Publications

anthrax. an old disease returns as a bioterrorism weapon.		2000	11011551
bacillus anthracis diversity in kruger national park.	the kruger national park (knp), south africa, has a recorded history of periodic anthrax epidemics causing widespread disease among wild animals. bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease primarily affecting ungulate herbivores. worldwide there is little diversity among b. anthracis isolates, but examination of variable-number tandem repeat (vntr) loci has identified six major clones, with the most dissimilar types split into the a and b branches. both the a and b types are ...	2000	11015402
comparison of pcr-rflp, ribotyping and eric-pcr for typing bacillus anthracis and bacillus cereus strains.	pcr-rflp analysis of the vrra gene and cerab gene was used to investigate the genomic diversity in 21 strains of bacillus anthracis and 28 strains of bacillus cereus, and was compared with results obtained by ribotyping and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-pcr (eric-pcr) analysis. vrra-typing divided the b. anthracis into four groups. except for one pasteur vaccine strain, the vrra pcr-rflp profiles of the b. anthracis were separated into three groups, which were different from th ...	2000	11021577
dehydroepiandrosterone and melatonin prevent bacillus anthracis lethal toxin-induced tnf production in macrophages.	the lethal toxin of bacillus anthracis, which is composed of two separate proteinaceous exotoxins, namely protective antigen and lethal factor, is central to the pathogenesis of anthrax. low levels of this toxin are known to induce release of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-alpha). in the present study we investigated the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (dhea), melatonin (mlt), or dhea + mlt on production of lethal toxin-induced tnf-alpha in mouse peritoneal macrophages. we f ...	2000	11032360
use of anthrax toxin fusions to stimulate immune responses.		2000	11036663
fears over anthrax vaccination driving away us reservists.		2000	11039953
from the centers for disease control and prevention. human ingestion of bacillus anthracis-contaminated meat--minnesota, august 2000.		2000	11041741
anthrax: the investigation of a deadly outbreak.		2000	11041763
expression, crystallization and preliminary x-ray diffraction studies of recombinant bacillus anthracis lethal factor.	the lethal factor (lf) produced by bacillus anthracis is a zn(2+)-dependent endopeptidase which specifically cleaves the n-terminal tail of several map kinase kinases (mapkks). the recombinant expression, purification and crystallization of lf and of an inactive mutant consisting of a single amino-acid substitution in the conserved catalytic site are reported here. both proteins crystallize in the cubic space group i432.	2000	11053848
pcr amplification on a microarray of gel-immobilized oligonucleotides: detection of bacterial toxin- and drug-resistant genes and their mutations.	pcr amplification on a microarray of gel-immobilized primers (microchip) has been developed. one of a pair of pcr primers was immobilized inside a separate microchip polyacrylamide porous gel pad of 0.1 x 0.1 x 0.02 (or 0.04) micron in size and 0.2 (or 0.4) nl in volume. the amplification was carried out simultaneously both in solution covering the microchip array and inside gel pads. each gel pad contained the immobilized forward primers, while the fluorescently labeled reverse primers, as well ...	2000	11056816
molecular identification by "suicide pcr" of yersinia pestis as the agent of medieval black death.	medieval black death is believed to have killed up to one-third of the western european population during the 14th century. it was identified as plague at this time, but recently the causative organism was debated because no definitive evidence has been obtained to confirm the role of yersinia pestis as the agent of plague. we obtained the teeth of a child and two adults from a 14th century grave in france, disrupted them to obtain the pulp, and applied the new "suicide pcr" protocol in which th ...	2000	11058154
case definitions. anthrax.		2000	11070947
injectional anthrax in a heroin skin-popper.	anthrax is rare in western europe but may arise sporadically in people exposed to animal products from endemic areas. a heroin-injecting drug user presented with a severe soft-tissue infection at the injection site, septic shock, and meningitis. a gram-positive endospore-forming aerobic rod was isolated from the soft tissue and cerebrospinal fluid; confirmation of bacillus anthracis was made by pcr. since contaminated heroin was the probable source of infection, this case is of concern and warra ...	2000	11075776
the flow cytometry of bacillus anthracis spores revisited.	the potential use of bacillus anthracis spores as a weapon of terror has rekindled interest in the rapid detection and identification of the spores of these bacteria. prior efforts to utilize flow cytometry (fcm) for this purpose resulted in tedious and time-consuming protocols. advances in rapid immunoassays suggest a reinvestigation of the use of fcm because this may allow for the development of a rapid and sensitive system for detection and/or identification of spores in suspect samples.	2000	11084608
