Publications

[travel-associated pneumonias].	respiratory infections are responsible for up to 11% of febrile infections in travellers or immigrants from tropical and subtropical regions. the main pathogens are the same as in temperate climate zones: streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydophila pneumoniae, influenza viruses, legionella pneumophila. however, some pulmonary diseases can be attributed to bacterial, parasitic, viral or fungal pathogens that are endemic in tropical and subtropical region ...	2014	25290923
screening for anthrax occurrence in soil of flooded rural areas in poland after rainfalls in spring 2010.	anthrax spores remain viable and infectious in soil for decades. flood water can percolate towards the surface the spores buried in soil. moreover, the flood water might transport spores to areas previously unaffected. after the water recedes the spores located on the surface of the ground can be consumed by grazing animals and cause outbreaks of anthrax.	2014	25292110
detection of bacillus anthracis spores by super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunoassays based on "road closure".	detection of bacillus anthracis in the field, whether as a natural infection or as a biothreat remains challenging. here we have developed a new lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay (lfia) for b. anthracis spore detection based on the fact that conjugates of b. anthracis spores and super-paramagnetic particles labeled with antibodies will block the pores of chromatographic strips and form retention lines on the strips, instead of the conventionally reported test lines and control lines in cl ...	2015	25294802
bacillus anthracis.		2014	25295335
draft genome sequence of strain bf-4, a lysinibacillus-like bacillus isolated during an anthrax outbreak in bavaria.	we report the draft genome sequence of lysinibacillus sp. strain bf-4. strain bf-4 has a notably small genome for a free-living bacillus, with a size of 2.63 mbp. in agreement with phenotypic observations, the genome lacks genes essential for endospore formation.	2014	25301643
twenty whole-genome bacillus sp. assemblies.	bacilli are genetically and physiologically diverse, ranging from innocuous to highly pathogenic. here, we present annotated genome assemblies for 20 strains belonging to bacillus anthracis, b. atrophaeus, b. cereus, b. licheniformis, b. macerans, b. megaterium, b. mycoides, and b. subtilis.	2014	25301645
terror medicine as part of the medical school curriculum.	terror medicine, a field related to emergency and disaster medicine, focuses on medical issues ranging from preparedness to psychological manifestations specifically associated with terrorist attacks. calls to teach aspects of the subject in american medical schools surged after the 2001 jetliner and anthrax attacks. although the threat of terrorism persists, terror medicine is still addressed erratically if at all in most medical schools. this paper suggests a template for incorporating the sub ...	2014	25309891
counteracting suppression of cftr and voltage-gated k+ channels by a bacterial pathogenic factor with the natural product tannic acid.	mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) cause recurring bacterial infection in cf patients' lungs. however, the severity of cf lung disease correlates poorly with genotype. antibiotic treatment helps dramatically prolong patients' life. the lung disease generally determines prognosis and causes most morbidity and mortality; early control of infections is thus critical. staphylococcus aureus is a main cause of early infection in cf lungs. it secretes sphingomye ...	2014	25313718
climate change and infectious diseases in the arctic: establishment of a circumpolar working group.	the arctic, even more so than other parts of the world, has warmed substantially over the past few decades. temperature and humidity influence the rate of development, survival and reproduction of pathogens and thus the incidence and prevalence of many infectious diseases. higher temperatures may also allow infected host species to survive winters in larger numbers, increase the population size and expand their habitat range. the impact of these changes on human disease in the arctic has not bee ...	2014	25317383
polylysine-mediated translocation of the diphtheria toxin catalytic domain through the anthrax protective antigen pore.	the protective antigen (pa) moiety of anthrax toxin forms oligomeric pores in the endosomal membrane, which translocate the effector proteins of the toxin to the cytosol. effector proteins bind to oligomeric pa via their respective n-terminal domains and undergo n- to c-terminal translocation through the pore. earlier we reported that a tract of basic amino acids fused to the n-terminus of an unrelated effector protein (the catalytic domain diphtheria toxin, dta) potentiated that protein to unde ...	2014	25317832
preparation and evaluation of human-murine chimeric antibody against protective antigen of bacillus anthracis.	the aim of this research is to develop a human/murine chimeric fab antibody which neutralizes the anthrax toxin, protective antigen (pa). the chimeric fab was constructed using variable regions of murine anti-pa monoclonal antibody in combination with constant regions of human igg. the chimeric pa6-fab was expressed in e. coli. bl21 and evaluated by elisa and co-immunoprecipitation- mass spectra. the potency of pa6-fab to neutralize letx was examined in j774a.1 cell viability in vitro and in fis ...	2014	25318053
antibiofilm activity of biosurfactant producing coral associated bacteria isolated from gulf of mannar.	coral associated bacteria (cab) (n = 22) isolated from the mucus of the coral acropora digitifera were screened for biosurfactants using classical screening methods; hemolysis test, lipase production, oil displacement, drop collapse test and emulsifying activity. six cab (u7, u9, u10, u13, u14, and u16) were found to produce biosurfactants and were identified by 16s ribosomal rna gene sequencing as providencia rettgeri, psychrobacter sp., bacillus flexus, bacillus anthracis, psychrobacter sp., a ...	2014	25320434
[bacillus anthracis].		2014	25327200
the current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the us.	the use of biological agents as weapons to disrupt established structures, such as governments and especially larger urban populations, has been prevalent throughout history. following the anthrax letters sent to various government officials in the fall of 2001, the us has been investing in prevention, surveillance, and preparation for a potential bioterrorism attack. additional funding authorized since 2002 has assisted the centers for disease control and prevention, the department of health an ...	2014	25328421
whole proteome analysis of mouse lymph nodes in cutaneous anthrax.	this study aimed to characterize a soluble proteome of popliteal lymph nodes during lymphadenitis induced by intradermal injection of bacillus anthracis sterne spores in mice using tandem lc-ms/ms and reverse-phase protein microarray with antibodies specific to epitopes of phosphorylated proteins. more than 380 proteins were detected in the normal intra-nodal lymph, while the infectious process resulted in the profound changes in the protein abundances and appearance of 297 unique proteins. thes ...	2014	25329596
