Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
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| identification and analysis of informative single nucleotide polymorphisms in 16s rrna gene sequences of the bacillus cereus group. | analysis of 16s rrna genes is important for phylogenetic classification of known and novel bacterial genera and species and for detection of uncultivable bacteria. pcr amplification of 16s rrna genes with universal primers produces a mixture of amplicons from all rrna operons in the genome, and the sequence data generally yield a consensus sequence. here we describe valuable data that are missing from consensus sequences, variable effects on sequence data generated from nonidentical 16s rrna amp ... | 2016 | 27582514 |
| yamal and anthrax. | 2016 | 27587893 | |
| generic aspects of the airborne spread of human pathogens indoors and emerging air decontamination technologies. | indoor air can be an important vehicle for a variety of human pathogens. this review provides examples of airborne transmission of infectious agents from experimental and field studies and discusses how airborne pathogens can contaminate other parts of the environment to give rise to secondary vehicles leading air-surface-air nexus with possible transmission to susceptible hosts. the following groups of human pathogens are covered because of their known or potential airborne spread: vegetative b ... | 2016 | 27590695 |
| acetalated dextran microparticulate vaccine formulated via coaxial electrospray preserves toxin neutralization and enhances murine survival following inhalational bacillus anthracis exposure. | subunit formulations are regarded as the safest type of vaccine, but they often contain a protein-based antigen that can result in significant challenges, such as preserving antigenicity during formulation and administration. many studies have demonstrated that encapsulation of protein antigens in polymeric microparticles (mps) via emulsion techniques results in total igg antibody titers comparable to alum formulations, however, the antibodies themselves are non-neutralizing. to address this iss ... | 2016 | 27594343 |
| plant-based vaccines against respiratory diseases: current status and future prospects. | respiratory infections have an enormous, worldwide epidemiologic impact on humans and animals. among the prophylactic measures, vaccination has the potential to neutralize this impact. new technologies for vaccine production and delivery are of importance in this field since they offer the potential to develop new immunization approaches overriding the current limitations that comprise high cost, safety issues, and limited efficacy. areas covered: in the present review, the state of the art in d ... | 2017 | 27599605 |
| in silico genomic fingerprints of the bacillus anthracis group obtained by virtual hybridization. | in this study we evaluate the capacity of virtual hybridization to identify between highly related bacterial strains. eight genomic fingerprints were obtained by virtual hybridization for the bacillus anthracis genome set, and a set of 15,264 13-nucleotide short probes designed to produce genomic fingerprints unique for each organism. the data obtained from each genomic fingerprint were used to obtain hybridization patterns simulating a dna microarray. two virtual hybridization methods were used ... | 2015 | 27600214 |
| classification of bacillus and brevibacillus species using rapid analysis of lipids by mass spectrometry. | bacillus are aerobic spore-forming bacteria that are known to lead to specific diseases, such as anthrax and food poisoning. this study focuses on the characterization of these bacteria by the detection of lipids extracted from 33 well-characterized strains from the bacillus and brevibacillus genera, with the aim to discriminate between the different species. for the purpose of analysing the lipids extracted from these bacterial samples, two rapid physicochemical techniques were used: matrix-ass ... | 2016 | 27604269 |
| mechanisms of invariant nkt cell activity in restraining bacillus anthracis systemic dissemination. | exogenous activation of invariant nkt (inkt) cells by the superagonist α-galactosylceramide (α-galcer) can protect against cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infections. in the current study, we investigated the effect of α-galcer against bacillus anthracis infection, the agent of anthrax. using an experimental model of s.c. b. anthracis infection (an encapsulated nontoxigenic strain), we show that concomitant administration of α-galcer delayed b. anthracis systemic dissemination and prolonged mou ... | 2016 | 27605012 |
| bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in sub-saharan africa-chromosomal monophyly and broad geographic distribution. | through full genome analyses of four atypical bacillus cereus isolates, designated b. cereus biovar anthracis, we describe a distinct clade within the b. cereus group that presents with anthrax-like disease, carrying virulence plasmids similar to those of classic bacillus anthracis. we have isolated members of this clade from different mammals (wild chimpanzees, gorillas, an elephant and goats) in west and central africa (côte d'ivoire, cameroon, central african republic and democratic republic ... | 2016 | 27607836 |
| targeting bacterial nitric oxide synthase with aminoquinoline-based inhibitors. | nitric oxide is produced in gram-positive pathogens bacillus anthracis and staphylococcus aureus by the bacterial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nos). inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bnos) has been identified as a promising antibacterial strategy for targeting methicillin-resistant s. aureus [holden, j. k., et al. (2015) chem. biol. 22, 785-779]. one class of nos inhibitors that demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy utilizes an aminoquinoline scaffold. here we report on a variety ... | 2016 | 27607918 |
| identification of inhibitors for single-stranded dna-binding proteins in eubacteria. | the increasing threat of drug-resistant bacteria establishes a continuing need for the development of new strategies to fight infection. we examine the inhibition of the essential single-stranded dna-binding proteins (ssbs) ssba and ssbb as a potential antimicrobial therapy due to their importance in dna replication, activating the sos response and promoting competence-based mechanisms of resistance by incorporating new dna. | 2016 | 27609050 |
| s-nitrosylation of peroxiredoxin 1 contributes to viability of lung epithelial cells during bacillus anthracis infection. | using bacillus anthracis as a model gram-positive bacterium, we investigated the effects of host protein s-nitrosylation during bacterial infection. b. anthracis possesses a bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bnos) that is important for its virulence and survival. however, the role of s-nitrosylation of host cell proteins during b. anthracis infection has not been determined. | 2017 | 27612662 |
