Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| anthrax in canada. | 1963 | 17421645 | |
| responding to a small-scale bioterrorist anthrax attack: cost-effectiveness analysis comparing preattack vaccination with postattack antibiotic treatment and vaccination. | in 2001, a small-scale bioterrorism-related anthrax attack was perpetrated via the us mail. the optimal future response may require strategies different from those required in a large-scale attack. | 2007 | 17420423 |
| genome-wide identification of francisella tularensis virulence determinants. | francisella tularensis is a gram-negative pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in humans and has potential for use as a biological weapon. the genetic basis of the f. tularensis virulence is poorly understood. this study screened a total of 3,936 transposon mutants of the live vaccine strain for infection in a mouse model of respiratory tularemia by signature-tagged mutagenesis. we identified 341 mutants attenuated for infection in the lungs. the transposon disruptions were mapped to ... | 2007 | 17420240 |
| bacillus anthracis anthrolysin o and three phospholipases c are functionally redundant in a murine model of inhalation anthrax. | although traditionally considered to be an extracellular pathogen, bacillus anthracis has a brief intracellular step to initiate anthrax. at the onset of infection, b. anthracis must withstand the bactericidal activities of the macrophage. recently, three phospholipases c (plcs) were shown to contribute to macrophage-associated growth of b. anthracis by presumably aiding in the escape of the bacterium from phagocytic vacuoles following phagocytosis. however, in the absence of all three plcs, veg ... | 2007 | 17419764 |
| the multiple mechanisms of ca2+ signalling by listeriolysin o, the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin of listeria monocytogenes. | cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (cdcs) represent a large family of conserved pore-forming toxins produced by several gram-positive bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes, streptococcus pyrogenes and bacillus anthracis. these toxins trigger a broad range of cellular responses that greatly influence pathogenesis. using mast cells, we demonstrate that listeriolysin o (llo), a prototype of cdcs produced by l. monocytogenes, triggers cellular responses such as degranulation and cytokine synthesis i ... | 2007 | 17419718 |
| identification and characterization of a novel toxin-antitoxin module from bacillus anthracis. | comparative genome analysis of bacillus anthracis revealed a pair of linked genes encoding pemk (k, killer protein) and pemi (i, inhibitory protein) homologous to pem loci of other organisms. expression of pemk in escherichia coli and bacillus anthracis was bacteriostatic whereas the concomitant expression of pemi reversed the growth arrest. pemk expression effectively inhibited protein synthesis with no significant effect on dna replication. coexpression and interaction of these proteins confir ... | 2007 | 17416361 |
| induction of cytotoxic t lymphocyte response against mycobacterial antigen using domain i of anthrax edema factor as antigen delivery system. | we have investigated the efficiency of n-terminal 1-260 residues of edema factor (efn) as a delivery system for esat-6, an antigenic protein of mycobacterium tuberculosis h(37)r(v), into the cytosol of mammalian cells. the efn.esat-6 recombinant protein was obtained by genetic fusion of efn and esat-6 dna. our data shows that in the presence of pa, efn.esat-6 fusion protein is internalized into the cytosol of antigen presenting cells, and the splenocytes produced both th1 and th2 cytokines in vi ... | 2007 | 17416345 |
| immunogens related to the synthetic tetrasaccharide side chain of the bacillus anthracis exosporium. | the known methyl 2-o-acetyl-3,4-di-o-benzyl-1-thio-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (3) was converted to the corresponding 5-methoxycarbonylpentyl glycoside 4 which was deacetylated. the product 5 was used as the initial glycosyl acceptor to construct two trirhamnoside glycosyl acceptors having ho-3(iii) flanked by either benzoyl or benzyl groups, compounds 10 and 29, respectively [fully protected, except ho-3(iii), alpha-l-rha-(1-->3)-alpha-l-rha-(1-->2)-alpha-l-rha-1-o-(ch2)5cooch3]. when these were g ... | 2007 | 17412599 |
| systematic urokinase-activated anthrax toxin therapy produces regressions of subcutaneous human non-small cell lung tumor in athymic nude mice. | the novel recombinant anthrax toxin, pragu2/fp59, composed of the urokinase-activated protective antigen and a fusion protein of pseudomonas exotoxin and lethal factor was tested for anti-lung cancer efficacy in an in vivo human tumor model. male athymic nude mice (age 4-6 weeks) were inoculated s.c. with 10 million h1299 non-small cell lung cancer (nsclc) cells in the left flank. when tumor volumes reached 200 mm(3) (6-8 days), i.p. injection of 100 mul saline or different ratios and doses of p ... | 2007 | 17409442 |
| monochloramine inactivation of bacterial select agents. | seven species of bacterial select agents were tested for susceptibility to monochloramine. under test conditions, the monochloramine routinely maintained in potable water would reduce six of the species by 2 orders of magnitude within 4.2 h. bacillus anthracis spores would require up to 3.5 days for the same inactivation with monochloramine. | 2007 | 17400782 |
| differentiation of bacillus anthracis, b. cereus, and b. thuringiensis by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. | a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) method was developed for discriminating bacillus anthracis from b. cereus and b. thuringiensis. a worldwide collection of 25 b. anthracis isolates showed high-profile homology, and these isolates were unambiguously distinguished from b. cereus and b. thuringiensis isolates by cluster analysis of the whole-genome macrorestriction enzyme digestion patterns generated by noti. | 2007 | 17400781 |
| inhibition of cftr cl- channel function caused by enzymatic hydrolysis of sphingomyelin. | numerous mutations in the cystic fibrosis (cf) transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr, a cl(-) channel) disrupt salt and fluid transport and lead to the formation of thick mucus in patients' airways. obstruction by mucus predisposes cf patients to chronic infections and inflammation, which become gradually harder to control and eventually fatal. aggressive antibiotic therapy and supportive measures have dramatically lengthened cf patients' lives. here, we report that sphingomyelinases (smase) ... | 2007 | 17400751 |
| antimicrobial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of extracts of terminalia brownii roots and stem. | ternimalia brownii fresen (combretaceae) is widely used in traditional medicine to treat bacterial, fungal and viral infections. there is a need to evaluate extracts of this plant in order to provide scientific proof for it's wide application in traditional medicine system. | 2007 | 17394672 |