the impact of "omic" and imaging technologies on assessing the host immune response to biodefence agents.	understanding the interactions between host and pathogen is important for the development and assessment of medical countermeasures to infectious agents, including potential biodefence pathogens such as bacillus anthracis, ebola virus, and francisella tularensis. this review focuses on technological advances which allow this interaction to be studied in much greater detail. namely, the use of "omic" technologies (next generation sequencing, dna, and protein microarrays) for dissecting the underl ...	2014	25333059
a reaction path study of the catalysis and inhibition of the bacillus anthracis capd γ-glutamyl transpeptidase.	the capd enzyme of bacillus anthracis is a γ-glutamyl transpeptidase from the n-terminal nucleophile hydrolase superfamily that covalently anchors the poly-γ-d-glutamic acid (pdga) capsule to the peptidoglycan. the capsule hinders phagocytosis of b. anthracis by host cells and is essential for virulence. the role capd plays in capsule anchoring and remodeling makes the enzyme a promising target for anthrax medical countermeasures. although the structure of capd is known, and a covalent inhibitor ...	2014	25334088
being prepared: bioterrorism and mass prophylaxis: part ii.	although several biological agents have been recognized as presenting a significant threat to public health if used in a bioterrorist attack, those that are of greatest importance are known as the category a agents: bacillus anthracis (anthrax); variola major (smallpox); yersinia pestis (plague); francisella tularensis (tularemia); ribonucleic acid viruses (hemorrhagic fevers); and clostridium botulinum (botulism toxin). in the previous issue, part i of this review focused on the clinical presen ...	2014	25356890
anthrax toxin lethal factor domain 3 is highly mobile and responsive to ligand binding.	the secreted anthrax toxin consists of three components: the protective antigen (pa), edema factor (ef) and lethal factor (lf). lf, a zinc metalloproteinase, compromises the host immune system primarily by targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases in macrophages. peptide substrates and small-molecule inhibitors bind lf in the space between domains 3 and 4 of the hydrolase. domain 3 is attached on a hinge to domain 2 via residues ile300 and pro385, and can move through an angular arc of ...	2014	25372673
elucidation of the bicarbonate binding site and insights into the carboxylation mechanism of (n(5))-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthase (purk) from bacillus anthracis.	structures of (n(5))-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthase (purk) from bacillus anthracis with various combinations of atp, adp, mg(2+), bicarbonate and aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (air) in the active site are presented. the binding site of bicarbonate has only been speculated upon previously, but is shown here for the first time. the binding involves interactions with the conserved residues arg272, his274 and lys348. these structures provide insights into each ligand in the active sit ...	2014	25372694
statistical analysis, optimization, and prioritization of virtual screening parameters for zinc enzymes including the anthrax toxin lethal factor.	the anthrax toxin lethal factor (lf) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (mmp-3, stromelysin-1) are popular zinc metalloenzyme drug targets, with lf primarily responsible for anthrax-related toxicity and host death, while mmp-3 is involved in cancer- and rheumatic disease-related tissue remodeling. a number of in silico screening techniques, most notably docking and scoring, have proven useful for identifying new potential drug scaffolds targeting lf and mmp-3, as well as for optimizing lead compound ...	2014	25373478
immunopotentiation for bacterial biodefense.	activation of the innate immune system can enhance resistance to a variety of bacterial and viral infections. in situations where the etiological agent of disease is unknown, such as a bioterror attack, stimulation of innate immunity may be particularly useful as induced immune responses are often capable of providing protection against a broad range of pathogens. in particular, the threat of an intentional release of a highly virulent bacterial pathogen that is either intrinsically resistant to ...	2014	25373479
the central nervous system as target of bacillus anthracis toxin independent virulence in rabbits and guinea pigs.	infection of the central nervous system is considered a complication of anthrax and was reported in humans and non-human primates. previously we have reported that bacillus anthracis possesses a toxin-independent virulent trait that, like the toxins, is regulated by the major virulence regulator, atxa, in the presence of pxo2. this toxin-independent lethal trait is exhibited in rabbits and guinea pigs following significant bacteremia and organ dissemination. various findings, including meningiti ...	2014	25375158
specific activation of dendritic cells enhances clearance of bacillus anthracis following infection.	dendritic cells are potent activators of the immune system and have a key role in linking innate and adaptive immune responses. in the current study we have used ex vivo pulsed bone marrow dendritic cells (bmdc) in a novel adoptive transfer strategy to protect against challenge with bacillus anthracis, in a murine model. pre-pulsing murine bmdc with either recombinant protective antigen (pa) or cpg significantly upregulated expression of the activation markers cd40, cd80, cd86 and mhc-ii. passiv ...	2014	25380285
erythrocytic mobilization enhanced by the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is associated with reduced anthrax-lethal-toxin-induced mortality in mice.	anthrax lethal toxin (lt), one of the primary virulence factors of bacillus anthracis, causes anthrax-like symptoms and death in animals. experiments have indicated that levels of erythrocytopenia and hypoxic stress are associated with disease severity after administering lt. in this study, the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (g-csf) was used as a therapeutic agent to ameliorate anthrax-lt- and spore-induced mortality in c57bl/6j mice. we demonstrated that g-csf promoted the mobilization o ...	2014	25384016
htrc is involved in proteolysis of ypeb during germination of bacillus anthracis and bacillus subtilis spores.	bacterial endospores can remain dormant for decades yet can respond to nutrients, germinate, and resume growth within minutes. an essential step in the germination process is degradation of the spore cortex peptidoglycan wall, and the sleb protein in bacillus species plays a key role in this process. stable incorporation of sleb into the spore requires the ypeb protein, and some evidence suggests that the two proteins interact within the dormant spore. early during germination, ypeb is proteolyt ...	2015	25384476
lytr-cpsa-psr enzymes as determinants of bacillus anthracis secondary cell wall polysaccharide assembly.	bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, replicates as chains of vegetative cells by regulating the separation of septal peptidoglycan. surface (s)-layer proteins and associated proteins (bsls) function as chain length determinants and bind to the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (scwp). in this study, we identified the b. anthracis lcpd mutant, which displays increased chain length and s-layer assembly defects due to diminished scwp attachment to peptidoglycan. in contrast, the b. ...	2015	25384480