| aerosol and surface deposition characteristics of two surrogates for bacillus anthracis spores. | spores of an acrystalliferous derivative of bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, termed btcry-, are morphologically, aerodynamically, and structurally indistinguishable from bacillus anthracis spores. btcry- spores were dispersed in a large, open-ended barn together with spores of bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii, a historically used surrogate for bacillus anthracis spore suspensions (2 × 10(12) cfu each of b. atrophaeus subsp. globigii and btcry-) were aerosolized in each of five spray ev ... | 2016 | 27613681 |
| the total synthesis of the bioactive natural product plantazolicin a and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b. | herein, we describe our full investigations into the synthesis of the peptide-derived natural product plantazolicin a, a compound that demonstrates promising selective activity against the causative agent of anthrax toxicity, and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b. this report particularly focuses on the challenging preparation of the arginine containing thiazole fragment, including the development of a robust, high yielding procedure that avoids the use of sulfurating agents. extensive ... | 2016 | 27619732 |
| antitrypanosomal activity of verbascum sinaiticum benth. (scrophulariaceae) against trypanosoma congolense isolates. | african trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with a large impact on the livelihood of the rural poor in sub-saharan africa. the available drugs for managing this disease are old, expensive and are facing the problem of drug resistance. thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo antitrypanosomal efficacy of aqueous and absolute methanol leaf extracts of verbascum sinaiticum benth. against trypanosoma congolense field isolate. | 2016 | 27629546 |
| chemokine-releasing microparticles improve bacterial clearance and survival of anthrax spore-challenged mice. | in this study the hydrogel microparticles (mps) were used to enhance migration of neutrophils in order to improve outcome of anthrax infection in a mouse model. two mp formulations were tested. in the first one the polyacrylamide gel mps were chemically coupled with cibacron blue (cb) affinity bait. in the second one the bait molecules within the mps were additionally loaded with neutrophil-attracting chemokines (cks), human cxcl8 and mouse ccl3. a non-covalent interaction of the bait with the c ... | 2016 | 27632537 |
| virulence plasmid stability in environmentally occurring bacillus anthracis from north east turkey. | the bacillus anthracis virulence plasmid pxo2, which encodes for a polypeptide capsule, can be lost during long term laboratory storage. to determine if pxo2 is lost in nature we screened b. anthracis isolates obtained from b. anthracis spores from contaminated animal burial sites in turkey for their ability to express a capsule upon primary culture. a total of 672 b. anthracis colonies were examined of which ten produced a mixed mucoid (capsule +ve)/non-mucoid (capsule -ve) phenotype and a furt ... | 2017 | 27646562 |
| progress toward the development of a neat protein vaccine for anthrax disease. | bacillus anthracis is a sporulating gram-positive bacterium that is the causative agent of anthrax and a potential weapon of bioterrorism. the u.s.-licensed anthrax vaccine is made from an incompletely characterized culture supernatant of a nonencapsulated, toxigenic strain (anthrax vaccine absorbed [ava]) whose primary protective component is thought to be protective antigen (pa). ava is effective in protecting animals and elicits toxin-neutralizing antibodies in humans, but enthusiasm is dampe ... | 2016 | 27647868 |
| stable expression of shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 o-antigen genes integrated into the chromosome of live salmonella oral vaccine vector ty21a. | typhoid fever and shigellosis cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet no anti-shigella vaccine is currently available. however, to protect against typhoid fever, an approved vaccine, based on the attenuated salmonella enterica serovar typhi strain ty21a is available. we have investigated ty21a as a live oral vaccine vector for expression of heterologous foreign antigens to protect against other diseases (e.g. shigellosis, anthrax, and plague). shigella lps is a potent vaccine antigen f ... | 2016 | 27655911 |
| comprehensive laboratory evaluation of a highly specific lateral flow assay for the presumptive identification of bacillus anthracis spores in suspicious white powders and environmental samples. | we conducted a comprehensive, multiphase laboratory evaluation of the anthrax biothreat alert(®) test strip, a lateral flow immunoassay (lfa) for the rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spores. the study, conducted at 2 sites, evaluated this assay for the detection of spores from the ames and sterne strains of b. anthracis, as well as those from an additional 22 strains. phylogenetic near neighbors, environmental background organisms, white powders, and environmental samples were also tested. ... | 2016 | 27661796 |
| functional characterization of phopr two component system and its implication in regulating phosphate homeostasis in bacillus anthracis. | recent report on importance of phosphate starvation (ps) in bacillus anthracis (ba) pathogenesis warrants further investigation of the underlying regulatory mechanism. potential role of phopr two component system (tcs) in phosphate homeostasis and virulence of several pathogens necessitates the study of annotated phopr in ba. | 2017 | 27667172 |
| anthrax lethal toxin co-complexes are stabilized by contacts between adjacent lethal factors. | 2016 | 27670896 | |
| structure of anthrax lethal toxin prepore complex suggests a pathway for efficient cell entry. | anthrax toxin comprises three soluble proteins: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor (ef). pa must be cleaved by host proteases before it oligomerizes and forms a prepore, to which lf and ef bind. after endocytosis of this tripartite complex, the prepore transforms into a narrow transmembrane pore that delivers unfolded lf and ef into the host cytosol. here, we find that translocation of multiple 90-kd lf molecules is rapid and efficient. to probe the molecular basis of ... | 2016 | 27670897 |
| development of an acid-resistant salmonella typhi ty21a attenuated vector for improved oral vaccine delivery. | the licensed oral, live-attenuated bacterial vaccine for typhoid fever, salmonella enterica serovar typhi strain ty21a, has also been utilized as a vaccine delivery platform for expression of diverse foreign antigens that stimulate protection against shigellosis, anthrax, plague, or human papilloma virus. however, ty21a is acid-labile and, for effective oral immunization, stomach acidity has to be either neutralized with buffer or by-passed with ty21a in an enteric-coated capsule (ecc). several ... | 2017 | 27673328 |
| a bacillus anthracis genome sequence from the sverdlovsk 1979 autopsy specimens. | anthrax is a zoonotic disease that occurs naturally in wild and domestic animals but has been used by both state-sponsored programs and terrorists as a biological weapon. a soviet industrial production facility in sverdlovsk, ussr, proved deficient in 1979 when a plume of spores was accidentally released and resulted in one of the largest known human anthrax outbreaks. in order to understand this outbreak and others, we generated a bacillus anthracis population genetic database based upon whole- ... | 2016 | 27677796 |