| genetic diversity in a bacillus anthracis historical collection (1954 to 1988). | bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax, has been widely described as a genetically monomorphic species. we used both multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (mlva) and paga gene sequencing to determine the genetic diversity of a historical collection of b. anthracis isolates collected from the 1950s to the 1980s from various geographic locations and sources. we sequenced the paga gene of 124 diverse b. anthracis isolates and found all previously identified b. anthracis ... | 2007 | 17392445 |
| a detailed analysis of 16s ribosomal rna gene segments for the diagnosis of pathogenic bacteria. | bacterial 16s ribosomal rna (rrna) genes contain nine "hypervariable regions" (v1-v9) that demonstrate considerable sequence diversity among different bacteria. species-specific sequences within a given hypervariable region constitute useful targets for diagnostic assays and other scientific investigations. no single region can differentiate among all bacteria; therefore, systematic studies that compare the relative advantage of each region for specific diagnostic goals are needed. we characteri ... | 2007 | 17391789 |
| anthrax toxin receptor 2 determinants that dictate the ph threshold of toxin pore formation. | the anthrax toxin receptors, antxr1 and antxr2, act as molecular clamps to prevent the protective antigen (pa) toxin subunit from forming pores until exposure to low ph. pa forms pores at ph approximately 6.0 or below when it is bound to antxr1, but only at ph approximately 5.0 or below when it is bound to antxr2. here, structure-based mutagenesis was used to identify non-conserved antxr2 residues responsible for this striking 1.0 ph unit difference in ph threshold. residues conserved between an ... | 2007 | 17389920 |
| agroterrorism: where are we in the ongoing war on terrorism? | the u.s. agricultural infrastructure is one of the most productive and efficient food-producing systems in the world. many of the characteristics that contribute to its high productivity and efficiency also make this infrastructure extremely vulnerable to a terrorist attack by a biological weapon. several experts have repeatedly stated that taking advantage of these vulnerabilities would not require a significant undertaking and that the nation's agricultural infrastructure remains highly vulner ... | 2007 | 17388078 |
| putative type iv secretion genes in bacillus anthracis. | although the physiology of bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has been studied extensively, we still do not know how toxins are dispatched from the bacterial cell. here, by means of distant homology and genome context analyses, we identify genes encoding putative type iv secretion system-related elements on the b. anthracis plasmids pxo1 and pxo2 and in the chromosome. we argue that this type iv secretion system-like system could be responsible for anthrax toxin secretion, altho ... | 2007 | 17387016 |
| the global transcriptional responses of bacillus anthracis sterne (34f2) and a delta soda1 mutant to paraquat reveal metal ion homeostasis imbalances during endogenous superoxide stress. | microarray analyses were conducted to evaluate the paraquat-induced global transcriptional response of bacillus anthracis sterne (34f(2)) to varying levels of endogenous superoxide stress. data revealed that the transcription of genes putatively involved in metal/ion transport, bacillibactin siderophore biosynthesis, the glyoxalase pathway, and oxidoreductase activity was perturbed most significantly. a b. anthracis mutant lacking the superoxide dismutase gene soda1 (delta soda1) had transcripti ... | 2007 | 17384197 |
| anthrax vaccination in the millennium cohort: validation and measures of health. | in 1998, the united states department of defense initiated the anthrax vaccine immunization program. concerns about vaccine-related adverse health effects followed, prompting several studies. although some studies used self-reported vaccination data, the reliability of such data has not been established. the purpose of this study was to compare self-reported anthrax vaccination to electronic vaccine records among a large military cohort and to evaluate the relationship between vaccine history an ... | 2007 | 17383567 |
| characterization of the interaction between anthrax toxin and its cellular receptors. | mutations in capillary morphogenesis gene 2 (cmg2), one of the two closely related proteins that act as anthrax toxin receptors, cause two rare human autosomal recessive conditions, juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (jhf) and infantile systemic hyalinosis (ish). here we demonstrate that cmg2 proteins with certain jhf- and ish-associated single amino acid substitutions in their von willebrand factor a domain or transmembrane region do not function as anthrax toxin receptors. however, an ish-associate ... | 2007 | 17381430 |
| chemical genetic screening identifies critical pathways in anthrax lethal toxin-induced pathogenesis. | anthrax lethal toxin (lt)-induced cell death via mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (mapkk) cleavage remains questionable. here, a chemical genetics approach was used to investigate what pathways mediate lt-induced cell death. several small molecules were found to protect macrophages from anthrax lt cytotoxicity and mapkk from cleavage by lethal factor (lf), without inhibiting lf enzymatic activity or cellular proteasome activity. interestingly, the compounds activated mapk-signaling molecu ... | 2007 | 17379140 |
| intranasal administration of dry powder anthrax vaccine provides protection against lethal aerosol spore challenge. | the use of an aerosolizable form of anthrax as a biological weapon is considered to be among the most serious bioterror threats. intranasal (in) delivery of a dry powder anthrax vaccine could provide an effective and non-invasive administration alternative to traditional intramuscular (im) or subcutaneous (sc) injection. we evaluated a dry powder vaccine based on the recombinant protective antigen (rpa) of bacillus anthracis for vaccination against anthrax via in immunization in a rabbit model. ... | 2007 | 17375001 |
| anthrax lethal toxin kills macrophages in a strain-specific manner by apoptosis or caspase-1-mediated necrosis. | murine macrophages have been classified as either susceptible or nonsusceptible to killing by anthrax lethal toxin (lt) depending upon genetic background. while considered resistant to lt killing, we found that bone marrow-derived macrophages (bmms) from dba/2, akr, and c57bl/6 mice were slowly killed by apoptosis following lt exposure. lt killing was not restricted to in vitro assays, as splenic macrophages were also depleted in lt-injected c57bl/6 mice. human macrophages, also considered lt re ... | 2007 | 17374996 |
