| a simple decontamination approach using hydrogen peroxide vapour for bacillus anthracis spore inactivation. | to evaluate the use of relatively low levels of hydrogen peroxide vapour (hpv) for the inactivation of bacillus anthracis spores within an indoor environment. | 2016 | 27569380 |
| functional characterization of phopr two component system and its implication in regulating phosphate homeostasis in bacillus anthracis. | recent report on importance of phosphate starvation (ps) in bacillus anthracis (ba) pathogenesis warrants further investigation of the underlying regulatory mechanism. potential role of phopr two component system (tcs) in phosphate homeostasis and virulence of several pathogens necessitates the study of annotated phopr in ba. | 2017 | 27667172 |
| s-nitrosylation of peroxiredoxin 1 contributes to viability of lung epithelial cells during bacillus anthracis infection. | using bacillus anthracis as a model gram-positive bacterium, we investigated the effects of host protein s-nitrosylation during bacterial infection. b. anthracis possesses a bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bnos) that is important for its virulence and survival. however, the role of s-nitrosylation of host cell proteins during b. anthracis infection has not been determined. | 2017 | 27612662 |
| unexpected genomic relationships between bacillus anthracis strains from bangladesh and central europe. | the zoonosis anthrax caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis has a broad geographical distribution. active enzootic areas are typically located away from central and northern europe where cases of the disease occur only sporadically and in limited numbers. in contrast, a few out of the 64 districts of bangladesh are hyper-endemic for anthrax and there the disease causes major losses in live-stock. in this study we genotyped eight strains of b. anthracis collected from the districts of sirajga ... | 2016 | 27543395 |
| fapr: from control of membrane lipid homeostasis to a biotechnological tool. | phospholipids and fatty acids are not only one of the major components of cell membranes but also important metabolic intermediates in bacteria. since the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway is essential and energetically expensive, organisms have developed a diversity of homeostatic mechanisms to fine-tune the concentration of lipids at particular levels. fapr is the first global regulator of lipid synthesis discovered in bacteria and is largely conserved in gram-positive organisms including import ... | 2016 | 27766255 |
| detection probability models for bacteria, and how to obtain them from heterogeneous spiking data. an application to bacillus anthracis. | efficient and correct evaluation of sampling results with respect to hypotheses about the concentration or distribution of bacteria generally requires knowledge about the performance of the detection method. to assess the sensitivity of the detection method an experiment is usually performed where the target matrix is spiked (i.e. artificially contaminated) with different concentrations of the bacteria, followed by analyses of the samples using the pre-enrichment method and the analytical detect ... | 2017 | 27764712 |
| ubiquitin-dependent folding of the wnt signaling coreceptor lrp6. | many membrane proteins fold inefficiently and require the help of enzymes and chaperones. here we reveal a novel folding assistance system that operates on membrane proteins from the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (er). we show that folding of the wnt signaling coreceptor lrp6 is promoted by ubiquitination of a specific lysine, retaining it in the er while avoiding degradation. subsequent er exit requires removal of ubiquitin from this lysine by the deubiquitinating enzyme usp19. th ... | 2016 | 27751231 |
| the total synthesis of the bioactive natural product plantazolicin a and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b. | herein, we describe our full investigations into the synthesis of the peptide-derived natural product plantazolicin a, a compound that demonstrates promising selective activity against the causative agent of anthrax toxicity, and its biosynthetic precursor plantazolicin b. this report particularly focuses on the challenging preparation of the arginine containing thiazole fragment, including the development of a robust, high yielding procedure that avoids the use of sulfurating agents. extensive ... | 2016 | 27619732 |
| a candidate transacting modulator of fetal hemoglobin gene expression in the arab-indian haplotype of sickle cell anemia. | fetal hemoglobin (hbf) levels are higher in the arab-indian (ai) β-globin gene haplotype of sickle cell anemia compared with african-origin haplotypes. to study genetic elements that effect hbf expression in the ai haplotype we completed whole genome sequencing in 14 saudi ai haplotype sickle hemoglobin homozygotes-seven selected for low hbf (8.2% ± 1.3%) and seven selected for high hbf (23.5% ± 2.6%). an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) in antxr1, an anthrax toxin receptor (chromos ... | 2016 | 27501013 |
| biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles-based vaccine adjuvants for lymph nodes targeting. | vaccines have successfully eradicated a large number of diseases. however, some infectious diseases (such as hiv, chlamydia trachomatis or bacillus anthracis) keep spreading since there is no vaccine to prevent them. one way to overcome this issue is the development of new adjuvant formulations which are able to induce the appropriate immune response without sacrificing safety. lymph nodes are the site of lymphocyte priming by antigen-presenting cells and subsequent adaptive immune response, and ... | 2016 | 27754314 |
| anthrax vaccine and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus in the u.s. military: a case-control study. | u.s. military personnel assigned to areas deemed to be at high risk for anthrax attack receive anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava). few cases of rheumatoid arthritis (ra) and systemic lupus erythematosus (sle) have been reported in persons who received ava. using a matched case-control study design, we assessed the relationship of ra and sle with ava vaccination using the defense medical surveillance system. we identified potential cases using international classification of diseases, 9th revision, c ... | 2016 | 27753574 |
| genotypic heterogeneity of emetic toxin producing bacillus cereus isolates from china. | emetic toxin-producing bacillus cereus (emetic b. cereus) is the third member of b. cereus group whose toxins are encoded by megaplasmids, beside anthrax and insecticidal toxins of b. anthracis and b. thuringiensis, respectively. a total of 18 emetic isolates collected from food poisoning events, clinical and non-random food samples in zhejiang province of china, were analyzed by plasmid screening, pulse field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and toxic gene identification to inve ... | 2017 | 27744366 |
| cutaneous anthrax. | | 2017 | 27742398 |
| evaluating composite sampling methods of bacillus spores at low concentrations. | restoring all facility operations after the 2001 amerithrax attacks took years to complete, highlighting the need to reduce remediation time. some of the most time intensive tasks were environmental sampling and sample analyses. composite sampling allows disparate samples to be combined, with only a single analysis needed, making it a promising method to reduce response times. we developed a statistical experimental design to test three different composite sampling methods: 1) single medium sing ... | 2016 | 27736999 |
| correction: bacillus anthracis spore surface protein bcla mediates complement factor h binding to spores and promotes spore persistence. | [this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005678.]. | 2016 | 27736971 |
| socio-demographic study on extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in puducherry region. | this study was conducted to assess the extent of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and risks of zoonotic diseases among livestock owners in puducherry region. | 2016 | 27733806 |
| spinning a yarn-sleeping beauty and anthrax. | | 2016 | 27732734 |
| semicarbazone ega inhibits uptake of diphtheria toxin into human cells and protects cells from intoxication. | diphtheria toxin is a single-chain protein toxin that invades human cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. in acidic endosomes, its translocation domain inserts into endosomal membranes and facilitates the transport of the catalytic domain (dta) from endosomal lumen into the host cell cytosol. here, dta adp-ribosylates elongation factor 2 inhibits protein synthesis and leads to cell death. the compound 4-bromobenzaldehyde n-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)semicarbazone (ega) has been previously shown to pr ... | 2016 | 27729638 |
| surviving between hosts: sporulation and transmission. | to survive adverse conditions, some bacterial species are capable of developing into a cell type, the "spore," which exhibits minimal metabolic activity and remains viable in the presence of multiple environmental challenges. for some pathogenic bacteria, this developmental state serves as a means of survival during transmission from one host to another. spores are the highly infectious form of these bacteria. upon entrance into a host, specific signals facilitate germination into metabolically ... | 2016 | 27726794 |
| one-pot synthesis of strongly fluorescent dna-cuins2 quantum dots for label-free and ultrasensitive detection of anthrax lethal factor dna. | herein, high quality dna-cuins2 qds are facilely synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal method with fluorescence quantum yield as high as 23.4%, and the strongly fluorescent dna-cuins2 qds have been utilized as a novel fluorescent biosensor for label-free and ultrasensitive detection of anthrax lethal factor dna. l-cysteine (l-cys) and a specific-sequence dna are used as co-ligands to stabilize the cuins2 qds. the specific-sequence dna consists of two domains: phosphorothiolates domain (sulf ... | 2016 | 27720125 |