| facile ratiometric fluorapatite nanoprobes for rapid and sensitive bacterial spore biomarker detection. | since bacterial spores, such as bacillus anthracis spores, are extremely hazardous to human beings and animals, efforts have focused on the development of bacterial spore detector with rapid response and high selectivity and sensitivity. therefore, we reported a facile one-step chelating-reagent-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of lanthanide-doped fluorapatite (fa) nanoprobes for detecting the biomarker of bacterial spores. in fa synthesis, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (edta) can serve not onl ... | 2017 | 27686603 |
| bithionol blocks pathogenicity of bacterial toxins, ricin, and zika virus. | diverse pathogenic agents often utilize overlapping host networks, and hub proteins within these networks represent attractive targets for broad-spectrum drugs. using bacterial toxins, we describe a new approach for discovering broad-spectrum therapies capable of inhibiting host proteins that mediate multiple pathogenic pathways. this approach can be widely used, as it combines genetic-based target identification with cell survival-based and protein function-based multiplex drug screens, and con ... | 2016 | 27686742 |
| self-oriented monolayer immobilization of ovalbumin and b. cereus antibody molecules on a chemically modified surface of silicon nitride fosters the enhancement of capture of bio-agents. | a fast and reliable detection of biological agents in air is of a crucial importance to respond to terrorist attacks. with the aim to efficiently react to such hazards there is the need to develop highly sensitive and specific detection analytical devices for selective and quantitative detection of biological threats such as the presence of bacillus anthracis spores and/or the presence of ricin a toxins. in this study we explored how to achieve an oriented immobilization of antibody molecules on ... | 2016 | 27693720 |
| killing the spores of bacillus species by molecular iodine. | to determine the responses of spores of bacillus subtilis and bacillus anthracis surrogate bacillus thuringiensis al hakam to i2 treatment. | 2017 | 27696602 |
| laboratory evolution of artificially expanded dna gives redesignable aptamers that target the toxic form of anthrax protective antigen. | reported here is a laboratory in vitro evolution (live) experiment based on an artificially expanded genetic information system (aegis). this experiment delivers the first example of an aegis aptamer that binds to an isolated protein target, the first whose structural contact with its target has been outlined and the first to inhibit biologically important activities of its target, the protective antigen from bacillus anthracis we show how rational design based on secondary structure predictions ... | 2016 | 27701076 |
| cross-inhibition of pathogenic agents and the host proteins they exploit. | the major limitations of pathogen-directed therapies are the emergence of drug-resistance and their narrow spectrum of coverage. a recently applied approach directs therapies against host proteins exploited by pathogens in order to circumvent these limitations. however, host-oriented drugs leave the pathogens unaffected and may result in continued pathogen dissemination. in this study we aimed to discover drugs that could simultaneously cross-inhibit pathogenic agents, as well as the host protei ... | 2016 | 27703274 |
| in vitro antibacterial activity of rhodanine derivatives against pathogenic clinical isolates. | bacterial infections present a serious challenge to healthcare practitioners due to the emergence of resistance to numerous conventional antibacterial drugs. therefore, new bacterial targets and new antimicrobials are unmet medical needs. rhodanine derivatives have been shown to possess potent antimicrobial activity via a novel mechanism. however, their potential use as antibacterials has not been fully examined. in this study, we determined the spectrum of activity of seven rhodanine derivative ... | 2016 | 27711156 |
| one-pot synthesis of strongly fluorescent dna-cuins2 quantum dots for label-free and ultrasensitive detection of anthrax lethal factor dna. | herein, high quality dna-cuins2 qds are facilely synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal method with fluorescence quantum yield as high as 23.4%, and the strongly fluorescent dna-cuins2 qds have been utilized as a novel fluorescent biosensor for label-free and ultrasensitive detection of anthrax lethal factor dna. l-cysteine (l-cys) and a specific-sequence dna are used as co-ligands to stabilize the cuins2 qds. the specific-sequence dna consists of two domains: phosphorothiolates domain (sulf ... | 2016 | 27720125 |
| surviving between hosts: sporulation and transmission. | to survive adverse conditions, some bacterial species are capable of developing into a cell type, the "spore," which exhibits minimal metabolic activity and remains viable in the presence of multiple environmental challenges. for some pathogenic bacteria, this developmental state serves as a means of survival during transmission from one host to another. spores are the highly infectious form of these bacteria. upon entrance into a host, specific signals facilitate germination into metabolically ... | 2016 | 27726794 |
| semicarbazone ega inhibits uptake of diphtheria toxin into human cells and protects cells from intoxication. | diphtheria toxin is a single-chain protein toxin that invades human cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. in acidic endosomes, its translocation domain inserts into endosomal membranes and facilitates the transport of the catalytic domain (dta) from endosomal lumen into the host cell cytosol. here, dta adp-ribosylates elongation factor 2 inhibits protein synthesis and leads to cell death. the compound 4-bromobenzaldehyde n-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)semicarbazone (ega) has been previously shown to pr ... | 2016 | 27729638 |
| spinning a yarn-sleeping beauty and anthrax. | 2016 | 27732734 | |
| socio-demographic study on extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in puducherry region. | this study was conducted to assess the extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in puducherry region. | 2016 | 27733806 |
| correction: bacillus anthracis spore surface protein bcla mediates complement factor h binding to spores and promotes spore persistence. | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005678.]. | 2016 | 27736971 |
| evaluating composite sampling methods of bacillus spores at low concentrations. | restoring all facility operations after the 2001 amerithrax attacks took years to complete, highlighting the need to reduce remediation time. some of the most time intensive tasks were environmental sampling and sample analyses. composite sampling allows disparate samples to be combined, with only a single analysis needed, making it a promising method to reduce response times. we developed a statistical experimental design to test three different composite sampling methods: 1) single medium sing ... | 2016 | 27736999 |
| cutaneous anthrax. | 2017 | 27742398 | |
