661992 | |
| bacillus anthracis secretome time course under host-simulated conditions and identification of immunogenic proteins. | the secretion time course of bacillus anthracis strain ra3r (pxo1+/pxo2-) during early, mid, and late log phase were investigated under conditions that simulate those encountered in the host. all of the identified proteins were analyzed by different software algorithms to characterize their predicted mode of secretion and cellular localization. in addition, immunogenic proteins were identified using sera from humans with cutaneous anthrax. | 2007 | 17662140 |
| heme coordination by staphylococcus aureus isde. | staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen and a leading cause of hospital acquired infections. because the free iron concentration in the human body is too low to support growth, s. aureus must acquire iron from host sources. heme iron is the most prevalent iron reservoir in the human body and a predominant source of iron for s. aureus. the iron-regulated surface determinant (isd) system removes heme from host heme proteins and transfers it to isde, the cognate substrate-bindin ... | 2007 | 17666394 |
| facilitation of risk communication during the anthrax attacks of 2001: the organizational backstory. | the anthrax attacks of 2001 created risk communication problems that cannot be fully understood without appreciating the dynamics among organizations. case studies of communication in new jersey, consisting of interviews with a range of participants, found that existing organizational and professional networks facilitated trust among decisionmakers. this interpersonal trust improved communication among agencies and thereby risk communication with the public. for example, "white powder scares" we ... | 2007 | 17666692 |
| biology and taxonomy of bacillus cereus, bacillus anthracis, and bacillus thuringiensis. | three species of the bacillus cereus group (bacillus cereus, bacillus anthracis, and bacillus thuringiensis) have a marked impact on human activity. bacillus cereus and b. anthracis are important pathogens of mammals, including humans, and b. thuringiensis is extensively used in the biological control of insects. the microbiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of these three species are reviewed, together with a discussion of several genomic studies conducted on strains of b. cereu ... | 2007 | 17668027 |
| using ultrafiltration to concentrate and detect bacillus anthracis, bacillus atrophaeus subspecies globigii, and cryptosporidium parvum in 100-liter water samples. | a strategy that uses ultrafiltration (uf) to concentrate microorganisms from water samples has been developed and tested. this strategy was tested using 100-liter water samples with volume reduction achieved through ultrafiltration and recycling the microorganisms of interest through a retentate vessel, rather than returning them to the sample container, where they might pose an incremental hazard to sample takers or the environment. three protocols based on this strategy were tested. the first ... | 2007 | 17669525 |
| modeling the structure of mab 14b7 bound to the anthrax protective antigen. | the anthrax protective antigen (pa) is a key component of the tripartite anthrax toxin. monoclonal antibody (mab) 14b7 and its engineered, affinity-matured variants have been shown to be effective in blocking pa binding to cellular receptors and mitigating anthrax toxicity. here, we perform computational structural modeling of the mab 14b7-pa interaction. our objectives are to determine the structure of the 14b7-pa complex, to deduce a structural explanation for the affinity maturation from the ... | 2008 | 17671962 |
| extensive cutaneous anthrax in an immunocompetent patient. | bacillus anthracis disease constitutes an extremely important worldwide epidemiological problem. interest in cutaneous anthrax resides in its skin manifestations, course, diagnostic methods and management. an extensive cutaneous anthrax of the whole left upper arm, accompanied by lymphadenopathy and high fever, in a 60 year-old male patient, a shepherd by profession, is reported. he was treated effectively by intravenously administered ciprofloxacin and clindamycin. in the event of clinical susp ... | 2007 | 17673392 |
| loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spores. | a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assay system was employed for detecting bacillus anthracis spores in pure cultures as well as in various simulated powder samples. the specificity of the designed lamp primer sets was validated by assaying 13 b. anthracis strains and 33 non-b. anthracis species. the detection limits of the lamp assay were 10 spores/tube for pure cultures and 100 spores/2 mg powder for simulated powder samples. the results show that the lamp protocol is a promising ... | 2007 | 17673950 |
| potential biological targets of bacillus anthracis in anti-infective approaches against the threat of bioterrorism. | the terrorist attacks of 2001 involving anthrax underscore the imperative that safe and effective medical countermeasures should be readily available. vaccination appears to be the most effective form of mass protection against a biological attack, but the current vaccines have drawbacks that justify the enormous amount of effort currently being put into developing more effective vaccines and other treatment modalities. after providing a comprehensive overview of the organism bacillus anthracis ... | 2007 | 17678429 |