tumor cell-selective cytotoxicity of matrix metalloproteinase-activated anthrax toxin.	matrix metalloproteinases (mmps) are overexpressed in a variety of tumor tissues and cell lines, and their expression is highly correlated to tumor invasion and metastasis. to exploit these characteristics in the design of tumor cell-selective cytotoxins, we constructed two mutated anthrax toxin protective antigen (pa) proteins in which the furin protease cleavage site is replaced by sequences selectively cleaved by mmps. these mmp-targeted pa proteins were activated rapidly and selectively on t ...	2000	11085528
homoduplex and heteroduplex polymorphisms of the amplified ribosomal 16s-23s internal transcribed spacers describe genetic relationships in the "bacillus cereus group".	bacillus anthracis, bacillus cereus, bacillus mycoides, bacillus pseudomycoides, bacillus thuringiensis, and bacillus weihenstephanensis are closely related in phenotype and genotype, and their genetic relationship is still open to debate. the present work uses amplified 16s-23s internal transcribed spacers (its) to discriminate between the strains and species and to describe the genetic relationships within the "b. cereus group," advantage being taken of homoduplex-heteroduplex polymorphisms (h ...	2000	11097928
antimicrobial prophylaxis in adults.	antimicrobial prophylaxis is used by clinicians for the prevention of numerous infections, including sexually transmitted diseases, human immunodeficiency virus infection, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, recurrent cellulitis, meningococcal disease, recurrent uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis, influenza, malaria, infective endocarditis, pertussis, plague, anthrax, early-onset group b streptococcal disease in neonates, and ...	2000	10630764
the threat of biological terrorism: a public health and infection control reality.	bioterrorism is an emerging public health and infection control threat. potential biological agents include smallpox, anthrax, plague, tularemia, botulinum toxin, brucellosis, q fever, viral encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever, and staphylococcal enterotoxin b. an understanding of the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and management of the more likely candidate agents is critical to limiting morbidity and mortality from a biological event. effective response requires an increased index of suspi ...	2000	10656359
[natural biological risks and military biological risks].	the iraqi biological program, the activities of sect aum in japan and the extensive endemicity of plague prove the existence of military, terrorist and natural biological risks. among the agents of natural risk (viruses, bacteria.), plague is induced by modification of the ecosystem. present since 1921 in the high plateau of madagaskar, the disease evolves under two modes, endemic (natural) or epidemic (urban). since the control of endemicity is impossible, the decrease of incidence will be obta ...	2000	10669810
bacterial toxins with intracellular protease activity.	the recent determination of their primary sequence has lead to the discovery of the metallo-proteolytic activity of the bacterial toxins responsible for tetanus, botulism and anthrax. the protease domain of these toxins enters into the cytosol where it displays a zinc-dependent endopeptidase activity of remarkable specificity. tetanus neurotoxin and botulinum neurotoxins type b, d, f and g cleave vamp, an integral protein of the neurotransmitter containing synaptic vesicles. botulinum neurotoxin ...	2000	10675723
anthrax.		2000	10627218
anthrax threats: a report of two incidents from salt lake city.	the threat of anthrax as an agent of bioterrorism in the u.s. is very real, with 47 incidents of possible exposure involving 5664 persons documented by the federal bureau of investigation over a 14-month period in 1998 and 1999. the highly visible and potentially devastating effects of these threats require a well-coordinated and well-organized emergency medical services (ems) and emergency department (ed) response to minimize panic and reduce the potential spread of an active and deadly biologi ...	2000	10699528
anthrax: the investigation of a deadly outbreak.		2000	10700213
the malaria vaccine: seventy years of the great immune hope.	the cluster of seminal microbiological discoveries at the end of the 19th century through to the first quarter of the 20th century gave rise to the expectation that the control of malaria would be by scientific technology (as opposed to the 'brute force' of bonification/massive engeneering works) and that technology would be immunization by a malaria vaccine. immunology's foundation was in microbiology and the two related disciplines matured concurrently. immunization with dead or inactivated mi ...	2000	11234327