| genotypic heterogeneity of emetic toxin producing bacillus cereus isolates from china. | emetic toxin-producing bacillus cereus (emetic b. cereus) is the third member of b. cereus group whose toxins are encoded by megaplasmids, beside anthrax and insecticidal toxins of b. anthracis and b. thuringiensis, respectively. a total of 18 emetic isolates collected from food poisoning events, clinical and non-random food samples in zhejiang province of china, were analyzed by plasmid screening, pulse field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and toxic gene identification to inve ... | 2017 | 27744366 |
| ubiquitin-dependent folding of the wnt signaling coreceptor lrp6. | many membrane proteins fold inefficiently and require the help of enzymes and chaperones. here we reveal a novel folding assistance system that operates on membrane proteins from the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (er). we show that folding of the wnt signaling coreceptor lrp6 is promoted by ubiquitination of a specific lysine, retaining it in the er while avoiding degradation. subsequent er exit requires removal of ubiquitin from this lysine by the deubiquitinating enzyme usp19. th ... | 2016 | 27751231 |
| anthrax vaccine and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus in the u.s. military: a case-control study. | u.s. military personnel assigned to areas deemed to be at high risk for anthrax attack receive anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava). few cases of rheumatoid arthritis (ra) and systemic lupus erythematosus (sle) have been reported in persons who received ava. using a matched case-control study design, we assessed the relationship of ra and sle with ava vaccination using the defense medical surveillance system. we identified potential cases using international classification of diseases, 9th revision, c ... | 2016 | 27753574 |
| biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles-based vaccine adjuvants for lymph nodes targeting. | vaccines have successfully eradicated a large number of diseases. however, some infectious diseases (such as hiv, chlamydia trachomatis or bacillus anthracis) keep spreading since there is no vaccine to prevent them. one way to overcome this issue is the development of new adjuvant formulations which are able to induce the appropriate immune response without sacrificing safety. lymph nodes are the site of lymphocyte priming by antigen-presenting cells and subsequent adaptive immune response, and ... | 2016 | 27754314 |
| detection probability models for bacteria, and how to obtain them from heterogeneous spiking data. an application to bacillus anthracis. | efficient and correct evaluation of sampling results with respect to hypotheses about the concentration or distribution of bacteria generally requires knowledge about the performance of the detection method. to assess the sensitivity of the detection method an experiment is usually performed where the target matrix is spiked (i.e. artificially contaminated) with different concentrations of the bacteria, followed by analyses of the samples using the pre-enrichment method and the analytical detect ... | 2017 | 27764712 |
| fapr: from control of membrane lipid homeostasis to a biotechnological tool. | phospholipids and fatty acids are not only one of the major components of cell membranes but also important metabolic intermediates in bacteria. since the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway is essential and energetically expensive, organisms have developed a diversity of homeostatic mechanisms to fine-tune the concentration of lipids at particular levels. fapr is the first global regulator of lipid synthesis discovered in bacteria and is largely conserved in gram-positive organisms including import ... | 2016 | 27766255 |
| a dual purpose universal influenza vaccine candidate confers protective immunity against anthrax. | preventive influenza vaccines must be reformulated annually because of antigen shift and drift of circulating influenza viral strains. however, seasonal vaccines do not always match the circulating strains, and there is the ever-present threat that avian influenza viruses may adapt to humans. hence, a universal influenza vaccine is needed to provide protective immunity against a broad range of influenza viruses. we designed an influenza antigen consisting of three tandem m2e repeats plus ha2, in ... | 2017 | 27775159 |
| design and synthesis of fluorescent acyclic nucleoside phosphonates as potent inhibitors of bacterial adenylate cyclases. | bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (act) and bacillus anthracis edema factor (ef) are key virulence factors with adenylate cyclase (ac) activity that substantially contribute to the pathogenesis of whooping cough and anthrax, respectively. there is an urgent need to develop potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial acs with prospects for the development of potential antibacterial therapeutics and to study their molecular interactions with the target enzymes. novel fluorescent 5-chlo ... | 2016 | 27775243 |
| licensure strategy for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis of biothrax vaccine: the first vaccine licensed using the fda animal rule. | the availability of a licensed anthrax vaccine that is safe, effective, and easy to administer for both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis is critical to successfully manage and prevent potential anthrax attacks. biothrax® (anthrax vaccine adsorbed; ava) is the only licensed anthrax vaccine in the us. areas covered: recent licensed improvements to biothrax vaccine for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prep) have included an intramuscular (im) five-dose schedule (in 2008) and a three-dose im primary seri ... | 2016 | 27792416 |
| comparative genomics of bacillus anthracis from the wool industry highlights polymorphisms of lineage a.br.vollum. | with the advent of affordable next-generation sequencing (ngs) technologies, major progress has been made in the understanding of the population structure and evolution of the b. anthracis species. here we report the use of whole genome sequencing and computer-based comparative analyses to characterize six strains belonging to the a.br.vollum lineage. these strains were isolated in switzerland, in 1981, during iterative cases of anthrax involving workers in a textile plant processing cashmere wo ... | 2016 | 27793731 |
| inhibition of interleukin 1β (il-1β) expression by anthrax lethal toxin (letx) is reversed by histone deacetylase 8 (hdac8) inhibition in murine macrophages. | 2016 | 27794103 | |
| antibody-based immunotherapy to treat and prevent infection with hypervirulent klebsiella pneumoniae. | hypervirulent klebsiella pneumoniae (hvkp) strains are predicted to become a major threat in asia if antibiotic resistance continues to spread. anticapsular antibodies (abs) were developed because disseminated infections caused by hvkp are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, even with antibiotic-sensitive strains. k1-serotype polysaccharide capsules (k1-cps) are expressed by the majority of hvkp strains. in this study, k1-cps-specific igg abs were generated by conjugation of k1- ... | 2017 | 27795303 |