gastrointestinal helminths may affect host susceptibility to anthrax through seasonal immune trade-offs.	most vertebrates experience coinfections, and many pathogen-pathogen interactions occur indirectly through the host immune system. these interactions are particularly strong in mixed micro-macroparasite infections because of immunomodulatory effects of helminth parasites. while these trade-offs have been examined extensively in laboratory animals, few studies have examined them in natural systems. additionally, many wildlife pathogens fluctuate seasonally, at least partly due to seasonal host im ...	2014	25388877
inhibitory effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes on biofilm formation from bacillus anthracis spores.	this study reports the inhibitory effect of single walled carbon nanotubes (swcnts) on biofilm formation from bacillus anthracis spores. although the presence of 50 to 100 μg ml(-1) of swcnts in the suspension increased spore attachment in the wells of 96-well plates, the presence of 200 μg ml(-1) of swcnts in the germination solution decreased the germination percentage of the attached spores by 93.14%, completely inhibiting subsequent biofilm formation. the inhibition kinetics of 50 μg ml(-1) ...	2014	25389559
splitmem: a graphical algorithm for pan-genome analysis with suffix skips.	genomics is expanding from a single reference per species paradigm into a more comprehensive pan-genome approach that analyzes multiple individuals together. a compressed de bruijn graph is a sophisticated data structure for representing the genomes of entire populations. it robustly encodes shared segments, simple single-nucleotide polymorphisms and complex structural variations far beyond what can be represented in a collection of linear sequences alone.	2014	25398610
single-nucleotide polymorphism discrimination using high-resolution melting analysis for the genotyping of bacillus anthracis.	high-resolution melting (hrm) is a post-pcr technique that determines with high precision the melt profile of pcr products using a new generation of double-stranded dna-binding dyes and accurate fluorescence data acquisition over small temperature increments. the method can be used to interrogate small sets of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (snps). here, we describe a simple and cost-effective hrm-based method for the screening of 14 phylogenetically informative snps within the genome of bacill ...	2015	25399109
multiplexed genotyping of bacillus anthracis by luminex xmap suspension array.	the luminex® xtag technology is a medium to high throughput, open methodology able to test many single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in a single reaction and a minimum time. multiplex snps interrogation are conducted on the luminex xmap system, which uses lasers to read universal tag, color-coded microspheres that attach to specific nucleic acid sequences. the present method describes a multiplex oligonucleotide ligation-pcr procedure (mol-pcr) for the simultaneous interrogation of 13 phylogen ...	2015	25399112
host immunity to bacillus anthracis lethal factor and other immunogens: implications for vaccine design.	infections of humans with bacillus anthracis are an issue with respect to the biothreat both to civilians and military personnel, infections of individuals by infected livestock in endemic regions and, recently, infections of intravenous drug users injecting anthrax-contaminated heroin. existing vaccination regimens are reliant on protective antigen neutralization induced by repeated boosts with the ava or avp vaccines. however, there is ongoing interest in updated approaches in light of the int ...	2015	25400140
crystal structure of bacillus anthracis virulence regulator atxa and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity.	the bacillus anthracis virulence regulator atxa controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthetic operon. atxa activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and co(2)/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the co(2)/bicarbonate signal, atxa activity and homomultimerization. atxa activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. we show that atxa crystallizes as a dimer. distinct folds associated with predicted dna-bin ...	2015	25402841
caspase-1 autoproteolysis is differentially required for nlrp1b and nlrp3 inflammasome function.	inflammasomes are caspase-1-activating multiprotein complexes. the mouse nucleotide-binding domain and leucine rich repeat pyrin containing 1b (nlrp1b) inflammasome was identified as the sensor of bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (lt) in mouse macrophages from sensitive strains such as balb/c. upon exposure to lt, the nlrp1b inflammasome activates caspase-1 to produce mature il-1β and induce pyroptosis. both processes are believed to depend on autoproteolysed caspase-1. in contrast to human nlrp1 ...	2014	25404286
influence of protein formulation and carrier solution on asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation: a case study of the plant-produced recombinant anthrax protective antigen pp-pa83.	asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (affff) was used to investigate the properties of a plant-produced anthrax toxin protective antigen, pp-pa83. the affff fractogram consisted of two main peaks with molar masses similar to the molecular mass of pp-pa83 monomer. affff carrier solutions strongly influenced the ratio and the intensity of the two main peaks. these differences indicate that conformation changes in the pp-pa83 molecule occurred during the affff analysis. similar fractograms we ...	2015	25417936
comparing electronic news media reports of potential bioterrorism-related incidents involving unknown white powder to reports received by the united states centers for disease control and prevention and the federal bureau of investigation: u.s.a., 2009-2011.	there have been periodic electronic news media reports of potential bioterrorism-related incidents involving unknown substances (often referred to as "white powder") since the 2001 intentional dissemination of bacillus anthracis through the u.s. postal system. this study reviewed the number of unknown "white powder" incidents reported online by the electronic news media and compared them with unknown "white powder" incidents reported to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) a ...	2015	25420771
cytochrome c551 and the cytochrome c maturation pathway affect virulence gene expression in bacillus cereus atcc 14579.	loss of the cytochrome c maturation system in bacillus cereus results in increased transcription of the major enterotoxin genes nhe, hbl, and cytk and the virulence regulator plcr. increased virulence factor production occurs at 37°c under aerobic conditions, similar to previous findings in bacillus anthracis. unlike b. anthracis, much of the increased virulence gene expression can be attributed to loss of only c551, one of the two small c-type cytochromes. additional virulence factor expression ...	2015	25422307