[survival of bacillus anthracis spores in various tannery baths].	the influence of tannery baths: liming, deliming, bating, pickling, tanning, retannage on the survival and on the germination dynamism of b. anthracis spores (sterne strain) was investigated. the periods and the conditions of this influence were established according to technological process of cow hide tannage. practically after every bath some part of the spores remained vital. the most effective killing of spores occurred after pickling, liming and deliming. inversely, the most viable spores ...	2000	11286180
bacillus cereus meningitis complicating cerebrospinal fluid fistula repair and spinal drainage.	non-anthrax bacillus species are rare, but serious causes of bacterial meningitis in those either immunocompromised or treated with csf diversion. although resistant to first-line antibiotics, they usually respond to chloramphenicol. we report a case of fulminant bacillus cereus meningitis that complicated lumbar spinal drainage which proved resistant to all first-line antibiotics including chloramphenicol.	2000	11272043
bioterrorism.		2000	11219298
[personal experience with use of the antimicrobial agent, neloren r, in maxillofacial surgery].	during the treatment of sick as well as injured and operated patients it was used the therapy according to the clinical experience of doctors and possibility of the choice of some antibiotic. it was used the therapy according to antibiogram whenever it was possible. in the study the results of using of neloren-antibiotic, linkomicin, produced in "bosnalijek" sarajevo, were followed up comparing to the other antibiotics. neloren effects on streptococcus pyogenes, streptococcus penumoniae, s. viri ...	2000	11117015
anthrax in pondicherry, south india.		2000	11129726
adverse reactions to anthrax immunisation in a military field hospital.	to determine the outcome of anthrax immunisation.	2000	11143687
use of anthrax vaccine in the united states.	these recommendations concern the use of aluminum hydroxide adsorbed cell-free anthrax vaccine (anthrax vaccine adsorbed [ava], bioport corporation, lansing, mi) in the united states for protection against disease caused by bacillus anthracis. in addition, information is included regarding the use of chemoprophylaxis against b. anthracis.	2000	11145529
susceptibility of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase family members to proteolysis by anthrax lethal factor.	the lethal factor (lf) produced by toxigenic strains of bacillus anthracis is a zn(2+)-endopeptidase that cleaves the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mapkks) mek1, mek2 and mkk3. using genetic and biochemical approaches, we have extended the study of lf proteolytic specificity to all known mapkk family members and found that lf also cleaves mkk4, mkk6 and mkk7, but not mek5. the peptide bonds hydrolysed by lf within all mapkks were identified. cleavage invariably occurs within the n-te ...	2000	11104681
the role of the clinical laboratory in managing chemical or biological terrorism.	domestic and international acts of terrorism using chemicals and pathogens as weapons have recently attracted much attention because of several hoaxes and real incidents. clinical laboratories, especially those affiliated with major trauma centers, should be prepared to respond rapidly by providing diagnostic tests for the detection and identification of specific agents, so that specific therapy and victim management can be initiated in a timely manner. as first-line responders, clinical laborat ...	2000	11106318
control of zoonoses in cyprus.	the excellent results achieved in the control of animal diseases in cyprus have allowed the veterinary services to take a leading role in the elimination, surveillance and investigation of important zoonoses. the programmes for the control of echinococcosis, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, anthrax and taeniasis, and the measures taken to prevent the importation of rabies are described. public awareness of the risks posed by the presence of zoonoses and the efficient and effective intersectoral ...	2000	11107615
characterization of bacillus anthracis strains used for vaccination.	three bacillus anthracis strains, formerly used as anti-anthrax vaccine strains in argentina, were characterized from genetic and pathogenic perspectives. southern blotting and pcr with pxo1 and pxo2 probes and primers, as well as pathogenicity and protection tests in guinea pigs and mice, were performed. two of the b. anthracis strains contained both pxo1 and pxo2 plasmids, as did the fully virulent strains, while the third was a sterne-type strain (pxo1+, pxo2-). the three strains were, howeve ...	2000	10792523
vaccines for preventing anthrax.	anthrax is an acute bacterial skin disease which may be fatal. three anthrax vaccines are commercially available but their comparative effectiveness and safety is not clear.	2000	10796564
characterization of a plasmid region involved in bacillus anthracis toxin production and pathogenesis.	the germination of spores within the host is the initial step of anthrax infection. we have shown, using immunofluorescence staining, confocal scanning laser microscopy and image cytometry analysis, that the alveolar macrophage is the primary site of b. anthracis germination in a murine inhalation infection model. b. anthracis germinated inside macrophages, in vesicles derived from the phagosomal compartment. we have demonstrated that the toxin genes and their trans-activator, atxa, are expresse ...	2000	11111904