| genes required for bacillus anthracis secondary cell wall polysaccharide synthesis. | the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (scwp) is thought to be essential for vegetative growth and surface (s)-layer assembly in bacillus anthracis; however, the genetic determinants for the assembly of its trisaccharide repeat structure are not known. here, we report that wpaa (bas0847) and wpab (bas5274) share features with membrane proteins involved in the assembly of o-antigen lipopolysaccharide in gram-negative bacteria and propose that wpaa and wpab contribute to the assembly of the scwp i ... | 2017 | 27795328 |
| palladium-triggered chemical rescue of intracellular proteins via genetically encoded allene-caged tyrosine. | chemical de-caging has emerged as an attractive strategy for gain-of-function study of proteins via small-molecule reagents. the previously reported chemical de-caging reactions have been largely centered on liberating the side chain of lysine on a given protein. herein, we developed an allene-based caging moiety and the corresponding palladium de-caging reagents for chemical rescue of tyrosine (tyr) activity on intracellular proteins. this bioorthogonal de-caging pair has been successfully appl ... | 2016 | 27797486 |
| in vitro evaluation of the effect of linezolid and levofloxacin on bacillus anthracis toxin production, spore formation and cell growth. | owing to its ability to form spores and toxins, bacillus anthracis is considered a bioterror agent. although current therapeutic strategies can be effective, treatment does not prevent sporulation and toxin production. | 2017 | 27798209 |
| optimization of physiochemical parameters during bioremediation of synthetic dye by marasmius cladophyllus umas ms8 using statistical approach. | in many industrial areas such as in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, printing, and textile, the use of synthetic dyes has been integral with products such as azo dye, anthrax, and dyestuffs. as such, these industries produce a lot of waste by-products that could contaminate the environment. bioremediation, therefore, has become an important emerging technology due to its cost-sustainable, effective, natural approach to cleaning up contaminated groundwater and soil via the use of microorganisms. t ... | 2016 | 27803944 |
| alternative pre-approved and novel therapies for the treatment of anthrax. | bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a spore forming and toxin producing rod-shaped bacterium that is classified as a category a bioterror agent. this pathogenic microbe can be transmitted to both animals and humans. clinical presentation depends on the route of entry (direct contact, ingestion, injection or aerosolization) with symptoms ranging from isolated skin infections to more severe manifestations such as cardiac or pulmonary shock, meningitis, and death. to date, anthra ... | 2016 | 27809794 |
| validation of high throughput screening of human sera for detection of anti-pa igg by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) as an emergency response to an anthrax incident. | to improve surge testing capability for a response to a release of bacillus anthracis, the cdc anti-protective antigen (pa) igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) was re-designed into a high throughput screening format. the following assay performance parameters were evaluated: goodness of fit (measured as the mean reference standard r(2)), accuracy (measured as percent error), precision (measured as coefficient of variance (cv)), lower limit of detection (llod), lower limit of quantifica ... | 2017 | 27814939 |
| rapid snp detection and genotyping of bacterial pathogens by pyrosequencing. | bacterial identification and typing are fixtures of microbiology laboratories and are vital aspects of our response mechanisms in the event of foodborne outbreaks and bioterrorist events. whole genome sequencing (wgs) is leading the way in terms of expanding our ability to identify and characterize bacteria through the identification of subtle differences between genomes (e.g. single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) and insertions/deletions). modern high-throughput technologies such as pyrosequen ... | 2017 | 27822867 |
| temperature exerts control of bacillus cereus emetic toxin production on post-transcriptional levels. | in recent years, the emetic toxin cereulide, produced by bacillus cereus, has gained high relevance in food production and food safety. cereulide is synthesized non-ribosomal by the multi-enzyme complex ces-nrps, which is encoded on a megaplasmid that shares its backbone with the bacillus anthracis px01 toxin plasmid. due to its resistance against heat, proteolysis and extreme ph conditions, the formation of this highly potent depsipeptide toxin is of serious concern in food processing procedure ... | 2016 | 27826288 |
| avoiding pandemic fears in the subway and conquering the platypus. | metagenomics is increasingly used not just to show patterns of microbial diversity but also as a culture-independent method to detect individual organisms of intense clinical, epidemiological, conservation, forensic, or regulatory interest. a widely reported metagenomic study of the new york subway suggested that the pathogens yersinia pestis and bacillus anthracis were part of the "normal subway microbiome." in their article in msystems, hsu and collaborators (msystems 1(3):e00018-16, 2016, htt ... | 2017 | 27832215 |
| a "dock and lock" approach to preparation of targeted liposomes. | we developed a strategy for covalent coupling of targeting proteins to liposomes decorated with a standard adapter protein. this strategy is based on "dock and lock" interactions between two mutated fragments of human rnase i, a 1-15 aa fragment with the r4c amino acid substitution (cys-tag), and a 21-127-aa fragment with the v118c substitution, (ad-c). upon binding to each other, cys-tag and ad-c spontaneously form a disulfide bond between the complementary 4c and 118c residues. therefore, any ... | 2017 | 27837532 |
| synthesis and fungicidal activity of 1,1-diaryl tertiary alcohols. | a series of 1,1-diaryl tertiary alcohols and some of their dehydration derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antifungal activities. some compounds exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against seven plant pathogens at 50μg/ml in vitro, compounds 5g and 7c displayed nearly the same or higher fungicidal activities against some certain plant pathogens compared with the lead compound pyrimorph. a qualitative structure-activity relationship (sar) analysis revealed that the ... | 2016 | 27838182 |
| historical data analysis of hospital discharges related to the amerithrax attack in florida. | interrupted time-series analysis (itsa) can be used to identify, quantify, and evaluate the magnitude and direction of an event on the basis of time-series data. this study evaluates the impact of the bioterrorist anthrax attacks ("amerithrax") on hospital inpatient discharges in the metropolitan statistical area of palm beach, broward, and miami-dade counties in the fourth quarter of 2001. three statistical methods-standardized incidence ratio (sir), segmented regression, and an autoregressive ... | 2016 | 27843420 |
| xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in bacillus anthracis: molecular and functional analysis of a truncated arylamine n-acetyltransferase isozyme. | the arylamine n-acetyltransferases (nats) are xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes that play an important role in the detoxification and/or bioactivation of arylamine drugs and xenobiotics. in bacteria, nats may contribute to the resistance against antibiotics such as isoniazid or sulfamides through their acetylation, which makes this enzyme family a possible drug target. bacillus anthracis, a bacterial species of clinical significance, expresses three nat isozymes with distinct structural and enzyma ... | 2016 | 27846346 |
| impact of dendrimer terminal group chemistry on blockage of the anthrax toxin channel: a single molecule study. | nearly all the cationic molecules tested so far have been shown to reversibly block k⁺ current through the cation-selective pa63 channels of anthrax toxin in a wide nm-mm range of effective concentrations. a significant increase in channel-blocking activity of the cationic compounds was achieved when multiple copies of positively charged ligands were covalently linked to multivalent scaffolds, such as cyclodextrins and dendrimers. even though multivalent binding can be strong when the individual ... | 2016 | 27854272 |
| tid: standalone software for mining putative drug targets from bacterial proteome. | tid is a standalone application, which relies on basic assumption that a protein must be essential for pathogens survival and non-homologous with host to qualify as putative target. with an input bacterial proteome, tid removes paralogous proteins, picks essential ones, and excludes proteins homologous with host organisms. the targets illustrate non-homology with at least 40 out of 84 gut microbes, considered safe for human. tid classifies proposed targets as known, novel and virulent. users can ... | 2017 | 27856224 |
| bletilla striata: medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities. | bletilla striata (thunb.) reichb. f. (orchidaceae), also known as hyacinth orchid and baiji (simplified chinese: ), not only has been widely used for the treatment of hematemesis, hemoptysis, and traumatic bleeding due to the efficacy of arresting bleeding with astringent action, but also has been applied topically to overcome ulcers, sores, swellings, and chapped skin due to the efficacy of dispersing swelling and promoting tissue regeneration. additional medical applications include the treatm ... | 2017 | 27865796 |
| reanalysis of the anthrax epidemic in rhodesia, 1978-1984. | in the mid-1980s, the largest epidemic of anthrax of the last 200 years was documented in a little known series of studies by davies in the central african journal of medicine. this epidemic involved thousands of cattle and 10,738 human cases with 200 fatalities in rhodesia during the counterinsurgency. grossly unusual epidemiological features were noted that, to this day, have not been definitively explained. this study performed a historical reanalysis of the data to reveal an estimated geogra ... | 2016 | 27867766 |
| a self-quenching-resistant carbon nanodot powder with multicolored solid-state fluorescence for ultra-fast staining of various representative bacterial species within one minute. | in this study, we prepared self-quenching-resistant solid-state fluorescent carbon nanodots (sfcds) without any other solid matrices. the sfcds were prepared using a one-step microwave synthesis method through precise control of the heating power and time. the resulting sfcd powder showed excitation-dependent emission behavior with a maximum fluorescence quantum yield of 40%. the multicolored sfcds were successfully used as fluorescent agents for rapid staining of 14 representative bacterial spe ... | 2016 | 27874136 |
| stability of domain 4 of the anthrax toxin protective antigen and the effect of the vwa domain of cmg2 on stability. | the major immunogenic component of the current anthrax vaccine, anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava) is protective antigen (pa). we have shown recently that the thermodynamic stability of pa can be significantly improved by binding to the von-willebrand factor a (vwa) domain of capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (cmg2), and improvements in thermodynamic stability may improve storage and long-term stability of pa for use as a vaccine. in order to understand the origin of this increase in stability, we h ... | 2017 | 27874231 |
| notice to readers: final 2015 reports of nationally notifiable infectious diseases and conditions. | the table listed in this report on pages 1307-1321 presents finalized data, as of june 30, 2016, from the national notifiable diseases surveillance system (nndss) for 2015. these data will be published in more detail in the summary of notifiable infectious diseases and conditions - united states, 2015 (1). because no cases were reported in the united states during 2015, the following diseases do not appear in this early release table: anthrax; dengue hemorrhagic fever; diphtheria; eastern equine ... | 2016 | 27880744 |
| recombinant anthrax protective antigen: observation of aggregation phenomena by tem reveals specific effects of sterols. | negatively stained transmission electron microscope images are presented that depict the aggregation of recombinant anthrax protective antigen (rpa83 monomer and the pa63 prepore oligomer) under varying in vitro biochemical conditions. heat treatment (50°c) of rpa83 produced clumped fibrils, but following heating the pa63 prepore formed disordered aggregates. freeze-thaw treatment of the pa63 prepore generated linear flexuous aggregates of the heptameric oligomers. aqueous suspensions of cholest ... | 2017 | 27883989 |
| vaccination via chloroplast genetics: affordable protein drugs for the prevention and treatment of inherited or infectious human diseases. | plastid-made biopharmaceuticals treat major metabolic or genetic disorders, including alzheimer's, diabetes, hypertension, hemophilia, and retinopathy. booster vaccines made in chloroplasts prevent global infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and polio, and biological threats, such as anthrax and plague. recent advances in this field include commercial-scale production of human therapeutic proteins in fda-approved cgmp facilities, development of tags to deliver protein dru ... | 2016 | 27893966 |
| postexposure prophylaxis after possible anthrax exposure: adherence and adverse events. | anthrax postexposure prophylaxis (pep) was recommended to 42 people after a laboratory incident that involved potential aerosolization of bacillus anthracis spores in 2 laboratories at the centers for disease control and prevention in 2014. at least 31 (74%) individuals who initiated pep did not complete either the recommended 60 days of antimicrobial therapy or the 3-dose vaccine regimen. among the 29 that discontinued the antimicrobial component of pep, most (38%) individuals discontinued pep ... | 2016 | 27898235 |
| development of a filter to prevent infections with spore-forming bacteria in injecting drug users. | in heroin injectors, there have been a number of outbreaks caused by spore-forming bacteria, causing serious infections such as anthrax or botulism. these are, most likely, caused by injecting contaminated heroin, and our aim was to develop a filter that efficiently removes these bacteria and is also likely to be acceptable for use by people who inject drugs (i.e. quick, simple and not spoil the hit). | 2016 | 27905935 |