| standard practice for bulk sample collection and swab sample collection of visible powders suspected of being biological agents from nonporous surfaces: collaborative study. | the draft astm standard, "standard practice for bulk sample collection and swab sample collection of visible powders suspected of being biological agents from nonporous surfaces," was validated in a collaborative study consisting of 6 teams comprised of civil support personnel and first responders, 2 levels of bacillus anthracis sterne and bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki spores, and 7 nonporous surfaces. the sample collection standard includes collection of the bulk sample (method a) using a dry ... | 2007 | 17373464 |
| immunotherapeutic activity of a conjugate of a toll-like receptor 7 ligand. | the immunotherapeutic activity of toll-like receptor (tlr) activators has been difficult to exploit because of side effects related to the release and systemic dispersion of proinflammatory cytokines. to overcome this barrier, we have synthesized a versatile tlr7 agonist, 4-[6-amino-8-hydroxy-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)purin-9-ylmethyl]benzaldehyde (uc-1v150), bearing a free aldehyde that could be coupled to many different auxiliary chemical entities through a linker molecule with a hydrazine or amino g ... | 2007 | 17360465 |
| nesting biology of four tetrapedia species in trap-nests (hymenoptera: apidae: tetrapediini). | the nests used in this study were obtained from trap-nests (tubes of cardboard and cut bamboo stems) placed on santa carlota farm (itaoca section-is, santana section-ss and cerrado-ce), cajuru, sp, brazil. the number of nests and corresponding species obtained were as follows: 516 nests of t. curvitarsis, 104 of t. rugulosa, 399 of t. diversipes and 98 of t. gamfaloi. the most abundant species from ss and ce was t. curvitarsis, and from is it was t. diversipes. in general, most nests were collec ... | 2005 | 17354430 |
| adverse reactions to anthrax vaccine (eg, optic neuritis) may be more complex or delayed than reported initially by payne et al (2006). | 2007 | 17353397 | |
| murine aerosol challenge model of anthrax. | the availability of relevant and useful animal models is critical for progress in the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics. the infection of rabbits and non-human primates with fully virulent bacillus anthracis spores provides two excellent models of anthrax disease. however, the high cost of procuring and housing these animals and the specialized facilities required to deliver fully virulent spores limit their practical use in early stages of product development. conversely, the s ... | 2007 | 17353290 |
| identification of in vivo-expressed immunogenic proteins by serological proteome analysis of the bacillus anthracis secretome. | in a previous comparative proteomic study of bacillus anthracis examining the influence of the virulence plasmids and of various growth conditions on the composition of the bacterial secretome, we identified 64 abundantly expressed proteins (t. chitlaru, o. gat, y. gozlan, n. ariel, and a. shafferman, j. bacteriol. 188:3551-3571, 2006). using a battery of sera from b. anthracis-infected animals, in the present study we demonstrated that 49 of these proteins are immunogenic. thirty-eight b. anthr ... | 2007 | 17353282 |
| pathobiology and management of laboratory rodents administered cdc category a agents. | the centers for disease control and prevention category a infectious agents include bacillus anthracis (anthrax), clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism), yersinia pestis (plague), variola major virus (smallpox), francisella tularensis (tularemia), and the filoviruses and arenaviruses that induce viral hemorrhagic fevers. these agents are regarded as having the greatest potential for adverse impact on public health and therefore are a focus of renewed attention in infectious disease research. fre ... | 2007 | 17348288 |
| first detection of bacillus anthracis in feces of free-ranging raptors from central argentina. | prevalence of anthrax spores in feces of raptors was determined from samples collected in november-december 2000 and april-may 2001 in an agricultural region of santa fé province, argentina. feces were tested from 48 birds of six raptor species. one of 14 chimango caracaras (milvago chimango) and one of eight road-side hawks (buteo magnirostris) tested positive. the prevalence of bacillus anthracis spores in feces for the six species was 4% (n=48). the prevalence was 7% (n=14) for chimango carac ... | 2007 | 17347404 |
| characterization and analysis of early enzymes for petrobactin biosynthesis in bacillus anthracis. | recently, iron acquisition and, more specifically, enzymes involved in siderophore biosynthesis have become attractive targets for discovery of new antibiotics. accordingly, targeted inhibition of the biosynthesis of petrobactin, a virulence-associated siderophore encoded by the asb locus in bacillus anthracis, may hold promise as a potential therapy against anthrax. this study describes the biochemical characterization of asbc, the first reported 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid-amp ligase, and a key ... | 2007 | 17346033 |
| [development of a model for the diagnosis and risk classification on anthrax through artificial neural network]. | based on data through clinical and epidemiological studies, a model regarding the diagnosis and risk classification on anthrax was developed by artificial neural network (ann). the model could integrally diagnose anthrax cases, judge the risk tendency in time, and increase the ability of recognizing the anthrax accidents. | 2006 | 17343182 |
| a case of naturally acquired inhalation anthrax: clinical care and analyses of anti-protective antigen immunoglobulin g and lethal factor. | this report describes the first case of naturally acquired inhalation anthrax in the united states since 1976. the patient's clinical course included adjunctive treatment with human anthrax immunoglobulin. clinical correlation of serologic assays for the lethal factor component of lethal toxin and anti-protective antigen immunoglobulin g are also presented. | 2007 | 17342650 |
| evaluation of the mets and murb loci for antibiotic discovery using targeted antisense rna expression analysis in bacillus anthracis. | the biowarfare-relevant bacterial pathogen bacillus anthracis contains two paralogs each of the mets and murb genes, which encode the important antibiotic target functions methionyl-trna synthetase and udp-n-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase, respectively. empirical screens were conducted to detect and characterize gene fragments of each of these four genes that could cause growth reduction of b. anthracis when inducibly expressed from a plasmid-borne promoter. numerous such gene fragments ... | 2007 | 17339372 |
| role of bacillus anthracis spore structures in macrophage cytokine responses. | the innate immune response of macrophages (mphi) to spores, the environmentally acquired form of bacillus anthracis, is poorly characterized. we therefore examined the early mphi cytokine response to b. anthracis spores, before germination. mphi were exposed to bacilli and spores of sterne strain 34f2 and its congenic nongerminating mutant (deltagerh), and cytokine expression was measured by real-time pcr and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. the exosporium spore layer was retained (exo+) or ... | 2007 | 17339355 |