lethal factor of bacillus anthracis cleaves the n-terminus of mapkks: analysis of the intracellular consequences in macrophages.	the lethal toxin of bacillus anthracis consists of two proteins, pa and lf, which together induce lethal effects in some animal species and cause macrophage lysis. lf is a zinc-binding protein with metalloprotease activity. with a two-hybrid system approach we identified map kinase kinases (mapkks) mekl and mek2 as proteins interacting with lf. lf was shown to cleave mek1 and mek2 and an additional mapkk family member mkk3, within their n-terminal region. we examined macrophage cell lines and pr ...	2000	11111921
design of toxins that can be activated by cell-specific proteases and their potential use in targeted cell killing.	protein toxins designed to eliminate specific cell types, e.g. disease-associated cells, have mainly made by linking the active domain of the toxin to a protein that only binds to certain cells. a different approach for the construction of toxins capable of killing disease-associated cells is suggested here, based on the knowledge that many of these cells express specific proteases that are not expressed in normal tissue. the construction of toxins that become activated through cleavage by the p ...	2000	11111928
human anthrax in india: urgent need for effective prevention.	anthrax is a zoonotic illness caused by bacillus anthracis. sporadic cases continue to be reported from many parts of the world. from india, both sporadic cases and outbreaks are being reported regularly. the union territory of pondicherry (a former french colony) lies on the coast of bay of bengal, where the incidence of anthrax is on the rise with 28 cases being detected in the year 1999 and 2000 alone. so far, about 34 human cases have been encountered in this region. recently, an increase in ...	2000	11668934
the 1919 anthrax outbreak in louisiana.		2000	11640246
programming the assembly of two- and three-dimensional architectures with dna and nanoscale inorganic building blocks.	the use of biochemical molecular recognition principles for the assembly of nanoscale inorganic building blocks into macroscopic functional materials constitutes a new frontier in science. this article details efforts pertaining to the use of sequence-specific dna hybridization events and novel inorganic surface coordination chemistry to control the formation of both two- and three-dimensional functional architectures.	2000	12526483
preparedness for a bioterrorism event in alaska. part 1: detection and identification of a biologic event.	u.s. military and public health experts are increasingly concerned that the general public is at risk for terrorist attacks. traditional weapons of mass destruction such as explosive and chemical devices remain the most likely forms of terrorism, however the threat of bioterrorism is also present and may be increasing. an intentional biologic event may be covert and if so, will not become apparent for days or even weeks when many ill people present with an unidentified illness. health care provi ...	2000	14593880
public health: deaths among heroin users present a puzzle.	more than 30 heroin users in scotland and ireland have succumbed to a mysterious malady in the past 6 weeks, leading health officials to suspect anthrax, the notorious biological warfare agent. now, analyses by microbe hunters on both sides of the atlantic offer a somewhat reassuring conclusion: anthrax did not kill the heroin users. it's unclear what did, but a new suspect has emerged.	2000	17835100
canada: soldiers have right to refuse anthrax vaccine.		2000	15586926
[anthrax in man with reference to alimentary infection and environmental conditions].	based on already published data, the following issues have been covered in the present review: epidemiology, epizootiology and the occurrence of anthrax in man with reference to current data. moreover, in the paper are presented some problems of intestinal anthrax with emphasis on environment conditions, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of this clinical form.	1999	10800568
robert koch's debt to ferdinand cohn.		1999	11108127
airman discharged for refusal to take anthrax vaccine as rebellion grows.		1999	11647631
[monitoring of life-threatening infection pathogens in relation to the problem of prediction of critical situations].	the epidemic situation in the context of many infectious diseases caused by bacteria is presently assessed as being poor in russia and other countries. the spectrum of the pathogens that can deteriorate epidemic well-being is highly wide. the epidemic situation in terms of many infectious diseases, including those caused by such causative agents as bacillus anthracis, vibrio cholerae, yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis and others may deteriorate due to the emergence of their modified forms ...	1999	10709458