| identification of a substrate-selective exosite within the metalloproteinase anthrax lethal factor. | the metalloproteinase anthrax lethal factor (lf) is secreted by bacillus anthracis to promote disease virulence through disruption of host signaling pathways. lf is a highly specific protease, exclusively cleaving mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mkks) and rodent nlrp1b (nacht leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 1b). how lf achieves such restricted substrate specificity is not understood. previous studies have suggested the existence of an exosite interaction between ... | 2017 | 27909054 |
| structure, function and evolution of clostridium botulinum c2 and c3 toxins: insight to poultry and veterinary vaccines. | clostridium botulinum group iii strains are able to produce cytotoxins, c2 toxin and c3 exotoxin, along with botulinum neurotoxin types c and d. c2 toxin and c3 exotoxin produced from this organism are the most important members of bacterial adp-ribosyltransferase superfamily. both toxins have distinct pathophysiological functions in the avian and mammalian hosts. the members of this superfamily transfer an adp-ribose moiety of nad+ to specific eukaryotic target proteins. the present review desc ... | 2016 | 27915984 |
| animal-to-human dose translation of obiltoxaximab for treatment of inhalational anthrax under the us fda animal rule. | obiltoxaximab, a monoclonal antibody against protective antigen (pa), is approved for treatment of inhalational anthrax under the us food and drug administration's (fda) animal rule. the human dose was selected and justified by comparing observed obiltoxaximab exposures in healthy and infected new zealand white rabbits and cynomolgus macaques to observed exposures in healthy humans, to simulated exposures in healthy and infected humans, and to serum pa levels in infected animals. in humans, at 1 ... | 2017 | 27925405 |
| functional and evolutionary analyses identify proteolysis as a general mechanism for nlrp1 inflammasome activation. | inflammasomes are cytosolic multi-protein complexes that initiate immune responses to infection by recruiting and activating the caspase-1 protease. human nlrp1 was the first protein shown to form an inflammasome, but its physiological mechanism of activation remains unknown. recently, specific variants of mouse and rat nlrp1 were found to be activated upon n-terminal cleavage by the anthrax lethal factor protease. however, agonists for other nlrp1 variants, including human nlrp1, are not known, ... | 2016 | 27926929 |
| optic atrophy secondary to preseptal cutaneous anthrax: case report. | bacillus anthracis, the agent of anthrax, is a nonmotile, aerobic gram-positive rod that can form very resistant spores in economically poor environments. anthrax can manifest as cutaneous, gastrointestinal, or inhalational form. cutaneous anthrax, caused by direct skin contact, presents with eschar, lymphadenopathy, and a febrile illness. the face and eyelids are most commonly involved in cutaneous anthrax. a 45-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with high fever and swelling of the right e ... | 2014 | 27928303 |
| [infantile systemic hyalinosis: a case report and literature review]. | objective: to investigate the clinical, pathological and gene mutation features of infantile systemic hyalinosis(ish). method: data of a child with ish seen in haikou hospital were retrospectively analyzed for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of infantile systemic hyalinosis and the relevant reports in literature were reviewed. result: a 1 year and 1 month old boy showed limbs joint stiffness, limited mobility and double knee flexion at his first month of life. at third month, red rashes ... | 2016 | 27938598 |
| whole genome snp analysis of bovine b. anthracis strains from switzerland reflects strict regional separation of simmental and swiss brown breeds in the past. | bacillus anthracis is an evolutionarily young species that presents an extremely low genetic diversity due to its slow mode of propagation, determined by short replication phases and long sporulation periods. in our ongoing efforts to elucidate phylogenetic relationships between european b. anthracis isolates, the genomes of five strains from switzerland belonging to lineages b.br.cneva and a.br.aust94 were sequenced. comparative analysis with additional, available genomes from both lineages, we ... | 2016 | 27939145 |
| histopathology of vaccine-preventable diseases. | the widespread use of vaccines has been one of the most important medical advances in the last century, saving trillions of dollars and millions of lives. despite local eradication of some infections, travellers returning from affected areas may cause outbreaks through reintroduction of pathogens to individuals who are unable to receive vaccines for medical reasons or who have declined vaccination for non-medical reasons. infections that would otherwise be uncommonly encountered by anatomical pa ... | 2017 | 27960239 |
| evaluation of cutaneous anthrax cases during an outbreak in the east region of turkey. | anthrax is a zoonotic infection caused by bacillus anthracis. we aimed to retrospectively evaluate cutaneous anthrax cases that occurred during an outbreak in eastern turkey (hakkari-yüksekova), where people mostly earn their living from animal husbandry. | 2016 | 27966316 |
| epidemiology of human anthrax in china, 1955-2014. | using national surveillance data for 120,111 human anthrax cases recorded during 1955-2014, we analyzed the temporal, seasonal, geographic, and demographic distribution of this disease in china. after 1978, incidence decreased until 2013, when it reached a low of 0.014 cases/100,000 population. the case-fatality rate, cumulatively 3.6% during the study period, has also decreased since 1990. cases occurred throughout the year, peaking in august. geographic distribution decreased overall from west ... | 2017 | 27983489 |
| analysis of anthrax immune globulin intravenous with antimicrobial treatment in injection drug users, scotland, 2009-2010. | we studied anthrax immune globulin intravenous (aig-iv) use from a 2009-2010 outbreak of bacillus anthracis soft tissue infection in injection drug users in scotland, uk, and we compared findings from 15 aig-iv recipients with findings from 28 nonrecipients. death rates did not differ significantly between recipients and nonrecipients (33% vs. 21%). however, whereas only 8 (27%) of 30 patients at low risk for death (admission sequential organ failure assessment score of 0-5) received aig-iv, 7 ( ... | 2017 | 27983504 |
| modeling tool for decision support during early days of an anthrax event. | health officials lack field-implementable tools for forecasting the effects that a large-scale release of bacillus anthracis spores would have on public health and hospitals. we created a modeling tool (combining inhalational anthrax caseload projections based on initial case reports, effects of variable postexposure prophylaxis campaigns, and healthcare facility surge capacity requirements) to project hospitalizations and casualties from a newly detected inhalation anthrax event, and we examine ... | 2017 | 27983505 |