| anthrax edema toxin sensitizes dba/2j mice to lethal toxin. | anthrax toxin is made up of three separate protein components: the receptor-binding protective antigen (pa), the adenylyl cyclase edema factor (ef), and the metalloproteinase lethal factor (lf). ef and pa constitute edema toxin (et), which causes edema when injected subcutaneously. at higher doses, et causes severe pathologies and death in balb/cj mice (a. m. firoved et al., am. j. pathol. 167:1309-1320, 2005). a striking effect of et at lethal doses is adrenal necrosis. here we show that low do ... | 2007 | 17339348 |
| raman chemical imaging spectroscopy reagentless detection and identification of pathogens: signature development and evaluation. | an optical detection method, raman chemical imaging spectroscopy (rcis), is reported, which combines raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and digital imaging. using this method, trace levels of biothreat organisms are detected in the presence of complex environmental backgrounds without the use of amplification or enhancement techniques. rcis is reliant upon the use of raman signatures and automated recognition algorithms to perform species-level identification. the rationale and steps ... | 2007 | 17338507 |
| deciphering the complexity of acute inflammation using mathematical models. | various stresses elicit an acute, complex inflammatory response, leading to healing but sometimes also to organ dysfunction and death. we constructed both equation-based models (ebm) and agent-based models (abm) of various degrees of granularity--which encompass the dynamics of relevant cells, cytokines, and the resulting global tissue dysfunction--in order to begin to unravel these inflammatory interactions. the ebms describe and predict various features of septic shock and trauma/hemorrhage (i ... | 2006 | 17337784 |
| [biodefense: a new challenge for microbiology and public health]. | bioterrorism and the potential use of biological weapons has become an important concern of governments and responsible authorities. an example of this threat occurred in 2001 in the usa, when letters were sent containing spores of the agent that produces anthrax; this resulted in some deaths, and caused panic and negative effects on the world economy. if this small-scale event was able to cause such a huge impact, the repercussions of a massive attack could be catastrophic. in many countries, t ... | 2007 | 17335699 |
| anthrax toxin: receptor binding, internalization, pore formation, and translocation. | anthrax toxin consists of three nontoxic proteins that self-assemble at the surface of receptor-bearing mammalian cells or in solution, yielding a series of toxic complexes. two of the proteins, called lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef), are enzymes that act on cytosolic substrates. the third, termed protective antigen (pa), is a multifunctional protein that binds to receptors, orchestrates the assembly and internalization of the complexes, and delivers them to the endosome. there, the pa ... | 2007 | 17335404 |
| lrp5 and lrp6 are not required for protective antigen-mediated internalization or lethality of anthrax lethal toxin. | anthrax toxin (antx) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of anthrax. antx is composed of three proteins: protective antigen (pa), edema factor, and lethal factor (lf). pa is not toxic but serves to bind cells and translocate the toxic edema factor or lf moieties to the cytosol. recently, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein lrp6 has been reported to mediate internalization and lethality of antx. based on its similarity to lrp6, we hypothesized that lrp5 may also play a role in c ... | 2007 | 17335347 |
| new fda test detects fake bioterror agents. | some people have made phony terrorist threats involving bioterror agents such as anthrax (bacillus anthracis). but the agents really turn out to be harmless substances. these actions have resulted in considerable economic loss and social anxiety. in a bid to alleviate the problem, researchers at the food and drug administration's national center for toxicological research (nctr) are developing a quick, cost-effective way to distinguish fake materials from authentic bioterror agents. | 2006 | 17333564 |
| collision-activated dissociation, infrared multiphoton dissociation, and electron capture dissociation of the bacillus anthracis siderophore petrobactin and its metal ion complexes. | siderophores are high-affinity iron-chelating ligands produced by microorganisms to scavenge vital fe(3+) from the environment. thus, siderophores constitute potential therapeutic targets and their structural determination is important for exploiting their therapeutic value. here, the virulence-associated siderophore petrobactin from bacillus anthracis was characterized with electron capture dissociation (ecd). fragmentation of doubly protonated petrobactin was investigated and compared to susta ... | 2007 | 17331739 |
| amoxicillin pharmacokinetics in pregnant women: modeling and simulations of dosage strategies. | amoxicillin is recommended for anthrax prevention in pregnancy. the objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin during pregnancy and postpartum (pp). sixteen women received amoxicillin during gestation (18-22 weeks (t2) and 30-34 weeks (t3)) as well as 3 months postpartum (pp) to evaluate single-dose pharmacokinetics. amoxicillin compartmental pharmacokinetic parameters were used to simulate amoxicillin concentration-time profiles following different dosage strate ... | 2007 | 17329990 |
| structure of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate cyclo-ligase from bacillus anthracis (ba4489). | bacillus anthracis is a spore-forming bacterium and the causative agent of the disease anthrax. the oxford protein production facility has been targeting proteins from b. anthracis in order to develop high-throughput technologies within the structural proteomics in europe project. as part of this work, the structure of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate cyclo-ligase (ba4489) has been determined by x-ray crystallography to 1.6 a resolution. the structure, solved in complex with magnesium-ion-bound adp and ... | 2007 | 17329806 |
| evaluating detection of an inhalational anthrax outbreak. | timely detection of an inhalational anthrax outbreak is critical for clinical and public health management. syndromic surveillance has received considerable investment, but little is known about how it will perform relative to routine clinical case finding for detection of an inhalational anthrax outbreak. we conducted a simulation study to compare clinical case finding with syndromic surveillance for detection of an outbreak of inhalational anthrax. after simulated release of 1 kg of anthrax sp ... | 2006 | 17326949 |