comparison of noninvasive sampling sites for early detection of bacillus anthracis spores from rhesus monkeys after aerosol exposure.	bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacterium, is the etiologic agent of anthrax. b. anthracis spores can be aerosolized, are relatively easy to produce, and are capable of producing high mortality when inhaled. the prompt use of postexposure antibiotics combined with vaccination greatly increases the survival rate. rapid detection of exposure is critical to effective case management. using common collection swabs, culture medium, and culturing equipment, we compared six different noninvasive sa ...	1999	10628152
sensitive and rapid identification of biological threat agents.		1999	10681982
[progress on the study of prevention and control of anthrax in china].		1999	10682520
the controversial anthrax vaccine.		1999	10562219
the threat of biological warfare.		1999	10566851
one urban hospital's experience with false anthrax exposure disaster response.		1999	10579773
anthrax lethal factor cleaves mkk3 in macrophages and inhibits the lps/ifngamma-induced release of no and tnfalpha.	the lethal toxin of bacillus anthracis consists of two proteins, pa and lf, which together induce lethal effects in animals and cause macrophage lysis. lf is a zinc-endopeptidase which cleaves two mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (mapkks), mek1 and mek2, within the cytosol. here, we show that also mkk3, another dual-specificity kinase that phosphorylates and activates p38 map kinase, is cleaved by lf in macrophages. no direct correlation between lf-induced cell death and cleavage of thes ...	1999	10580119
the hemolytic enterotoxin hbl is broadly distributed among species of the bacillus cereus group.	the prevalence of the hemolytic enterotoxin complex hbl was determined in all species of the bacillus cereus group with the exception of bacillus anthracis. hbla, encoding the binding subunit b, was detected by pcr and southern analysis and was confirmed by partial sequencing of 18 strains. the sequences formed two clusters, one including b. cereus and bacillus thuringiensis strains and the other one consisting of bacillus mycoides, bacillus pseudomycoides, and bacillus weihenstephanensis strain ...	1999	10584001
risks of publicity about bioterrorism: anthrax hoaxes and hype.		1999	10586149
anthrax vaccine: evidence for safety and efficacy against inhalational anthrax.		1999	10591317
molecular pathogenesis of bacillus anthracis infection.	this review summarizes the current knowledge pertaining to the pathogenesis of infection with bacillus anthracis relative to the two exotoxins and the capsule. emphasis is given to the structure and activities of the individual components of the exotoxins, their interaction with cells, and the response of macrophages to lethal toxin. finally, results from vaccination studies are reviewed.	1999	10594977
ulnar nerve lesion due to cutaneous anthrax.	anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium bacillus anthracis. anthrax is most common in agricultural regions, where it occurs in animals. it can also infect humans. cutaneous anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin. a case of cutaneous anthrax infection of the arm is presented. the patient needed to undergo a skin graft. he subsequently developed an ulnar nerve lesion after severe edema in his arm and hand.	1999	10597826
the threat of bioterrorism: a reason to learn more about anthrax and smallpox.	threats of domestic terrorism and international news about germ warfare research have forced us to recognize the potential menace of biological weapons. both smallpox and anthrax could be used as biological weapons. it is important for physicians to reacquaint themselves with these diseases, because if a domestic attack were to occur, it might first be recognized when patients with unusual symptoms began presenting to hospitals and primary care physicians. in this article, we discuss symptoms an ...	1999	10598363
[anthrax: an unusual escharotic lesion].	anthrax is basically an animal disease rarely found in humans. we report a case occurring in a young boy who had minimal signs and a suggestive skin lesion.	1999	10604013
[correlation of the virulence of bacillus anthracis with expression of signs, coded for by chromosomal genes].	clonal analysis of bacillus anthracis strains showed heterogeneity of the majority of populations by the proteolytic, hemolytic, and pigment-adsorbing activities. phenotypes isolated within each population were subdivided into 4 subpopulations. the appearance of sub-populations of virulent and vaccine strains (b. anthracis sterne, zenkowskii) was due to the ability of clones adsorbing congo red and possessing high activities of proteolytic and hemolytic enzymes to dissociate with the formation o ...	1999	10621935
liquid chromatography/microspray mass spectrometry for bacterial investigations.	cellular proteins (biomarkers) specific to any individual microorganism, determined by the direct mass spectral analysis of the corresponding intact cellular suspension, can be applied for the rapid and specific identification of the organisms present in unknown samples. the components of the bacterial suspensions, after a rapid separation over a c18 reversed-phase microcapillary column, were directly subjected to on-line electrospray ionization followed by analysis using an ion trap tandem mass ...	1999	9921688