| cross-inhibition of pathogenic agents and the host proteins they exploit. | the major limitations of pathogen-directed therapies are the emergence of drug-resistance and their narrow spectrum of coverage. a recently applied approach directs therapies against host proteins exploited by pathogens in order to circumvent these limitations. however, host-oriented drugs leave the pathogens unaffected and may result in continued pathogen dissemination. in this study we aimed to discover drugs that could simultaneously cross-inhibit pathogenic agents, as well as the host protei ... | 2016 | 27703274 |
| laboratory evolution of artificially expanded dna gives redesignable aptamers that target the toxic form of anthrax protective antigen. | reported here is a laboratory in vitro evolution (live) experiment based on an artificially expanded genetic information system (aegis). this experiment delivers the first example of an aegis aptamer that binds to an isolated protein target, the first whose structural contact with its target has been outlined and the first to inhibit biologically important activities of its target, the protective antigen from bacillus anthracis we show how rational design based on secondary structure predictions ... | 2016 | 27701076 |
| killing the spores of bacillus species by molecular iodine. | to determine the responses of spores of bacillus subtilis and bacillus anthracis surrogate bacillus thuringiensis al hakam to i2 treatment. | 2017 | 27696602 |
| facile ratiometric fluorapatite nanoprobes for rapid and sensitive bacterial spore biomarker detection. | since bacterial spores, such as bacillus anthracis spores, are extremely hazardous to human beings and animals, efforts have focused on the development of bacterial spore detector with rapid response and high selectivity and sensitivity. therefore, we reported a facile one-step chelating-reagent-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of lanthanide-doped fluorapatite (fa) nanoprobes for detecting the biomarker of bacterial spores. in fa synthesis, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (edta) can serve not onl ... | 2017 | 27686603 |
| a bacillus anthracis genome sequence from the sverdlovsk 1979 autopsy specimens. | anthrax is a zoonotic disease that occurs naturally in wild and domestic animals but has been used by both state-sponsored programs and terrorists as a biological weapon. a soviet industrial production facility in sverdlovsk, ussr, proved deficient in 1979 when a plume of spores was accidentally released and resulted in one of the largest known human anthrax outbreaks. in order to understand this outbreak and others, we generated a bacillus anthracis population genetic database based upon whole- ... | 2016 | 27677796 |
| development of an acid-resistant salmonella typhi ty21a attenuated vector for improved oral vaccine delivery. | the licensed oral, live-attenuated bacterial vaccine for typhoid fever, salmonella enterica serovar typhi strain ty21a, has also been utilized as a vaccine delivery platform for expression of diverse foreign antigens that stimulate protection against shigellosis, anthrax, plague, or human papilloma virus. however, ty21a is acid-labile and, for effective oral immunization, stomach acidity has to be either neutralized with buffer or by-passed with ty21a in an enteric-coated capsule (ecc). several ... | 2017 | 27673328 |
| structure of anthrax lethal toxin prepore complex suggests a pathway for efficient cell entry. | anthrax toxin comprises three soluble proteins: protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor (ef). pa must be cleaved by host proteases before it oligomerizes and forms a prepore, to which lf and ef bind. after endocytosis of this tripartite complex, the prepore transforms into a narrow transmembrane pore that delivers unfolded lf and ef into the host cytosol. here, we find that translocation of multiple 90-kd lf molecules is rapid and efficient. to probe the molecular basis of ... | 2016 | 27670897 |
| anthrax lethal toxin co-complexes are stabilized by contacts between adjacent lethal factors. | | 2016 | 27670896 |
| stable expression of shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 o-antigen genes integrated into the chromosome of live salmonella oral vaccine vector ty21a. | typhoid fever and shigellosis cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet no anti-shigella vaccine is currently available. however, to protect against typhoid fever, an approved vaccine, based on the attenuated salmonella enterica serovar typhi strain ty21a is available. we have investigated ty21a as a live oral vaccine vector for expression of heterologous foreign antigens to protect against other diseases (e.g. shigellosis, anthrax, and plague). shigella lps is a potent vaccine antigen f ... | 2016 | 27655911 |