total syntheses of linear polythiazole/oxazole plantazolicin a and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b.	plantazolicin a, a linear decacyclic natural product, exhibits desirable selective activity against the causative agent of anthrax toxicity. the total synthesis of plantazolicin a and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b was successfully achieved by an efficient, unified, and highly convergent route featuring dicyclizations to form 2,4-concatenated oxazoles and the mild synthesis of thiazoles from natural amino acids. this report represents the first synthesis of plantazolicin b and includ ...	2015	25424526
bacillus anthracis pxo1 plasmid encodes a putative membrane-bound bacteriocin.	evolutionary advantages over cousin cells in bacterial pathogens may decide about the success of a specific cell in its environment. bacteria use a plethora of methods to defend against other cells and many devices to attack their opponents when competing for resources. bacteriocins are antibacterial proteins that are used to eliminate competition. we report the discovery of a putative membrane-bound bacteriocin encoded by the bacillus anthracis pathogenic pxo1 plasmid. we analyze the genomic st ...	2014	25426338
benefits of a european project on diagnostics of highly pathogenic agents and assessment of potential "dual use" issues.	quality assurance exercises and networking on the detection of highly infectious pathogens (quandhip) is a joint action initiative set up in 2011 that has successfully unified the primary objectives of the european network on highly pathogenic bacteria (enhpb) and of p4-laboratories (enp4-lab) both of which aimed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and response capabilities of laboratories directed at protecting the health of european citizens against high consequence bacteria and viruses ...	2014	25426479
quantitative analysis of the thermal stability of the gamma phage endolysin plyg: a biophysical and kinetic approach to assaying therapeutic potential.	endolysins are lytic enzymes encoded by bacteriophage that represent an emerging class of protein therapeutics. considering macromolecular thermoresistance correlates with shelf life, plyg, a bacillus anthracis endolysin, was thermally characterized to further evaluate its therapeutic potential. results from a biophysical thermal analysis revealed full-length plyg and its isolated domains comprised thermal denaturation temperatures exceeding 63°c. in the absence of reducing agent, plyg was deter ...	2015	25432575
modified 2,4-diaminopyrimidine-based dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors as potential drug scaffolds against bacillus anthracis.	the current letter describes the synthesis and biological evaluation of dihydrophthalazine-appended 2,4-diaminopyrimidine (dap) inhibitors (1) oxidized at the methylene bridge linking the dap ring to the central aromatic ring and (2) modified at the central ring ether groups. structures 4a-b incorporating an oxidized methylene bridge showed a decrease in activity, while slightly larger alkyl groups (ch2ch3 vs ch3) on the central ring oxygen atoms (r(2) and r(3)) had a minimal impact on the inhib ...	2015	25435253
pathogens: a new open access journal serving all those interested in infectious disease.	infection ranks alongside cardiovascular disease as the major cause of human death across the world. word health organization data for 2002 shows that 26% of all deaths, almost 15 million in number, were due to infectious disease with hiv/aids, tb and malaria being the top three responsible infections. a significant proportion of these deaths were due to lower respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases in children. the worldwide morbidity associated with infectious disease is incalculable. wh ...	2011	25436600
medical science and the cruelty to animals act 1876: a re-examination of anti-vivisectionism in provincial britain.	the cruelty to animals act 1876 was an important but ambiguous piece of legislation. for researchers it stymied british science, yet ensured that vivisection could continue under certain restrictions. for anti-vivisection protestors it was positive proof of the influence of their campaigns, yet overly deferent to britain's scientific elite. in previous accounts of the act and the rise of anti-vivisectionism, scientific medicine central to these debates has been treated as monolithic rather than ...	2015	25437634
ecthyma: a potential mimicker of zoonotic infections in a returning traveler.	the cutaneous ulcer in a patient with a history of international travel poses a vexing diagnostic dilemma for the clinician. while streptococcus and staphylococcus are common causes of cutaneous ecthyma, the necrotizing ulcer can have a vast differential diagnosis including ulcerating zoonoses.	2014	25449255
epitope-focused peptide immunogens in human use adjuvants protect rabbits from experimental inhalation anthrax.	anthrax represents a formidable bioterrorism threat for which new, optimized vaccines are required. we previously demonstrated that epitope-focused multiple antigenic peptides or a recombinant protein in freund's adjuvant can elicit ab against the loop neutralizing determinant (lnd), a cryptic linear neutralizing epitope in the 2ß2-2ß3 loop of protective antigen from bacillus anthracis, which mediated protection of rabbits from inhalation challenge with b. anthracis ames strain. however, demonst ...	2014	25454087
infantile systemic hyalinosis complicated with right atrial thrombus and pericardial effusion in an infant.	infantile systemic hyalinosis (ish) is a rare multisystem fatal autosomal recessive disorder that involves widespread deposition of hyaline on connective tissues and certain internal organs. the major manifestations include painful articular contractures, hyperpigmentation, subcutaneous nodules, gingival hypertrophy, failure to thrive secondary to protein-losing enteropathy, and osteolytic bone lesions. in this paper, we report a 12-month-old girl with ish presenting with recurrent diarrhea, fai ...	2017	25458638
composite sampling of a bacillus anthracis surrogate with cellulose sponge surface samplers from a nonporous surface.	a series of experiments was conducted to explore the utility of composite-based collection of surface samples for the detection of a bacillus anthracis surrogate using cellulose sponge samplers on a nonporous stainless steel surface. two composite-based collection approaches were evaluated over a surface area of 3716 cm2 (four separate 929 cm2 areas), larger than the 645 cm2 prescribed by the standard centers for disease control (cdc) and prevention cellulose sponge sampling protocol for use on ...	2014	25470365
bacillus anthracis genomic dna enhances lethal toxin-induced cytotoxicity through tnf-α production.	bacillus anthracis is the etiological agent of anthrax. lethal toxin (lt) produced by b. anthracis is a well-known key virulence factor for anthrax because of its strong cytotoxic activity. however, little is known about the role of b. anthracis genomic dna (bag) in anthrax pathogenesis.	2014	25472474
inactivation of bacterial biothreat agents in water, a review.	water supplies and water distribution systems have been identified as potential targets for contamination by bacterial biothreat agents. since the 2001 bacillus anthracis bioterrorist attacks, additional efforts have been aimed at research to characterize biothreat organisms in regards to their susceptibility to disinfectants and technologies currently in use for potable water. here, we present a review of research relevant to disinfection of bacteria with the potential to pose a severe threat t ...	2014	25473971