germination of bacillus anthracis spores within alveolar macrophages.	the fatal character of the infection caused by inhalation of bacillus anthracis spores results from a complex pathogenic cycle involving the synthesis of toxins by the bacterium. we have shown using immunofluorescent staining, confocal scanning laser microscopy and image cytometry analysis that the alveolar macrophage was the primary site of b. anthracis germination in a murine inhalation infection model. bacillus anthracis germinated inside murine macrophage-like raw264.7 cells and murine alveo ...	1999	9987105
protection against anthrax toxin by vaccination with a dna plasmid encoding anthrax protective antigen.	a dna vaccine encoding the immunogenic and biologically active portion of anthrax protective antigen (pa) was constructed. spleen cells from balb/c mice immunized intramuscularly with this vaccine were stimulated to secrete ifn gamma and il-4 when exposed to pa in vitro. immunized mice also mounted a humoral immune response dominated by igg1 anti-pa antibody production, the subclass previously shown to confer protection against anthrax toxin. a 1:100 dilution of serum from these animals protecte ...	1999	9987172
bioterrorism alleging use of anthrax and interim guidelines for management--united states, 1998.	from october 30 through december 23, 1998, cdc received reports of a series of bioterroristic threats of anthrax exposure. letters alleged to contain anthrax were sent to health clinics on october 30, 1998, in indiana, kentucky, and tennessee. during december 17-23 in california, a letter alleged to contain anthrax was sent to a private business, and three telephone threats of anthrax contamination of ventilation systems were made to private and public buildings. all threats were hoaxes and are ...	1999	10023627
us military face punishment for refusing anthrax vaccine.		1999	10023914
the looming threat of bioterrorism.	biological weapons have recently attracted the attention and the resources of the nation. discerning the nature of the threat of bioweapons as well as appropriate responses to them requires greater attention to the biological characteristics of these instruments of war and terror. the dominant paradigm of a weapon as a nuclear device that explodes or a chemical cloud that is set adrift leaves us ill-equipped conceptually and practically to assess and thus to prevent the potentially devastating e ...	1999	10037590
production and cell surface anchoring of functional fusions between the slh motifs of the bacillus anthracis s-layer proteins and the bacillus subtilis levansucrase.	many surface proteins of gram-positive bacteria contain motifs, about 50 amino acids long, called s-layer homology (slh) motifs. bacillus anthracis, the causal agent of anthrax, synthesizes two s-layer proteins, each with three slh motifs towards the amino-terminus. we used biochemical and genetic approaches to investigate the involvement of these motifs in cell surface anchoring. proteinase k digestion produced polypeptides lacking these motifs, and stable three-motif polypeptides were produced ...	1999	10048035
activation of phospholipase c and protein kinase c is required for expression of anthrax lethal toxin cytotoxicity in j774a.1 cells.	anthrax lethal toxin (lt) comprises two proteins: the protective antigen (pa) and the lethal factor (lf). the lt is cytotoxic to macrophage-like cell line j774a.1. pre-treatment of these cells with neomycin, a phospholipase c inhibitor, protected them against anthrax lt cytotoxicity. protection obtained with neomycin indicated that lt stimulates phospholipase c in these cells. it was found that levels of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (ip3) dramatically increased in toxin-treated cells. the rise in ...	1999	10048788
a randomly amplified polymorphic dna marker specific for the bacillus cereus group is diagnostic for bacillus anthracis.	aiming to develop a dna marker specific for bacillus anthracis and able to discriminate this species from bacillus cereus, bacillus thuringiensis, and bacillus mycoides, we applied the randomly amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) fingerprinting technique to a collection of 101 strains of the genus bacillus, including 61 strains of the b. cereus group. an 838-bp rapd marker (sg-850) specific for b. cereus, b. thuringiensis, b. anthracis, and b. mycoides was identified. this fragment included a putat ...	1999	10049896
from the centers for disease control and prevention. bioterrorism alleging use of anthrax and interim guidelines for management--united states, 1998.		1999	10070984
the efforts of who and pugwash to eliminate chemical and biological weapons--a memoir.	the world health organization and the pugwash conferences on science and world affairs (nobel peace prize 1995) have been involved in questions concerning chemical and biological arms since the early 1950s. this memoir reviews a number of milestones in the efforts of these organizations to achieve the elimination of these weapons through international treaties effectively monitored and enforced for adherence to their provisions. it also highlights a number of outstanding personalities who were i ...	1999	10083714