| technological advancements for the detection of and protection against biological and chemical warfare agents. | there is a growing need for technological advancements to combat agents of chemical and biological warfare, particularly in the context of the deliberate use of a chemical and/or biological warfare agent by a terrorist organization. in this tutorial review, we describe methods that have been developed both for the specific detection of biological and chemical warfare agents in a field setting, as well as potential therapeutic approaches for treating exposure to these toxic species. in particular ... | 2007 | 17325785 |
| cethromycin: a-195773, a-195773-0, a-1957730, abbott-195773, abt 773. | cethromycin [abt 773, a-195773, abbott-195773, a-1957730, a-195773-0] is a once-daily ketolide antibiotic that originated from abbott laboratories' research into next-generation compounds to the macrolide antibacterial, clarithromycin. the aim of the research programme was to maintain the positive attributes of clarithromycin and to add the property of efficacy against macrolide-resistant organisms. cethromycin acts by binding to the 23s molecule of the 50s ribosomal subunit. advanced life scien ... | 2007 | 17324007 |
| structure of the type iii pantothenate kinase from bacillus anthracis at 2.0 a resolution: implications for coenzyme a-dependent redox biology. | coenzyme a (coash) is the major low-molecular weight thiol in staphylococcus aureus and a number of other bacteria; the crystal structure of the s. aureus coenzyme a-disulfide reductase (coadr), which maintains the reduced intracellular state of coash, has recently been reported [mallett, t.c., wallen, j.r., karplus, p.a., sakai, h., tsukihara, t., and claiborne, a. (2006) biochemistry 45, 11278-89]. in this report we demonstrate that coash is the major thiol in bacillus anthracis; a bioinformat ... | 2007 | 17323930 |
| mkk signaling and vascularization. | in 1998, george vande woude's lab discovered that anthrax lethal factor (lf), the principal virulence component of anthrax toxin, was a zinc-metalloprotease that cleaved and inactivated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mkk). it was perhaps not surprising, given the known roles of mkk1 and 2 in cell proliferation, that lf was subsequently found to dramatically inhibit tumor growth in vivo. what was not anticipated, however, was that the tumors treated with lf would have a substantially r ... | 2007 | 17322914 |
| nanowire labeled direct-charge transfer biosensor for detecting bacillus species. | a direct-charge transfer (dct) biosensor was developed for the detection of the foodborne pathogen, bacillus cereus. the biosensor was fabricated using antibodies as the sensing element and polyaniline nanowire as the molecular electrical transducer. the sensor design consisted of four membrane pads, namely, sample application, conjugate, capture and absorption pads. two sets of polyclonal antibodies, secondary antibodies conjugated with polyaniline nanowires and capture antibodies were applied ... | 2007 | 17320373 |
| a high-throughput screening approach to anthrax lethal factor inhibition. | a high-throughput screening approach was used to identify new inhibitors of the metallo-protease lethal factor from bacillus anthracis. a library of approximately 14,000 compounds was screened using a fluorescence-based in vitro assay and hits were further characterized enzymatically via measurements of ic50 and ki values against a small panel of metallo-proteases. this study led to the identification of new scaffolds that inhibit lf and the botulinum neurotoxin type a in the low micromolar rang ... | 2007 | 17320146 |
| microresonator mass sensors for detection of bacillus anthracis sterne spores in air and water. | towards the goal of developing a real-time monitoring device for microorganisms, we demonstrate the use of microcantilevers as resonant mass sensors for detection of bacillus anthracis sterne spores in air and liquid. the detection scheme was based on measuring resonant frequency decrease driven by thermally induced oscillations, as a result of the added mass of the spores with the use of a laser doppler vibrometer (ldv). viscous effects were investigated by comparing measurements in air and dei ... | 2007 | 17317142 |
| identification of inhibitors using a cell-based assay for monitoring golgi-resident protease activity. | noninvasive real-time quantification of cellular protease activity allows monitoring of enzymatic activity and identification of activity modulators within the protease's natural milieu. we developed a protease activity assay based on differential localization of a recombinant reporter consisting of a golgi retention signal and a protease cleavage sequence fused to alkaline phosphatase (ap). when expressed in mammalian cells, this protein localizes to golgi bodies and, on protease-mediated cleav ... | 2007 | 17316541 |
| [improvement of a procedure for detection and identification of bacillus anthracis by means of dry nutrient media]. | 2006 | 17315676 | |
| manipulation of host signalling pathways by anthrax toxins. | infectious microbes face an unwelcoming environment in their mammalian hosts, which have evolved elaborate multicelluar systems for recognition and elimination of invading pathogens. a common strategy used by pathogenic bacteria to establish infection is to secrete protein factors that block intracellular signalling pathways essential for host defence. some of these proteins also act as toxins, directly causing pathology associated with disease. bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anth ... | 2007 | 17313374 |
| cutting edge: ifn-gamma-producing cd4 t lymphocytes mediate spore-induced immunity to capsulated bacillus anthracis. | virulent strains of bacillus anthracis produce immunomodulating toxins and an antiphagocytic capsule. the toxin component-protective ag is a key target of the antianthrax immune response that induces production of toxin-neutralizing abs. coimmunization with spores enhances the antitoxin vaccine, and inactivated spores alone confer measurable protection. we aimed to identify the mechanisms of protection induced in inactivated-spore immunized mice that function independently of the toxin/antitoxin ... | 2007 | 17312104 |
| communicable disease and health protection quarterly review: july to september 2006. from the health protection agency. | 2007 | 17311831 | |
| accounting for ligand-bound metal ions in docking small molecules on adenylyl cyclase toxins. | the adenylyl cyclase toxins produced by bacteria (such as the edema factor (ef) of bacillus anthracis and cyaa of bordetella pertussis) are important virulence factors in anthrax and whooping cough. co-crystal structures of these proteins differ in the number and positioning of metal ions in the active site. metal ions bound only to the ligands in the crystal structures are not included during the docking. to determine what effect these "missing" metals have on docking results, the autodock, lig ... | 2007 | 17311351 |