fate of bacillus anthracis during production of laboratory-scale cream cheese and homemade-style yoghurt.	the viability of bacillus anthracis during production and storage of cream cheese and yoghurt was evaluated. experimental cheeses were manufactured from whole milk inoculated with a suspension of b. anthracis vegetative cells and spores at a final concentration of 10(4) cfu/ml. lactic acid bacteria (lab) and lab ferment were used to induce milk ripening and milk coagulation. the ph-value of the contaminated milk dropped below 4.5 within the first 6 h and the amount of lab increased by approximat ...	2015	25475304
combination of two candidate subunit vaccine antigens elicits protective immunity to ricin and anthrax toxin in mice.	in an effort to develop combination vaccines for biodefense, we evaluated a ricin subunit antigen, rivax, given in conjunction with an anthrax protective antigen, dni. the combination led to high endpoint titer antibody response, neutralizing antibodies, and protective immunity against ricin and anthrax lethal toxin. this is a natural combination vaccine, since both antigens are recombinant subunit proteins that would be given to the same target population.	2015	25475957
armies of pestilence: cns infections as potential weapons of mass destruction.	infectious agents have been investigated, developed, and used by both governments and terrorist groups as weapons of mass destruction. cns infections, though traditionally considered less often than respiratory diseases in this scenario, may be very important. viruses responsible for encephalitides can be highly infectious in aerosol form. cns involvement in anthrax is ominous but should change treatment. brucellosis, plague, q fever, and other bacteria can uncommonly manifest with meningoenceph ...	2015	25477355
mapping of major diseases and devising prevention and control regimen to common diseases in cattle and shoats in dassenech district of south omo zone, south-western ethiopia.	livestock production system, particularly in pastoral areas, is mainly constrained by rampant livestock diseases and seasonal feed and water shortages. in areas like dassenech, bordering kenya and south sudan, this risks are pronounced due to the unavailability of appropriate prevention and control. the research was conducted with the objectives of identifying major rampant diseases and designing appropriate prevention and control strategies. a cross-sectional study was employed, conducted using ...	2015	25480484
using poly i:c as an adjuvant does not induce or exacerbate models of systemic lupus erythematosus.	subunit vaccines are typically poorly immunogenic when administered alone, and require adjuvants for robust responses. triggering tlrs to boost antigen-specific adaptive immunity is an attractive approach to increase the potency and quality of vaccines. however, recent reports suggest that alterations in tlr expression are associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. to compare genetic studies with adjuvant studies, we examined whether stimulation through a tlr agoni ...	2015	25483245
added benefit of raxibacumab to antibiotic treatment of inhalational anthrax.	although antibiotics treat bacteremia in inhalational anthrax, pathogenesis is mainly driven by bacterial exotoxins. raxibacumab, an igg1 monoclonal antibody, binds the protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis, thus blocking toxin effects and leading to improved survival in the rabbit and monkey models of inhalational anthrax. to assess raxibacumab's added benefit over levofloxacin (lvx) alone, rabbits surviving to 84 h after a challenge with 200 times the median (50%) lethal dose of b. ant ...	2015	25487792
inhibitory effects of nisin-coated multi-walled carbon nanotube sheet on biofilm formation from bacillus anthracis spores.	multi-walled carbon nanotube (mwcnt) sheet was fabricated from a drawable mwcnt forest and then deposited on poly(methyl methacrylate) film. the film was further coated with a natural antimicrobial peptide nisin. we studied the effects of nisin coating on the attachment of bacillus anthracis spores, the germination of attached spores, and the subsequent biofilm formation from attached spores. it was found that the strong adsorptivity and the super hydrophobicity of mwcnts provided an ideal platf ...	2014	25499501
production and cell surface display of recombinant anthrax protective antigen on the surface layer of attenuated bacillus anthracis.	to investigate the surface display of the anthrax protective antigen (pa) on attenuated bacillus anthracis, a recombinant b. anthracis strain, named ap429 was constructed by integrating into the chromosome a translational fusion harboring the dna fragments encoding the cell wall-targeting domain of the s-layer protein ea1 and the anthrax pa. crerecombinase action at the loxp sites excised the antibiotic marker. western blot analysis, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and immunofluorescence ana ...	2015	25504373
prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial pathogens in long-term manured greenhouse soils as revealed by metagenomic survey.	antibiotic resistance genes (args), human pathogenic bacteria (hpb), and hpb carrying args pose a high risk to soil ecology and public health. here, we used a metagenomic approach to investigate their diversity and abundance in chicken manures and greenhouse soils collected from guli, pulangke, and hushu vegetable bases with different greenhouse planting years in nanjing, eastern china. there was a positive correlation between the levels of antibiotics, args, hpb, and hpb carrying args in manure ...	2015	25514174
structure-based design of bacterial nitric oxide synthase inhibitors.	inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bnos) has the potential to improve the efficacy of antimicrobials used to treat infections by gram-positive pathogens staphylococcus aureus and bacillus anthracis. however, inhibitor specificity toward bnos over the mammalian nos (mnos) isoforms remains a challenge because of the near identical nos active sites. one key structural difference between the nos isoforms is the amino acid composition of the pterin cofactor binding site that is adjacent t ...	2015	25522110
efficient cell-specific uptake of binding proteins into the cytoplasm through engineered modular transport systems.	through advances in protein scaffold engineering and selection technologies, highly specific binding proteins, which fold under reducing conditions, can be generated against virtually all targets. despite tremendous therapeutic opportunities, intracellular applications are hindered by difficulties associated with achieving cytosolic delivery, compounded by even correctly measuring it. here, we addressed cytosolic delivery systematically through the development of a biotin ligase-based assay that ...	2015	25526701
the design and statistical analysis of animal experiments: introduction to this issue.	animal research has made major contributions to the health and welfare of humans and domestic animals. immunization, first developed against rabies and anthrax by pasteur using dogs, sheep, and rabbits, is now used to control many infectious diseases. the first drug, salvarsan, was developed by ehrlich using rabbits infected with the organism causing syphilis. this was the forerunner of the many drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry today. the discovery of vitamins using rats has almost ...	2014	25541539