| role of the recognition helix of response regulator walr from bacillus anthracis in dna binding and specificity. | walrk two-component system of bacillus anthracis potentially regulates multiple genes spanning diverse cellular functions. its constituent response regulator (rr), walr belongs to the ompr/phob family which possesses a winged helix-turn-helix motif for dna binding. an in silico knowledge based model of walr c-terminal dna binding domain in complex with its ftse promoter region binding motif was used to identify specific residues of the recognition helix important for dna binding. the model was v ... | 2017 | 27988294 |
| rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spores using immunomagnetic separation and amperometry. | portable detection and quantitation methods for bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spores in pure culture or in environmental samples are lacking. here, an amperometric immunoassay has been developed utilizing immunomagnetic separation to capture the spores and remove potential interferents from test samples followed by amperometric measurement on a field-portable instrument. antibody-conjugated magnetic beads and antibody-conjugated glucose oxidase were used in a sandwich format for the capture and d ... | 2016 | 27999382 |
| draft genome sequence of the nonpathogenic, thermotolerant, and exopolysaccharide-producing bacillus anthracis strain pfab2 from panifala hot water spring in west bengal, india. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of fatal anthrax in both animals and humans. it is prevalently pathogenic. here, we present a bacillus anthracis pfab2 strain from a relatively unexplored panifala hot water spring in west bengal, india. it is nonpathogenic, exopolysaccharide producing, and thermotolerant in nature. | 2016 | 28007848 |
| genome sequence of the soviet/russian bacillus anthracis vaccine strain 55-vniivvim. | bacillus anthracis strain 55-vniivvim is a live-attenuated nonencapsulated soviet/russian veterinary anthrax vaccine strain. we report here the genome of 55-vniivvim and confirm its phylogenetic placement in the global population structure of b. anthracis. | 2016 | 28007853 |
| deletion of a putative nlpc/p60 endopeptidase bas1812 affects germination, long-term survival and endospore formation in bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis, an aetiologic agent of the zoonotic disease anthrax, encodes a putative nlpc/p60 endopeptidase bas1812. it harbours a signal peptide, three bacterial sh3 domains and an nlpc/p60 family domain. previous studies showed that bas1812 is immunogenic in infected hosts and is a potential biomarker for anthrax treatment. to date, however, little information is known about its function and involvement in anthrax pathogenesis. here we describe the phenotypic effect of bas1812 deletion ... | 2017 | 28008818 |
| characterization of yersinia species by protein profiling using automated microfluidic capillary electrophoresis. | yersinia pestis is a biological agent of high risk to national security due to its ability to be easily disseminated and transmitted among humans. if y. pestis was to be utilized in a deliberate disease outbreak it would be essential to rapidly and accurately identify the agent. current identification methods for yersinia species are limited by their reliance on cultivation, the time taken to achieve results and/or the use of protocols that are not amenable for field use. faster identification m ... | 2017 | 28019002 |
| transcriptional classification and functional characterization of human airway macrophage and dendritic cell subsets. | the respiratory system is a complex network of many cell types, including subsets of macrophages and dendritic cells that work together to maintain steady-state respiration. owing to limitations in acquiring cells from healthy human lung, these subsets remain poorly characterized transcriptionally and phenotypically. we set out to systematically identify these subsets in human airways by developing a schema of isolating large numbers of cells by whole-lung bronchoalveolar lavage. six subsets of ... | 2017 | 28031342 |
| improving phylogeny reconstruction at the strain level using peptidome datasets. | typical bacterial strain differentiation methods are often challenged by high genetic similarity between strains. to address this problem, we introduce a novel in silico peptide fingerprinting method based on conventional wet-lab protocols that enables the identification of potential strain-specific peptides. these can be further investigated using in vitro approaches, laying a foundation for the development of biomarker detection and application-specific methods. this novel method aims at reduc ... | 2016 | 28033346 |
| a mathematical model of anthrax transmission in animal populations. | a general mathematical model of anthrax (caused by bacillus anthracis) transmission is formulated that includes live animals, infected carcasses and spores in the environment. the basic reproduction number [formula: see text] is calculated, and existence of a unique endemic equilibrium is established for [formula: see text] above the threshold value 1. using data from the literature, elasticity indices for [formula: see text] and type reproduction numbers are computed to quantify anthrax control ... | 2017 | 28035484 |
| anthrax of domestic animals in vrbas banate: from traditional beliefs to the first scientific views on the ancient disease. | from 1929 to 1941, the vrbas banate was one of nine provinces of the kingdom yugoslavia, and according to historical data, the poorest one, without well-organized and sustainable agriculture production. naturalistic production and poor animal health control in the vrbas banate were the most important risk factors for infectious disease spreading. anthrax was very prevalent infectious disease in domestic animals and humans in that period, but some data on this disease remain scarce. in this paper ... | 2016 | 28038486 |
| influence of ppcps on the performance of intermittently operated slow sand filters for household water purification. | removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (ppcps) from drinking water is usually enhanced by advanced oxidation which is not affordable in low income countries. slow sand filtration has been found to be capable of removing anti-inflammatory compounds, and its low maintenance costs and easy operation make it an attractive technology for treating drinking water in many parts of the world. in addition, slow sand filters can be used at both large and household scales. the biofilm (i.e. s ... | 2017 | 28041695 |
| optical screening for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing and for observation of phenotypic diversity among strains of the genetically clonal species bacillus anthracis. | during high-impact events involving bacillus anthracis, such as the amerithrax incident of 2001 or the anthrax outbreaks in russia and sweden in 2016, critical decisions to reduce morbidity and mortality include rapid selection and distribution of effective antimicrobial agents for treatment and postexposure prophylaxis. detection of antimicrobial resistance currently relies on a conventional broth microdilution method that requires a 16- to 20-h incubation time for b. anthracis advances in high ... | 2017 | 28053211 |