| northwest territories. an outbreak of anthrax (bacillus anthracis) in free-roaming bison in the northwest territories, june-july 2006. | 2007 | 17310621 | |
| raftlike polyvalent inhibitors of the anthrax toxin: modulating inhibitory potency by formation of lipid microdomains. | 2007 | 17310484 | |
| sensitive detection of bacillus anthracis using a binding protein originating from gamma-phage. | detection of biological weapons is a primary concern in force protection, treaty verification, and safeguarding civilian populations against domestic terrorism. one great concern is the detection of bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. therefore, there is a pressing need to develop novel methods for rapid, simple, and precise detection of b. anthracis. here, we report that the c-terminal region of gamma-phage lysin protein (plyg) binds specifically to the cell wall of b. anthracis ... | 2007 | 17310083 |
| suitability of partial 16s ribosomal rna gene sequence analysis for the identification of dangerous bacterial pathogens. | in a bioterrorism event a rapid tool is needed to identify relevant dangerous bacteria. the aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of partial 16s rrna gene sequence analysis and the suitability of diverse databases for identifying dangerous bacterial pathogens. | 2007 | 17309636 |
| ligand binding and gene control characteristics of tandem riboswitches in bacillus anthracis. | most riboswitches are composed of a single metabolite-binding aptamer and a single expression platform that function together to regulate genes in response to changing metabolite concentrations. in rare instances, two aptamers or sometimes two complete riboswitches reside adjacent to each other in untranslated regions (utrs) of mrnas. we have examined an example of a tandem riboswitch in the gram-positive bacterium bacillus anthracis that includes two complete riboswitches for thiamine pyrophosp ... | 2007 | 17307816 |
| opposing effects of histidine phosphorylation regulate the atxa virulence transcription factor in bacillus anthracis. | expression of genes for bacillus anthracis toxin and capsule virulence factors are dependent upon the atxa transcription factor. the mechanism by which atxa regulates the transcription of its target genes is unknown. here we report that bioinformatic analyses suggested the presence in atxa of two pts (phosphenolpyruvate : sugar phosphotransferase system) regulation domains (prd) generally regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation at conserved histidine residues. by means of amino acid subst ... | 2007 | 17302798 |
| regulation of virulence in bacillus anthracis: the phosphotransferase system transmits the signals. | bacillus anthracis causes host damage by producing two toxins, the lethal factor and the oedema factor. their production and that of other virulence factors depend on the activity of the atxa transcription factor. the mechanisms that control atxa activity are reported in this issue of molecular microbiology. the protein can be phosphorylated at two distinct sites by components of the phosphotransferase system (pts). one phosphorylation event stimulates transcription activation by atxa, whereas t ... | 2007 | 17302796 |
| [screening and real-time quantitative detection for genomic signatures of bacillus anthracis]. | a total amount of 117 candidate chromosomal sequences were screened for the genomic signatures of bacillus anthracis by a 2-step approach. out of them, 19 genomic signatures sequences were selected, among which, 6 genomic signatures were competent as the target sequence of taqman real-time pcr method. with the most significant alignment and specificity, fragment c04, together with paga gene and capb gene from virulence plasmids px01 and px02, was selected to establish a taqman real-time pcr assa ... | 2006 | 17302151 |
| characteristics of spore germination in a mouse model of cutaneous anthrax. | cutaneous infection is the most common form of human anthrax, but little is known about bacillus anthracis spore germination in these infections. | 2007 | 17299720 |
| infrared temperature control system for a completely noncontact polymerase chain reaction in microfluidic chips. | a completely noncontact temperature system is described for amplification of dna via the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) in glass microfluidic chips. an infrared (ir)-sensitive pyrometer was calibrated against a thermocouple inserted into a 550-nl pcr chamber and used to monitor the temperature of the glass surface above the pcr chamber during heating and cooling induced by a tungsten lamp and convective air source, respectively. a time lag of less than 1 s was observed between maximum heating r ... | 2007 | 17297927 |
| determination of antibiotic efficacy against bacillus anthracis in a mouse aerosol challenge model. | an anthrax spore aerosol infection mouse model was developed as a first test of in vivo efficacy of antibiotics identified as active against bacillus anthracis. whole-body, 50% lethal dose (ld50) aerosol challenge doses in a range of 1.9x10(3) to 3.4x10(4) cfu with spores of the fully virulent ames strain were established for three inbred and one outbred mouse strain (a/j, balb/c, c57bl, and swiss webster). the balb/c strain was further developed as a model for antibiotic efficacy. time course m ... | 2007 | 17296745 |
| discriminating inhalational anthrax from community-acquired pneumonia using chest radiograph findings and a clinical algorithm. | limiting the effects of a large-scale bioterrorist anthrax attack will require rapid and accurate detection of the earliest victims. we undertook this study to improve physicians' ability to rapidly detect inhalational anthrax victims. | 2007 | 17296652 |
| identification of an in vivo inhibitor of bacillus anthracis spore germination. | germination of bacillus anthracis spores into the vegetative form is an essential step in anthrax pathogenicity. this process can be triggered in vitro by the common germinants inosine and alanine. kinetic analysis of b. anthracis spore germination revealed synergy and a sequential mechanism between inosine and alanine binding to their cognate receptors. because inosine is a critical germinant in vitro, we screened inosine analogs for the ability to block in vitro germination of b. anthracis spo ... | 2007 | 17296608 |
| simultaneous real-time pcr detection of bacillus anthracis, francisella tularensis and yersinia pestis. | this report describes the development of in-house real-time pcr assays using minor groove binding probes for simultaneous detection of the bacillus anthracis pag and cap genes, the francisella tularensis 23 kda gene, as well as the yersinia pestis pla gene. the sensitivities of these assays were at least 1 fg, except for the assay targeting the bacillus anthracis cap gene, which showed a sensitivity of 10 fg when total dna was used as a template in a serial dilution. the clinical value of the ba ... | 2007 | 17294160 |