| progress toward the development of a neat protein vaccine for anthrax disease. | bacillus anthracis is a sporulating gram-positive bacterium that is the causative agent of anthrax and a potential weapon of bioterrorism. the u.s.-licensed anthrax vaccine is made from an incompletely characterized culture supernatant of a nonencapsulated, toxigenic strain (anthrax vaccine absorbed [ava]) whose primary protective component is thought to be protective antigen (pa). ava is effective in protecting animals and elicits toxin-neutralizing antibodies in humans, but enthusiasm is dampe ... | 2016 | 27647868 |
| virulence plasmid stability in environmentally occurring bacillus anthracis from north east turkey. | the bacillus anthracis virulence plasmid pxo2, which encodes for a polypeptide capsule, can be lost during long term laboratory storage. to determine if pxo2 is lost in nature we screened b. anthracis isolates obtained from b. anthracis spores from contaminated animal burial sites in turkey for their ability to express a capsule upon primary culture. a total of 672 b. anthracis colonies were examined of which ten produced a mixed mucoid (capsule +ve)/non-mucoid (capsule -ve) phenotype and a furt ... | 2017 | 27646562 |
| chemokine-releasing microparticles improve bacterial clearance and survival of anthrax spore-challenged mice. | in this study the hydrogel microparticles (mps) were used to enhance migration of neutrophils in order to improve outcome of anthrax infection in a mouse model. two mp formulations were tested. in the first one the polyacrylamide gel mps were chemically coupled with cibacron blue (cb) affinity bait. in the second one the bait molecules within the mps were additionally loaded with neutrophil-attracting chemokines (cks), human cxcl8 and mouse ccl3. a non-covalent interaction of the bait with the c ... | 2016 | 27632537 |
| antitrypanosomal activity of verbascum sinaiticum benth. (scrophulariaceae) against trypanosoma congolense isolates. | african trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with a large impact on the livelihood of the rural poor in sub-saharan africa. the available drugs for managing this disease are old, expensive and are facing the problem of drug resistance. thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo antitrypanosomal efficacy of aqueous and absolute methanol leaf extracts of verbascum sinaiticum benth. against trypanosoma congolense field isolate. | 2016 | 27629546 |
| identification of inhibitors for single-stranded dna-binding proteins in eubacteria. | the increasing threat of drug-resistant bacteria establishes a continuing need for the development of new strategies to fight infection. we examine the inhibition of the essential single-stranded dna-binding proteins (ssbs) ssba and ssbb as a potential antimicrobial therapy due to their importance in dna replication, activating the sos response and promoting competence-based mechanisms of resistance by incorporating new dna. | 2016 | 27609050 |
| targeting bacterial nitric oxide synthase with aminoquinoline-based inhibitors. | nitric oxide is produced in gram-positive pathogens bacillus anthracis and staphylococcus aureus by the bacterial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nos). inhibition of bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bnos) has been identified as a promising antibacterial strategy for targeting methicillin-resistant s. aureus [holden, j. k., et al. (2015) chem. biol. 22, 785-779]. one class of nos inhibitors that demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy utilizes an aminoquinoline scaffold. here we report on a variety ... | 2016 | 27607918 |
| bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in sub-saharan africa-chromosomal monophyly and broad geographic distribution. | through full genome analyses of four atypical bacillus cereus isolates, designated b. cereus biovar anthracis, we describe a distinct clade within the b. cereus group that presents with anthrax-like disease, carrying virulence plasmids similar to those of classic bacillus anthracis. we have isolated members of this clade from different mammals (wild chimpanzees, gorillas, an elephant and goats) in west and central africa (côte d'ivoire, cameroon, central african republic and democratic republic ... | 2016 | 27607836 |
| mechanisms of invariant nkt cell activity in restraining bacillus anthracis systemic dissemination. | exogenous activation of invariant nkt (inkt) cells by the superagonist α-galactosylceramide (α-galcer) can protect against cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infections. in the current study, we investigated the effect of α-galcer against bacillus anthracis infection, the agent of anthrax. using an experimental model of s.c. b. anthracis infection (an encapsulated nontoxigenic strain), we show that concomitant administration of α-galcer delayed b. anthracis systemic dissemination and prolonged mou ... | 2016 | 27605012 |