bioterror defense initiative injects shot of cash.		1999	10084920
oligomerization of anthrax toxin protective antigen and binding of lethal factor during endocytic uptake into mammalian cells.	the protective antigen (pa) protein of anthrax toxin binds to a cellular receptor and is cleaved by cell surface furin to produce a 63-kda fragment (pa63). the receptor-bound pa63 oligomerizes to a heptamer and acts to translocate the catalytic moieties of the toxin, lethal factor (lf) and edema factor (ef), from endosomes to the cytosol. in this report, we used nondenaturing gel electrophoresis to show that each pa63 subunit in the heptamer can bind one lf molecule. studies using pa immobilized ...	1999	10085027
identification of a receptor-binding region within domain 4 of the protective antigen component of anthrax toxin.	anthrax toxin from bacillus anthracis is a three-component toxin consisting of lethal factor (lf), edema factor (ef), and protective antigen (pa). lf and ef are the catalytic components of the toxin, whereas pa is the receptor-binding component. to identify residues of pa that are involved in interaction with the cellular receptor, two solvent-exposed loops of domain 4 of pa (amino acids [aa] 679 to 693 and 704 to 723) were mutagenized, and the altered proteins purified and tested for toxicity i ...	1999	10085028
cutaneous manifestations of biological warfare and related threat agents.	the specter of biological warfare (bw) looms large in the minds of many americans. the us government has required that emergency response teams in more than 100 american cities be trained by the year 2001 to recognize and contain a bw attack. the us military is requiring active duty soldiers to receive immunization against anthrax. dermatologists need not feel helpless in the face of a potential bw attack. many potential agents have cutaneous manifestations that the trained eye of a dermatologis ...	1999	10086453
[inhalation anthrax].		1999	10088414
[anthrax].		1999	10088485
grease, anthraxgate, and kennel cough: a revisionist history of early veterinary vaccines.	in conclusion, it is remarkable just how farsighted many of the early vaccine investigators were. jenner was apparently very comfortable with contagion and even recognized that infectious agents could gradually change and adapt to a new species. pasteur, long before his fowl cholera experiment, dreamed that attenuation could yield safe vaccines and it took him no time at all therefore to recognize the significance of that serendipitous experiment. the fact that two other investigators were also ...	1999	9890006
vaccination against anthrax with attenuated recombinant strains of bacillus anthracis that produce protective antigen.	the protective efficacy of several live, recombinant anthrax vaccines given in a single-dose regimen was assessed with hartley guinea pigs. these live vaccines were created by transforming deltaanr and deltasterne, two nonencapsulated, nontoxinogenic strains of bacillus anthracis, with four different recombinant plasmids that express the anthrax protective antigen (pa) protein to various degrees. this enabled us to assess the effect of the chromosomal background of the strain, as well as the amo ...	1999	9916059
functional analysis of the carboxy-terminal domain of bacillus anthracis protective antigen.	protective antigen (pa) is the common receptor-binding component of the two anthrax toxins. we investigated the involvement of the pa carboxy-terminal domain in the interaction of the protein with cells. a deletion resulting in removal of the entire carboxy-terminal domain of pa (pa608) or part of an exposed loop of 19 amino acids (703 to 722) present within this domain was introduced into the pag gene. pa608 did not induce the lethal-factor (lf)-mediated cytotoxic effect on macrophages because ...	1999	9916116
[the intrastrain heterogeneity of the causative agent of anthrax].		1999	10851999
[the capacity of the causative agent of anthrax to reduce methylene blue].		1999	10852066
would you have thought of anthrax?		1999	10787705
cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of gyrb of bacillus cereus, b. thuringiensis, b. mycoides, and b. anthracis and their application to the detection of b. cereus in rice.	as 16s rrna sequence analysis has proven inadequate for the differentiation of bacillus cereus from closely related species, we employed the gyrase b gene (gyrb) as a molecular diagnostic marker. the gyrb genes of b. cereus jcm 2152(t), bacillus thuringiensis iam 12077(t), bacillus mycoides atcc 6462(t), and bacillus anthracis pasteur #2h were cloned and sequenced. oligonucleotide pcr primer sets were designed from within gyrb sequences of the respective bacteria for the specific amplification a ...	1999	10103241
antivaccine advocates line up to support airman.		1999	10189440