| reaerosolization of fluidized spores in ventilation systems. | this project examined dry, fluidized spore reaerosolization in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning duct system. experiments using spores of bacillus atrophaeus, a nonpathogenic surrogate for bacillus anthracis, were conducted to delineate the extent of spore reaerosolization behavior under normal indoor airflow conditions. short-term (five air-volume exchanges), long-term (up to 21,000 air-volume exchanges), and cycled (on-off) reaerosolization tests were conducted using two common duct ... | 2007 | 17293522 |
| protection against anthrax by needle-free mucosal immunization with human anthrax vaccine. | human vaccination with biothrax requires six injections followed by annual boosters. this makes it difficult for the compliance of the immunization program and underscores the need for development of a new and optimized vaccination protocol. current research aims to demonstrate the proof of concept to develop a needle-free mucosal immunization protocol using a murine anthrax model. a/j mice were immunized with biothrax via an intranasal route. sera, saliva, vaginal, and nasal washes were evaluat ... | 2007 | 17293013 |
| structural studies of thymidine kinases from bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus provide insights into quaternary structure and conformational changes upon substrate binding. | thymidine kinase (tk) is the key enzyme in salvaging thymidine to produce thymidine monophosphate. owing to its ability to phosphorylate nucleoside analogue prodrugs, tk has gained attention as a rate-limiting drug activator. we describe the structures of two bacterial tks, one from the pathogen bacillus anthracis in complex with the substrate dt, and the second from the food-poison-associated bacillus cereus in complex with the feedback inhibitor dttp. interestingly, in contrast with previous s ... | 2007 | 17288553 |
| turning biodefense dollars into products. | five years after the us anthrax attacks, and more than two years after bioshield legislation was ratified, a survey reveals that biodefense funding has thus far produced only a handful of products for clinical development. | 2007 | 17287749 |
| monitoring of elisa-reactive antibodies against anthrax protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and toxin-neutralising antibodies in serum of individuals vaccinated against anthrax with the pa-based uk anthrax vaccine. | the human anthrax vaccines currently licensed contain the protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis as main antigen together with traces of some other bacillus components, e.g. lethal factor (lf). the present study aimed at monitoring the course of specific antibody titres against pa and lf by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (elisa), as well as the levels of toxin-neutralising antibodies, in 11 volunteers vaccinated with the human anthrax vaccine uk. after an initial seroconversion in all ... | 2007 | 17287051 |
| training needs of pediatricians facing the environmental health and bioterrorism consequences of september 11th. | the september 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have been called "the worst environmental disaster in the history of new york city." as a result of the extensive nature of the destruction, our objective as pediatricians was to determine the experience and training needs of tri-state child health professionals in responding to the environmental health and bioterrorism-related demands placed on their practices. | 2006 | 17285216 |
| jnk1 contributes to metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term depression and short-term synaptic plasticity in the mice area hippocampal ca1. | several recent reports implicate an important role played by c-jun n-terminal kinases (jnks) in long-term potentiation (ltp). however, little is known about how the isoforms of jnks participate in synaptic plasticity. here we showed that short-term synaptic plasticity was impaired in the hippocampal area ca1 of jnk1-deficient (jnk1-/-) mice; these mice showed normal ltp in response to a strong tetanus and no alteration of n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-dependent long-term depression (ltd) in the ... | 2007 | 17284179 |
| prophylaxis and treatment of pregnant women for emerging infections and bioterrorism emergencies. | emerging infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorism attacks warrant urgent public health and medical responses. response plans for these events may include use of medications and vaccines for which the effects on pregnant women and fetuses are unknown. healthcare providers must be able to discuss the benefits and risks of these interventions with their pregnant patients. recent experiences with outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome, monkeypox, and anthrax, as well as response plannin ... | 2006 | 17283610 |
| antigen-specific cd4+ t cells recognize epitopes of protective antigen following vaccination with an anthrax vaccine. | detection of antigen-specific cd4+ t cells is facilitated by the use of fluorescently labeled soluble peptide-major histocompatibility complex (mhc) multimers which mirror the antigen specificity of t-cell receptor recognition. we have used soluble peptide-mhc class ii tetramers containing peptides from the protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis to detect circulating t cells in peripheral blood of subjects vaccinated with an anthrax vaccine. pa-specific hla class ii-restricted t lymphocyt ... | 2007 | 17283103 |
| anthrax toxin receptors and infantile systemic hyalinosis. | 2007 | 17280935 | |
| immunogenicity of a subunit vaccine against bacillus anthracis. | the current approved vaccine against anthrax is based on protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis, requires six injections over an 18-month period and has a known history of side effects. therefore, there is significant effort towards developing an improved vaccine against b. anthracis. here we separately engineered and expressed domain 4 of pa (pad4) and domain 1 of lethal factor (lfd1) as fusions to lichenase (lickm), a thermostable enzyme from clostridium thermocellum, and transiently ex ... | 2007 | 17280756 |
| universal sample preparation method for characterization of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. | mass spectrometry has been a very useful method to rapidly identify microorganisms associated with infectious diseases, detect bioterrorism threats, and discriminate among different subtypes of a pathogen. in this study, we developed a universal method for bacterial identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. the effects on the mass spectrum of different experimental conditions, including the amount of bacterial cells used and treatment procedu ... | 2007 | 17277202 |
| microarray analysis of transposon insertion mutations in bacillus anthracis: global identification of genes required for sporulation and germination. | a transposon site hybridization (trash) assay was developed for functional analysis of the bacillus anthracis genome using a mini-tn10 transposon which permitted analysis of 82% of this pathogen's genes. the system, used to identify genes required for generation of infectious anthrax spores, spore germination, and optimal growth on rich medium, was predictive of the contributions of two conserved hypothetical genes for the phenotypes examined. | 2007 | 17277068 |