| classification of bacillus and brevibacillus species using rapid analysis of lipids by mass spectrometry. | bacillus are aerobic spore-forming bacteria that are known to lead to specific diseases, such as anthrax and food poisoning. this study focuses on the characterization of these bacteria by the detection of lipids extracted from 33 well-characterized strains from the bacillus and brevibacillus genera, with the aim to discriminate between the different species. for the purpose of analysing the lipids extracted from these bacterial samples, two rapid physicochemical techniques were used: matrix-ass ... | 2016 | 27604269 |
| plant-based vaccines against respiratory diseases: current status and future prospects. | respiratory infections have an enormous, worldwide epidemiologic impact on humans and animals. among the prophylactic measures, vaccination has the potential to neutralize this impact. new technologies for vaccine production and delivery are of importance in this field since they offer the potential to develop new immunization approaches overriding the current limitations that comprise high cost, safety issues, and limited efficacy. areas covered: in the present review, the state of the art in d ... | 2017 | 27599605 |
| generic aspects of the airborne spread of human pathogens indoors and emerging air decontamination technologies. | indoor air can be an important vehicle for a variety of human pathogens. this review provides examples of airborne transmission of infectious agents from experimental and field studies and discusses how airborne pathogens can contaminate other parts of the environment to give rise to secondary vehicles leading air-surface-air nexus with possible transmission to susceptible hosts. the following groups of human pathogens are covered because of their known or potential airborne spread: vegetative b ... | 2016 | 27590695 |
| yamal and anthrax. | | 2016 | 27587893 |
| identification and analysis of informative single nucleotide polymorphisms in 16s rrna gene sequences of the bacillus cereus group. | analysis of 16s rrna genes is important for phylogenetic classification of known and novel bacterial genera and species and for detection of uncultivable bacteria. pcr amplification of 16s rrna genes with universal primers produces a mixture of amplicons from all rrna operons in the genome, and the sequence data generally yield a consensus sequence. here we describe valuable data that are missing from consensus sequences, variable effects on sequence data generated from nonidentical 16s rrna amp ... | 2016 | 27582514 |
| regulatory mechanisms of skeletal and connective tissue development and homeostasis - lessons from studies of human disorders. | studies of proliferative hemangiomas have led to the discovery that interactions of endothelial cells with extracellular matrix and/or vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf)-a stimulate the expression of vegfr1, the vegf decoy receptor, and suppress vegf-dependent vegfr2 signalling by a mechanism that requires the matrix-binding receptor anthrax toxin receptor (antxr)1, vegfr2, β1 integrin and the nuclear factor of activated t cells (nfat). in hemangioma endothelial cells, all these component ... | 2016 | 27581728 |
| polyphasic characterization of bacillus species from anthrax outbreaks in animals from south africa and lesotho. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease endemic in regions of northern cape province and kruger national park of south africa. accurate identification of virulent b. anthracis is essential but challenging due to its close relationship with other members of b. cereus group. this study characterized b. anthracis and bacillus species that were recovered from animals and the environment where animals died of anthrax symptoms in southern africa using a polyphasic approach. | 2016 | 27580326 |
| health care providers' knowledge and practice gap towards joint zoonotic disease surveillance system: challenges and opportunities, gomma district, southwest ethiopia. | background. health care providers play a crucial role for realization of joint zoonotic diseases surveillance by human and animal health sectors, yet there is limited evidence. hence, this study aimed to determine knowledge and practice gap of health care providers towards the approach for rabies and anthrax in southwest ethiopia. methods. a cross-sectional survey was conducted from december 16, 2014, to january 14, 2015. eligible health care providers were considered for the study. data were en ... | 2016 | 27579311 |
| pharmacokinetics and tolerability of obiltoxaximab: a report of 5 healthy volunteer studies. | this report describes the safety, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic results of obiltoxaximab treatment in healthy subjects from 5 clinical trials. | 2016 | 27568215 |