| comparison of real-time polymerase chain reaction and conventional polymerase chain reaction methods for the rapid identification of bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis spores have been shown to be one of the most effective biological weapons. for the rapid detection of b. anthracis spores, several genetic markers, including chromosomal and plasmid-based sequences, were studied with polymerase chain reaction (pcr) methods. in the present study, a method using a primer/probe set based on the pxo1-encoded pag gene for the detection of b. anthracis was tested in addition to culture. eight pathological samples (four blood-immersed cotton specimen ... | 2007 | 17691694 |
| synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some new 1,3,4-thiadiazole and 1,2,4-triazole compounds having a d,l-methionine moiety. | new 1,3,4-thiadiazole, 5a-e, and 1,2,4-triazolecompounds 6a-c, containing a d,l-methionine moiety were synthesized by intramolecular cyclization of 1,4-disubstituted thiosemicarbazides 4a-e in acid and alkaline media, respectively. the potential antimicrobial effects of the synthesized compounds were investigated using the staphylococcus aureus atcc 25923, bacillus antracis atcc 8705, bacillus cereus atcc 10987, sarcina lutea atcc 9341 and escherichia coli atcc 25922 strains. the newly synthesiz ... | 2007 | 17693957 |
| crystal structure of the anthrax drug target, bacillus anthracis dihydrofolate reductase. | spores of bacillus anthracis are the infectious agent of anthrax. current antibiotic treatments are limited due to resistance and patient age restrictions; thus, additional targets for therapeutic intervention are needed. one possible candidate is dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr), a biosynthetic enzyme necessary for anthrax pathogenicity. we determined the crystal structure of dhfr from b. anthracis (badhfr) in complex with methotrexate (mtx; 1) at 2.4 angstrom resolution. the structure reveals th ... | 2007 | 17696333 |
| immunization by application of dna vaccine onto a skin area wherein the hair follicles have been induced into anagen-onset stage. | an attractive approach to immunization is to apply dna vaccine topically onto the skin. however, it is important to ensure that a strong immune response is induced without disrupting the skin stratum corneum. the hair follicles have been shown to be the major portal of entry for dna applied onto the skin, and it has been reported that the transfection of hair follicle cells occurs mainly at the onset of a new growing stage of the hair cycle. using an anthrax protective antigen (pa) protein-encod ... | 2007 | 17700542 |
| national ambulatory medical care survey: terrorism preparedness among office-based physicians, united states, 2003-2004. | this investigation describes terrorism preparedness among u.s. office-based physicians and their staffs in identification and diagnosis of terrorism-related conditions, training methods and sources, and assistance with diagnosis and reporting. | 2007 | 17702147 |
| [molecular study of argentine strains of bacillus anthracis]. | bacillus anthracis is one of the most monomorphic bacteria known and epidemiological studies of this microorganism have been hampered by the lack of molecular markers. for the genotyping of fourteen argentine field strains and the vaccine strain steme 34f2 the presence or absence of the virulence plasmids as well as vrra locus containing a variable-number tandem repeat (vntr) and presenting a polymorphism involving five variants, were analyzed. strains were isolated from cows, sheep and pigs dur ... | 2007 | 17702250 |
| [anthrax in the canton of zurich between 1878 and 2005]. | historical records reporting cases of animal anthrax in the canton of zurich between 1878 and 2005 were analysed on the level of political communities regarding occurrence and number of cases, animals affected, and number of communities affected. data were correlated with industrial activities (tanning, wool and horse hair processing) in a community and to the prevailing meteorological conditions. a total of 830 cases of animal anthrax has been recorded in 140 of 171 communities. occurrence corr ... | 2007 | 17702488 |
| paratope diversity in the human antibody response to bacillus anthracis protective antigen. | the active component of the licensed human anthrax vaccine (biothrax, or ava) is a bacillus anthracis toxin known as protective antigen (pa). second generation anthrax vaccines currently under development are also based on a recombinant form of pa. since the current and future anthrax vaccines are based on this toxin, it is important that the immunobiology of this protein in vaccinated humans be understood in detail. we have isolated and analyzed the pa-specific antibody repertoire from an ava-v ... | 2008 | 17707509 |
| bacillus anthracis exosporium protein bcla affects spore germination, interaction with extracellular matrix proteins, and hydrophobicity. | bacillus collagen-like protein of anthracis (bcla) is the immunodominant glycoprotein on the exosporium of bacillus anthracis spores. here, we sought to assess the impact of bcla on spore germination in vitro and in vivo, surface charge, and interaction with host matrix proteins. for that purpose, we constructed a markerless bcla null mutant in b. anthracis sterne strain 34f2. the growth and sporulation rates of the deltabcla and parent strains were nearly indistinguishable, but germination of m ... | 2007 | 17709408 |