evaluation of inhaled versus deposited dose using the exponential dose-response model for inhalational anthrax in nonhuman primate, rabbit, and guinea pig.	the application of the exponential model is extended by the inclusion of new nonhuman primate (nhp), rabbit, and guinea pig dose-lethality data for inhalation anthrax. because deposition is a critical step in the initiation of inhalation anthrax, inhaled doses may not provide the most accurate cross-species comparison. for this reason, species-specific deposition factors were derived to translate inhaled dose to deposited dose. four nhp, three rabbit, and two guinea pig data sets were utilized. ...	2015	25545587
[chemical, physical and biological risks in law enforcement].	chemical, physical and biological risks among public safety and security forces. law enforcement personnel, involved in routine tasks and in emergency situations, are exposed to numerous and several occupational hazards (chemical, physical and biological) whith likely health and security consequences. these risks are particularly high when the organization and preparation are inadequate, there is a lacking or insufficient coordination, information, education and communication and safety and pers ...	2015	25558740
neutrophils negatively regulate induction of mucosal iga responses after sublingual immunization.	induction of mucosal immunoglobulin-a (iga) capable of providing a first line of defense against bacterial and viral pathogens remains a major goal of needle-free vaccines given via mucosal routes. innate immune cells are known to play a central role in induction of iga responses by mucosal vaccines, but the relative contribution of myeloid cell subsets to these responses has not firmly been established. using an in vivo model of sublingual vaccination with bacillus anthracis edema toxin (edtx) ...	2015	25563500
a heterodimer of a vhh (variable domains of camelid heavy chain-only) antibody that inhibits anthrax toxin cell binding linked to a vhh antibody that blocks oligomer formation is highly protective in an anthrax spore challenge model.	anthrax disease is caused by a toxin consisting of protective antigen (pa), lethal factor, and edema factor. antibodies against pa have been shown to be protective against the disease. variable domains of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies (vhhs) with affinity for pa were obtained from immunized alpacas and screened for anthrax neutralizing activity in macrophage toxicity assays. two classes of neutralizing vhhs were identified recognizing distinct, non-overlapping epitopes. one class recognize ...	2015	25564615
genomic analysis of three african strains of bacillus anthracis demonstrates that they are part of the clonal expansion of an exclusively pathogenic bacterium.	bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax and is classified as a 'category a' biological weapon. six complete genomes of b. anthracis (a0248, ames, ames ancestor, cdc684, h0491, and sterne) are currently available. in this report, we add three african strain genomes: sen2col2, sen3 and gmb1. to study the pan-genome of b. anthracis, we used bioinformatics tools, such as cluster of orthologous groups, and performed phylogenetic analysis. we found that the three african strains contained ...	2014	25566394
antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of terminalia stenostachya and terminalia spinosa.	plants that belong to the combretaceae family have long history of use in the traditional medicine systems of africa and asia for treatment of diseases and conditions associated with hiv/aids-opportunistic infections. the objective of this study was to investigate the biological activities of extracts of terminalia stenostachya engl. & diels and terminalia spinosa engl. (combretaceae), to verify the rationale for their use by traditional health practitioners in the treatment of hiv/aids patients ...	2011	25566609
a novel cofactor-binding mode in bacterial imp dehydrogenases explains inhibitor selectivity.	the steadily rising frequency of emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance creates an urgent need for new drugs and targets. inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (imp dehydrogenase or impdh) is a promising target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. impdh catalyzes the oxidation of imp to xmp with the concomitant reduction of nad(+), which is the pivotal step in the biosynthesis of guanine nucleotides. potent inhibitors of bacterial impdhs have been identified that bind in a stru ...	2015	25572472
regulatory mechanisms of anthrax toxin receptor 1-dependent vascular and connective tissue homeostasis.	it is well known that angiogenesis is linked to fibrotic processes in fibroproliferative diseases, but insights into pathophysiological processes are limited, due to lack of understanding of molecular mechanisms controlling endothelial and fibroblastic homeostasis. we demonstrate here that the matrix receptor anthrax toxin receptor 1 (antxr1), also known as tumor endothelial marker 8 (tem8), is an essential component of these mechanisms. loss of tem8 function in mice causes reduced synthesis of ...	2015	25572963
new insights into gastrointestinal anthrax infection.	bacterial infections are the primary cause of gastrointestinal (gi) disorders in both developing and developed countries, and are particularly dangerous for infants and children. bacillus anthracis is the 'archetype zoonotic' pathogen; no other infectious disease affects such a broad range of species, including humans. importantly, there are more case reports of gi anthrax infection in children than inhalational disease. early diagnosis is difficult and widespread systemic disease develops rapid ...	2015	25577136
following natures lead: on the construction of membrane-inserted toxins in lipid bilayer nanodiscs.	bacterial toxin or viral entry into the cell often requires cell surface binding and endocytosis. the endosomal acidification induces a limited unfolding/refolding and membrane insertion reaction of the soluble toxins or viral proteins into their translocation competent or membrane inserted states. at the molecular level, the specific orientation and immobilization of the pre-transitioned toxin on the cell surface is often an important prerequisite prior to cell entry. we propose that structures ...	2015	25578459
[management of furuncle, furunculosis and anthrax].		2015	25579772
impacts of sporulation temperature, exposure to compost matrix and temperature on survival of bacillus cereus spores during livestock mortality composting.	to investigate impact of sporulation and compost temperatures on feasibility of composting for disposal of carcasses contaminated with bacillus anthracis.	2015	25580774
glassy-state stabilization of a dominant negative inhibitor anthrax vaccine containing aluminum hydroxide and glycopyranoside lipid a adjuvants.	during transport and storage, vaccines may be exposed to temperatures outside of the range recommended for storage, potentially causing efficacy losses. to better understand and prevent such losses, dominant negative inhibitor (dni), a recombinant protein antigen for a candidate vaccine against anthrax, was formulated as a liquid and as a glassy lyophilized powder with the adjuvants aluminum hydroxide and glycopyranoside lipid a (gla). freeze-thawing of the liquid vaccine caused the adjuvants to ...	2015	25581103