| draft genome sequences of two bacillus anthracis strains from etosha national park, namibia. | bacillus anthracis strains k1 and k2 were isolated from two plains zebra anthrax carcasses in etosha national park, namibia. these are draft genomes obtained by illumina miseq sequencing of isolates collected from culture of blood-soaked soil from each carcass. | 2016 | 27563043 |
| cross-species prediction of human survival probabilities for accelerated anthrax vaccine absorbed (ava) regimens and the potential for vaccine and antibiotic dose sparing. | anthrax vaccine adsorbed (ava, biothrax) was recently approved by the food and drug administration (fda) for a post-exposure prophylaxis (pep) indication in adults 18-65years of age. the schedule is three doses administered subcutaneous (sc) at 2-week intervals (0, 2, and 4weeks), in conjunction with a 60-day course of antimicrobials. the public health emergency medical countermeasures enterprise (phemce) developed an animal model to support assessment of a shortened antimicrobial pep duration f ... | 2016 | 27558619 |
| inhibition of bacillus anthracis metallo-β-lactamase by compounds with hydroxamic acid functionality. | metallo-β-lactamases (mbls) that catalyze hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics are an emerging threat due to their rapid spread. a strain of the bacterium bacillus anthracis has its ability to produce and secrete a mbl, referred to bla2. to address this challenge, novel hydroxamic acid-containing compounds such as 3-(heptyloxy)-n-hydroxybenzamide (compound 4) and n-hydroxy-3-((6-(hydroxyamino)-6-oxohexyl)oxy)benzamide (compound 7) were synthesized. kinetic analysis of microbial inhibition indicate ... | 2016 | 27557855 |
| anthrax toxin protective antigen variants that selectively utilize either the cmg2 or tem8 receptors for cellular uptake and tumor targeting. | the protective antigen (pa) moiety of anthrax toxin binds to cellular receptors and mediates the translocation of the two enzymatic moieties of the toxin to the cytosol. two pa receptors are known, with capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (cmg2) being the more important for pathogenesis and tumor endothelial marker 8 (tem8) playing a minor role. the c-terminal pa domain 4 (pad4) has extensive interactions with the receptors and is required for binding. our previous study identified pad4 variants h ... | 2016 | 27555325 |
| a retrospective chart review study to describe selected zoonotic and arboviral etiologies in hospitalized febrile patients in the republic of armenia. | scant information is available on the infectious causes of febrile illnesses in armenia. the goal of this study was to describe the most common causes, with a focus on zoonotic and arboviral infections and related epidemiological and clinical patterns for hospitalized patients with febrile illnesses of infectious origin admitted to nork infectious diseases clinical hospital, the referral center for infectious diseases in the capital city, yerevan. | 2016 | 27553785 |
| cutaneous anthrax on eyelid in a pregnant woman. | a 32-year-old patient who was 17 weeks of pregnant referred to our hospital due to a lesion on the eyelid and swelling on her face. patient's history revealed that she helped her husband for slaughtering of a sick animal and contacted with the meat. a scabby lesion was detected on the inferior eyelid with hyperaemia around, central necrotic appearance and swelling. the diagnosis of anthrax was performed based on her epidemiological data, physical examination findings, and bacillus anthracis were ... | 2016 | 27551179 |
| the potential of toxin-based drug delivery systems for enhanced nucleic acid therapeutic delivery. | the potential of gene replacement therapy has been underscored by the market authorization of alipogene tiparvovec (glybera) and gsk2696273 (strimvelis) in the eu and recombinant adenovirus-p53 (gendicine) in china. common to these systems is the use of attenuated viruses for 'drug' delivery. whilst viral delivery systems are being developed for sirna, their application to antisense delivery remains problematic. non-viral delivery remains experimental, with some notable successes. however, stabi ... | 2016 | 27548881 |
| optimization of a sample processing protocol for recovery of bacillus anthracis spores from soil. | following a release of bacillus anthracis spores into the environment, there is a potential for lasting environmental contamination in soils. there is a need for detection protocols for b. anthracis in environmental matrices. however, identification of b. anthracis within a soil is a difficult task. processing soil samples helps to remove debris, chemical components, and biological impurities that can interfere with microbiological detection. this study aimed to optimize a previously used indire ... | 2016 | 27546718 |