| in vitro and in vivo characterization of anthrax anti-protective antigen and anti-lethal factor monoclonal antibodies after passive transfer in a mouse lethal toxin challenge model to define correlates of immunity. | passive transfer of antibody may be useful for preexposure prophylaxis against biological agents used as weapons of terror, such as bacillus anthracis. studies were performed to evaluate the ability of anthrax antiprotective antigen (anti-pa) and antilethal factor (anti-lf) neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mabs) to protect against an anthrax lethal toxin (letx) challenge in a mouse model and to identify correlates of immunity to letx challenge. despite having similar affinities for their resp ... | 2007 | 17709410 |
| exogenous interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma increase lethality of murine inhalational anthrax. | bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of inhalational anthrax, is a facultative intracellular pathogen. despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy, the mortality from inhalational anthrax approaches 45%, underscoring the need for better adjuvant therapies. the variable latency between exposure and development of disease suggests an important role for the host's innate immune response. type i and type ii interferons (ifn) are prominent members of the host innate immune response and are required ... | 2007 | 17710136 |
| properties of bacillus anthracis spores prepared under various environmental conditions. | bacillus anthracis makes highly stable, heat-resistant spores which remain viable for decades. effect of various stress conditions on sporulation in b. anthracis was studied in nutrient-deprived and sporulation medium adjusted to various ph and temperatures. the results revealed that sporulation efficiency was dependent on conditions prevailing during sporulation. sporulation occurred earlier in culture sporulating at alkaline ph or in pbs than control. spores formed in pbs were highly sensitive ... | 2008 | 17713759 |
| iron metabolism at the host pathogen interface: lipocalin 2 and the pathogen-associated iroa gene cluster. | the host innate immune defense protein lipocalin 2 binds bacterial enterobactin siderophores to limit bacterial iron acquisition. to counteract this host defense mechanism bacteria have acquired the iroa gene cluster, which encodes enzymatic machinery and transporters that revitalize enterobactin in the form of salmochelin. the irob enzyme introduces glucosyl residues at the c5 site on 2,3-dihydroxybenzoylserine moieties of enterobactin and thereby prevents lipocalin 2 binding. additional strate ... | 2007 | 17714976 |
| establishing a prophylactic drug dispensing clinic: the university of rhode island model. | the purpose of this guide is to assist community and university planners in developing and implementing a medication point of dispensing plan and conducting a point of dispensing drill. key planning strategies addressed include community assessment, resource coordination, community partnerships, physical plant considerations, and multifunction considerations that will assist community planners to better prepare for bioterrorism or naturally occurring infectious disease events. | 2007 | 17719510 |
| development of quantitative real-time pcr assays for detection and quantification of surrogate biological warfare agents in building debris and leachate. | evaluation of the fate and transport of biological warfare (bw) agents in landfills requires the development of specific and sensitive detection assays. the objective of the current study was to develop and validate sybr green quantitative real-time pcr (q-pcr) assays for the specific detection and quantification of surrogate bw agents in synthetic building debris (sbd) and leachate. bacillus atrophaeus (vegetative cells and spores) and serratia marcescens were used as surrogates for bacillus an ... | 2007 | 17720820 |
| inactivation of bacillus anthracis spores by liquid biocides in the presence of food residue. | biocide inactivation of bacillus anthracis spores in the presence of food residues after a 10-min treatment time was investigated. spores of nonvirulent bacillus anthracis strains 7702, anr-1, and 9131 were mixed with water, flour paste, whole milk, or egg yolk emulsion and dried onto stainless-steel carriers. the carriers were exposed to various concentrations of peroxyacetic acid, sodium hypochlorite (naocl), or hydrogen peroxide (h(2)o(2)) for 10 min at 10, 20, or 30 degrees c, after which ti ... | 2007 | 17720823 |
| anthrax protective antigen cleavage and clearance from the blood of mice and rats. | bacillus anthracis protective antigen (pa) is an 83-kda (pa83) protein that is cleaved to the 63-kda protein (pa63) as an essential step in binding and internalizing lethal factor (lf). to assess in vivo receptor saturating pa concentrations, we injected mice with pa variants and measured the pa remaining in the blood at various times using pa83- and pa63-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. we found that both wild-type pa (wt-pa) and a receptor-binding-defective mutant (ub-pa) were clea ... | 2007 | 17724066 |