| large scale genotype-phenotype correlation analysis based on phylogenetic trees. | we provide two methods for identifying changes in genotype that are correlated with changes in a phenotype implied by phylogenetic trees. the first method, venn, works when the number of branches over which the change occurred are modest. venn looks for genetic changes that are completely penetrant with phenotype changes on a tree. the second method, cctsweep, allows for a partial matching between changes in phenotypes and genotypes and provides a score for each change using maddison's concentra ... | 2007 | 17267431 |
| tracing isolates of bacterial species by multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (mlva). | all bacterial genomes contain multiple loci of repetitive dna. repeat unit sizes and repeat sequences may vary when multiple loci are considered for different isolates of an individual microbial species. moreover, it has been documented on many occasions that the number of repeat units per locus is a strain-defining parameter. consequently, there is isolate-specificity in the number of repeats per locus when different strains of a given bacterial species are compared. the experimental assessment ... | 2007 | 17266711 |
| methyl bromide fumigant lethal to bacillus anthracis spores. | methyl bromide (mb), an agricultural fumigant used in the united states, is capable of reducing or eliminating bacillis anthracis spores. in the event of a bioterrorist attack, mb might serve as an excellent decontaminating agent because it leaves no residue and does not damage furnishings and commodities. | 2007 | 17265727 |
| method of measuring bacillus anthracis spores in the presence of copious amounts of bacillus thuringiensis and bacillus cereus. | a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of bacillus anthracis (ba; sterne strain 7702) spores in presence of large amounts of bacillus thuringiensis (bt) and bacillus cereus (bc) is presented based on a novel pzt-anchored piezoelectric excited millimeter-sized cantilever (papemc) sensor with a sensing area of 1.5 mm2. antibody (anti-ba) specific to ba spores was immobilized on the sensing area and exposed to various samples of ba, bt, and bc containing the same concentration of ba at 3 ... | 2007 | 17263347 |
| contributions of histamine, prostanoids, and neurokinins to edema elicited by edema toxin from bacillus anthracis. | bacillus anthracis edema toxin (et), composed of protective antigen and an adenylate cyclase edema factor (ef), elicits edema in host tissues, but the target cells and events leading from ef-mediated cyclic-amp production to edema are unknown. we evaluated the direct effect of et on several cell types in vitro and tested the possibility that mediators of vascular leakage, such as histamine, contribute to edema in rabbits given intradermal et. et increased the transendothelial electrical resistan ... | 2007 | 17261611 |
| of spore opsonization and passive protection against anthrax. | 2007 | 17259600 | |
| massive outbreak of anthrax in wildlife in the malilangwe wildlife reserve, zimbabwe. | a massive outbreak of anthrax in the wildlife of the malilangwe wildlife reserve in zimbabwe between august and november 2004 resulted in the death of almost all the reserve's estimated 500 kudu (tragelaphus strepsiceros). other species badly affected were nyala (tragelaphus angasi), bushbuck (tragelaphus scriptus), waterbuck (kobus ellipsiprymnus) and roan antelope (hippotragus equinus), which suffered losses of approximately 68 per cent, 48 per cent, 44 per cent and 42 per cent of their popula ... | 2007 | 17259452 |
| negative regulation of bacillus anthracis sporulation by the spo0e family of phosphatases. | the initiation of sporulation in bacillus species is controlled by the phosphorelay signal transduction system. multiple regulatory elements act on the phosphorelay to modulate the level of protein phosphorylation in response to cellular, environmental, and metabolic signals. in bacillus anthracis nine possible histidine sensor kinases can positively activate the system, while two response regulator aspartyl phosphate phosphatases of the rap family negatively impact the pathway by dephosphorylat ... | 2007 | 17259308 |
| plga-dendron nanoparticles enhance immunogenicity but not lethal antibody production of a dna vaccine against anthrax in mice. | dendriplexes, complexes of dendrons and condensed plasmids containing the gene for protective antigen (pa) of bacillus anthracis, were encapsulated in poly-lactide-co-glycolide (plga) particles using the double emulsion method. the two dendrons employed are a dendron with three c(18) chains (c(18) dendron) and one with no attached hydrocarbon chains (the c(0) dendron). three types of particles were examined, namely plga-c(18) dendriplexes, plga-c(0) dendriplexes and the control plga-naked dna sy ... | 2007 | 17258876 |
| a comparative assessment of immunization records in the defense medical surveillance system and the vaccine adverse event reporting system. | we compared immunization data in the defense medical surveillance system (dmss) and immunization data for service members with an anthrax vaccine-associated adverse event reported to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (vaers) during january 1998 through december 2004. our main measure of agreement was sensitivity of the dmss conditional on an immunization record(s) occurring in vaers. the sensitivity of dmss was 73% for all vaccines and 74% for the anthrax vaccine on the vaers index immu ... | 2007 | 17258846 |
| n-thiolated beta-lactams: studies on the mode of action and identification of a primary cellular target in staphylococcus aureus. | this study focuses on the mechanism of action of n-alkylthio beta-lactams, a new family of antibacterial compounds that show promising activity against staphylococcus and bacillus microbes. previous investigations have determined that these compounds are highly selective towards these bacteria, and possess completely unprecedented structure-activity profiles for a beta-lactam antibiotic. unlike penicillin, which inhibits cell wall crosslinking proteins and affords a broad spectrum of bacteriocid ... | 2007 | 17258460 |
| dna-oligonucleotide encapsulating liposomes as a secondary signal amplification means. | a novel liposome-based signal amplification system was developed by encapsulating dna oligonucleotides within antibody-tagged liposomes and subsequently detecting the oligonucleotide with dye-encapsulating liposomes for double signal enhancement. in this sandwich immunoassay, the model analyte, protective antigen protein from b. anthracis, was captured by one set of antibodies immobilized in microtiter plate wells and detected using a second antibody conjugated to oligonucleotide-encapsulating l ... | 2007 | 17253656 |