activity of quinolone cp-115,955 against bacterial and human type ii topoisomerases is mediated by different interactions.	cp-115,955 is a quinolone with a 4-hydroxyphenyl at c7 that displays high activity against both bacterial and human type ii topoisomerases. to determine the basis for quinolone cross-reactivity between bacterial and human enzymes, the activity of cp-115,955 and a series of related quinolones and quinazolinediones against bacillus anthracis topoisomerase iv and human topoisomerase iiα was analyzed. results indicate that the activity of cp-115,955 against the bacterial and human enzymes is mediate ...	2015	25586498
comparison of eleven commercially available rapid tests for detection of bacillus anthracis, francisella tularensis and yersinia pestis.	yersinia pestis, bacillus anthracis and francisella tularensis cause serious zoonotic diseases and have the potential to cause high morbidity and mortality in humans. in case of natural outbreaks and deliberate or accidental release of these pathogens rapid detection of the bacteria is crucial for limitation of negative effects of the release. in the present study, we evaluated 11 commercially available rapid test kits for the detection of y. pestis, b. anthracis and f. tularensis in terms of se ...	2015	25598285
structure, bioactivity, and resistance mechanism of streptomonomicin, an unusual lasso peptide from an understudied halophilic actinomycete.	natural products are the most historically significant source of compounds for drug development. however, unacceptably high rates of compound rediscovery associated with large-scale screening of common microbial producers have resulted in the abandonment of many natural product drug discovery efforts, despite the increasing prevalence of clinically problematic antibiotic resistance. screening of underexplored taxa represents one strategy to avoid rediscovery. herein we report the discovery, isol ...	2015	25601074
anthrax: a disease of biowarfare and public health importance.	bioterrorism has received a lot of attention in the first decade of this century. biological agents are considered attractive weapons for bioterrorism as these are easy to obtain, comparatively inexpensive to produce and exhibit widespread fear and panic than the actual potential of physical damage. bacillus anthracis (b. anthracis), the etiologic agent of anthrax is a gram positive, spore forming, non-motile bacterium. this is supposed to be one of the most potent bw agents because its spores a ...	2015	25610847
micromotors to capture and destroy anthrax simulant spores.	towards addressing the need for detecting and eliminating biothreats, we describe a micromotor-based approach for screening, capturing, isolating and destroying anthrax simulant spores in a simple and rapid manner with minimal sample processing. the b. globilli antibody-functionalized micromotors can recognize, capture and transport b. globigii spores in environmental matrices, while showing non-interactions with excess of non-target bacteria. efficient destruction of the anthrax simulant spores ...	2015	25622851
insights into methyltransferase specificity and bioactivity of derivatives of the antibiotic plantazolicin.	peptide antibiotics represent a class of conformationally constrained natural products of growing pharmaceutical interest. plantazolicin (pzn) is a linear, polyheterocyclic natural product with highly selective and potent activity against the anthrax-causing bacterium, bacillus anthracis. the bioactivity of pzn is contingent on dimethylation of its n-terminal arg residue by an s-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase. here, we explore the substrate tolerances of two homologous pzn methyl ...	2015	25635336
identification and validation of a linear protective neutralizing epitope in the β-pore domain of alpha toxin.	the plethora of virulence factors associated with staphylococcus aureus make this bacterium an attractive candidate for a molecularly-designed epitope-focused vaccine. this approach, which necessitates the identification of neutralizing epitopes for incorporation into a vaccine construct, is being evaluated for pathogens where conventional approaches have failed to elicit protective humoral responses, like hiv-1 and malaria, but may also hold promise for pathogens like s. aureus, where the elici ...	2015	25635901
infection prevention and mass vaccination training for u.s. point of dispensing staff and volunteers: a national study.	points of dispensing (pods) are deployed for medical countermeasure mass dispensing. however, infection prevention and vaccine administration pre-event training offered and just-in-time (jit) education planned for pod workers have not been assessed.	2015	25637434
efficacy of eti-204 monoclonal antibody as an adjunct therapy in a new zealand white rabbit partial survival model for inhalational anthrax.	inhalational anthrax is characterized by extensive bacteremia and toxemia as well as nonspecific to mild flu-like symptoms, until the onset of hypotension, shock, and mortality. without treatment, the mortality rate approaches 100%. antibiotic treatment is not always effective, and alternative treatments are needed, such as monotherapy for antibiotic-resistant inhalational anthrax or as an adjunct therapy in combination with antibiotics. the bacillus anthracis antitoxin monoclonal antibody (mab) ...	2015	25645849
agroterrorism: the risks to the united states food supply and national security.	agroterrorism is a collective term that describes an intentional criminal attack against crops or mankind using viral, bacterial, fungal, or insect-borne agents. agroterrorism also includes attacks against animals using infectious pathogens such as burkholderia mallei (glanders), bacillus anthracis (anthrax), viral avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, and several equine encephalitis viruses. agents that could be used against crops include the causative agents of wheat blast, rice blast, rice ...	2015	25651140
insight into cofactor recognition in arylamine n-acetyltransferase enzymes: structure of mesorhizobium loti arylamine n-acetyltransferase in complex with coenzyme a.	arylamine n-acetyltransferases (nats) are xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes that catalyze the acetyl-coa-dependent acetylation of arylamines. to better understand the mode of binding of the cofactor by this family of enzymes, the structure of mesorhizobium loti nat1 [(rhilo)nat1] was determined in complex with coa. the f42w mutant of (rhilo)nat1 was used as it is well expressed in escherichia coli and displays enzymatic properties similar to those of the wild type. the apo and holo structures of ( ...	2015	25664736
safety, efficacy and utility of methods of transferring adhesive and cohesive escherichia coli cells to microplates to avoid aerosols.	the virtual colony count (vcc) microbiological assay has been utilized for over a decade to measure the antimicrobial activity of peptides such as defensins and ll-37 against biosafety level (bsl)-1 and bsl-2 bacteria including escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus cereus, and enterobacter aerogenes. in addition, a modified pipetting technique was presented in a 2011 study of defensin activity against the bsl-3 pathogen bacillus anthracis. both studies were published in the journal ...	2014	25671086