[contribution of determinants, located in bacillus anthracis chromosomes, in realizing the pathogenic properties of the pathogen].	comparative study of virulence of b. anthracis strains harbouring pxo1 and pxo2 plasmids in mice and guinea pigs showed that among six b. anthracis strains, three were 100-1000 times less virulent for guinea pigs. genetic construction of b. anthracis strains using transduction and conjugation transfer of resident plasmids permitted us to rule out the effects of modified pxo1 and pxo2 replicons and to prove the existence of nonidentified chromosome locuses responsible for the development of an in ...	1999	10190106
involvement of phospholipase a2 activation in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cytotoxicity.	the molecular mechanism of cytotoxic effect exerted by the lethal toxin (letx) of bacillus anthracis is not well understood. in the present study, using primary culture of mouse peritoneal macrophages, we have investigated possible cytotoxic mechanisms. letx was not found to induce high levels of nitric oxide (no) production for no-mediated toxicity. fragmentation of dna, a biochemical marker of apoptosis, was not observed in letx-treated cells. pretreatment of cells with antioxidants such as me ...	1999	10195347
genetic diversity in the protective antigen gene of bacillus anthracis.	bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium that causes the disease anthrax. the anthrax toxin contains three components, including the protective antigen (pa), which binds to eucaryotic cell surface receptors and mediates the transport of toxins into the cell. in this study, the entire 2,294-nucleotide protective antigen gene (pag) was sequenced from 26 of the most diverse b. anthracis strains to identify potential variation in the toxin and to further our understanding of b. ...	1999	10197996
distinct affinity of binding sites for s-layer homologous domains in clostridium thermocellum and bacillus anthracis cell envelopes.	binding parameters were determined for the slh (s-layer homologous) domains from the clostridium thermocellum outer layer protein olpb, from the c. thermocellum s-layer protein slpa, and from the bacillus anthracis s-layer proteins ea1 and sap, using cell walls from c. thermocellum and b. anthracis. each slh domain bound to c. thermocellum and b. anthracis cell walls with a different kd, ranging between 7.1 x 10(-7) and 1.8 x 10(-8) m. cell wall binding sites for slh domains displayed different ...	1999	10198008
anthrax vaccine. model of a response to the biologic warfare threat.	anthrax vaccine is being administered to all 2.4 million active duty, reserve, and national guard troops, as prophylaxis against biologic warfare. the vaccine's effectiveness in this setting may be limited. this article discusses unresolved issues of safety, with an emphasis on the need for careful surveillance of vaccines used by the military, which has sidestepped the commercial process. also considered are ethical issues related to the development and use of military biologics, as the united ...	1999	10198799
adjusting fda policies to address bioterrorist threat.		1999	10207870
endoprotease pace4 is ca2+-dependent and temperature-sensitive and can partly rescue the phenotype of a furin-deficient cell strain.	pace4 is a member of the eukaryotic subtilisin-like endoprotease family. the expression of human pace4 in rpe.40 cells (furin-null mutants derived from chinese hamster ovary k1 cells) resulted in the rescue of a number of wild-type characteristics, including sensitivity to sindbis virus and the ability to process the low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein. expression of pace4 in these cells failed to restore wild-type sensitivity to pseudomonas exotoxin a. co-expression of human pace4 ...	1999	10215603
genome organization is not conserved between bacillus cereus and bacillus subtilis.	the opportunistic pathogen bacillus cereus is the genetically stable member of a group of closely related bacteria including the insect pathogen bacillus thuringiensis and the mammalian pathogen bacillus anthracis. physical maps of b. cereus and b. thuringiensis strains show considerable variations in discrete parts of the chromosome, suggesting that certain genome regions are more prone to rearrangements. b. cereus belongs to the same subgroup of bacillus species as bacillus subtilis, by both p ...	1999	10217496
co-existence of clpb and clpc in the bacillaceae.	the gene encoding clpc in bacillus anthracis was amplified from the chromosome by polymerase chain reaction using degenerate oligonucleotide primers. these primers also amplified a second dna fragment identified as a clpb homolog. both genes were suggested to be functional. contrary to bacillus subtilis which possesses clpc but not clpb, many bacillus species were found to harbor both clpc and clpb. we also found that clostridium strains could possess clpb, clpc, or both. all the gram-negative s ...	1999	10227159
anthrax as a biological weapon: medical and public health management. working group on civilian biodefense.	to develop consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals following the use of anthrax as a biological weapon against a civilian population.	1999	10328075
king tut's curse, take 2.		1999	10333829