high-sensitivity maldi-tof ms quantification of anthrax lethal toxin for diagnostics and evaluation of medical countermeasures.	inhalation anthrax has a rapid progression and high fatality rate. pathology and death from inhalation of bacillus anthracis spores are attributed to the actions of secreted protein toxins. protective antigen (pa) binds and imports the catalytic component lethal factor (lf), a zinc endoprotease, and edema factor (ef), an adenylyl cyclase, into susceptible cells. pa-lf is termed lethal toxin (ltx) and pa-ef, edema toxin. as the universal transporter for both toxins, pa is an important target for ...	2015	25673244
efficacy and immunogenicity of single-dose advav intranasal anthrax vaccine compared to anthrax vaccine absorbed in an aerosolized spore rabbit challenge model.	advav is a replication-deficient adenovirus type 5-vectored vaccine expressing the 83-kda protective antigen (pa83) from bacillus anthracis that is being developed for the prevention of disease caused by inhalation of aerosolized b. anthracis spores. a noninferiority study comparing the efficacy of advav to the currently licensed anthrax vaccine absorbed (ava; biothrax) was performed in new zealand white rabbits using postchallenge survival as the study endpoint (20% noninferiority margin for su ...	2015	25673303
characterization of the activity of the spore cortex lytic enzyme cwlj1.	the germination enzyme cwlj1 plays an important role in degrading the cortex during the germination of bacillus anthracis spores. however, the specific function and catalytic activity of cwlj1 remain elusive. here we report for the first time a detailed in vitro mechanistic study of cwlj1 expressed in escherichia coli and its activity against the spore cortical fragments of b. anthracis when added exogenously. cwlj1 was active on both decoated spores and spore cortical fragments. through liquid ...	2015	25676066
the cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15d-pgj2 inhibits the nlrp1 and nlrp3 inflammasomes.	inflammasomes are cytosolic protein complexes that respond to diverse danger signals by activating caspase-1. the sensor components of the inflammasome, often proteins of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (nlr) family, detect stress, danger stimuli, and pathogen-associated molecular patterns. we report that the eicosanoid 15-deoxy-δ(12,14)-pgj2 (15d-pgj2) and related cyclopentenone pgs inhibit caspase-1 activation by the nlr family leucine-rich repeat protein (nlrp)1 an ...	2015	25681332
clinical and epidemiological investigation of a fatal anthrax case in china.	anthrax is a recessive infectious disease caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis, and is primarily a zoonotic disease. until recently, bacillus anthracis infections were relatively infrequent and confined to agrarian communities in underdeveloped countries. no anthrax cases were reported in changchun city in the past few decades until a male patient from the inner mongolia autonomous region presented the anthrax disease manifestation. this paper describes an anthrax patient's diagnosis, isol ...	2015	25699498
using common spatial distributions of atoms to relate functionally divergent influenza virus n10 and n11 protein structures to functionally characterized neuraminidase structures, toxin cell entry domains, and non-influenza virus cell entry domains.	the ability to identify the functional correlates of structural and sequence variation in proteins is a critical capability. we related structures of influenza a n10 and n11 proteins that have no established function to structures of proteins with known function by identifying spatially conserved atoms. we identified atoms with common distributed spatial occupancy in pdb structures of n10 protein, n11 protein, an influenza a neuraminidase, an influenza b neuraminidase, and a bacterial neuraminid ...	2015	25706124
a ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe based on terbium functionalized carbon dots for highly sensitive detection of an anthrax biomarker.	a ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe based on terbium functionalized carbon dots (cds) was designed to detect dipicolinic acid (dpa) as an anthrax biomarker with high selectivity and sensitivity. cds were generated by one-step synthesis using an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid precursor, and served as a scaffold for coordination with tb(3+) and a fluorescence reference.	2015	25706307
anthrax as an example of the one health concept.	anthrax is a peracute, acute or subacute multispecies bacterial infection that occurs on many continents. it is one of the oldest infectious diseases known; the biblical fifth and sixth plagues (exodus chapters 7 to 9) that affected first livestock and then humans were probably anthrax. from the earliest historical records until development of an effective vaccine midway through the 20th century, anthrax was one of the foremost causes of uncontrolled mortality in cattle, sheep, goats, horses and ...	2014	25707186
rapid detection method for bacillus anthracis using a combination of multiplexed real-time pcr and pyrosequencing and its application for food biodefense.	bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has the capacity to form highly resilient spores as part of its life cycle. the potential for the dissemination of these spores using food as a vehicle is a huge public health concern and, hence, requires the development of a foodborne bioterrorism response approach. in this work, we address a critical gap in food biodefense by presenting a novel, combined, sequential method involving the use of real-time pcr and pyrosequencing for the rapid, s ...	2015	25710151
two cases of human cutaneous anthrax in bosnia and herzegovina, september 2014.		2015	25719961
the effect of polyphenols isolated from cynanchi wilfordii radix with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial activity.	recently, cynanchi wilfordii radix has gained wide use in asian countries as a functional food effective for relieving fatigue, osteoporosis, and constipation, particularly in menopausal disorders. however, its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities have not been explored in detail to date. the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial properties of the cynanchi wilfordii radix extracts obtained with water, methanol, ethanol, and acetone were compared. all 4 polyphenol-containi ...	2015	25729277
a microfluidic live cell assay to study anthrax toxin induced cell lethality assisted by conditioned medium.	it is technically challenging to investigate the function of secreted protein in real time by supply of conditioned medium that contains secreted protein of interest. the internalization of anthrax toxin is facilitated by a secreted protein dickkopf-1 (dkk1) and its receptor, and eventually leads to cell lethality. to monitor the dynamic interplay between these components in live cells, we use an integrated microfluidic device to perform the cell viability assays with real-time controlled cultur ...	2015	25731605