| inhibition of inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase from bacillus anthracis: mechanism revealed by pre-steady-state kinetics. | inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (impdh) catalyzes the conversion of inosine 5'-monophosphate (imp) to xanthosine 5'-monophosphate (xmp). the enzyme is an emerging target for antimicrobial therapy. the small molecule inhibitor a110 has been identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of impdhs from a variety of pathogenic microorganisms. a recent x-ray crystallographic study reported that the inhibitor binds to the nad(+) cofactor site and forms a ternary complex with imp. here we repor ... | 2016 | 27541177 |
| a diverse set of single-domain antibodies (vhhs) against the anthrax toxin lethal and edema factors provides a basis for construction of a bispecific agent that protects against anthrax infection. | infection with bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, can lead to persistence of lethal secreted toxins in the bloodstream, even after antibiotic treatment. vhh single-domain antibodies have been demonstrated to neutralize diverse bacterial toxins both in vitro and in vivo, with protein properties such as small size and high stability that make them attractive therapeutic candidates. recently, we reported on vhhs with in vivo activity against the protective antigen component of the ... | 2016 | 27539858 |
| protein catalyzed capture agents with tailored performance for in vitro and in vivo applications. | we report on peptide-based ligands matured through the protein catalyzed capture (pcc) agent method to tailor molecular binders for in vitro sensing/diagnostics and in vivo pharmacokinetics parameters. a vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf) binding peptide and a peptide against the protective antigen (pa) protein of bacillus anthracis discovered through phage and bacterial display panning technologies, respectively, were modified with click handles and subjected to iterative in situ click c ... | 2017 | 27539157 |
| changes in bacillus anthracis cody regulation under host-specific environmental factor deprived conditions. | host-specific environmental factors induce changes in bacillus anthracis gene transcription during infection. a global transcription regulator, cody, plays a pivotal role in regulating central metabolism, biosynthesis, and virulence in b. anthracis. in this study, we utilized rna-sequencing to assess changes in the transcriptional patterns of cody-regulated b. anthracis genes in response to three conditions of environmental starvation: iron, co2, or glucose deprivation. in addition, we performed ... | 2016 | 27530340 |
| proteolytically stable foldamer mimics of host-defense peptides with protective activities in a murine model of bacterial infection. | the synthesis of bioinspired unnatural backbones leading to foldamers can provide effective peptide mimics with improved properties in a physiological environment. this approach has been applied to the design of structural mimics of membrane active antimicrobial peptides (amps) for which activities in vitro have been reported. yet activities and pharmacokinetic properties in vivo in animal models have remained largely unexplored. here, we report helical oligourea amp mimics that are active in vi ... | 2016 | 27529632 |
| highly dynamic metal exchange in anthrax lethal factor involves the occupation of an inhibitory metal binding site. | metal exchange is a common strategy to replace the zinc ion of many zinc proteins with other transition metals amenable to spectroscopic investigations. we here demonstrate that in anthrax lethal factor (and likely other zinc proteases), metal exchange is a fast process, and involves the occupation of an inhibitory metal site by the incoming ion prior to the release of zinc. | 2016 | 27517100 |
| late-exponential gene expression in cody-deficient bacillus anthracis in a host-like environment. | cody is a pleiotropic regulator commonly found in gram-positive bacteria and regulates various biological processes during the stringent response in a nutrient-limiting environment. cody also participates in virulence factor expression in many low g+c gram-positive pathogens, as observed in bacillus anthracis. however, the mechanism by which b. anthracis cody regulates metabolism and virulence factors in response to environmental changes is unclear. here, we attempted to identify the link betwee ... | 2016 | 27515669 |
| bacillus anthracis s-layer protein bsla binds to extracellular matrix by interacting with laminin. | the bacillus anthracis s-layer protein, bsla, plays a crucial role in mammalian infection. bsla is required to mediate adherence between host cells and vegetative forms of bacteria and this interaction promotes target organs adherence and blood-brain barrier (bbb) penetration in vivo. this study attempts to identify the potential eukaryotic ligand(s) for b. anthracis bsla protein. | 2016 | 27514510 |
| peptide- and proton-driven allosteric clamps catalyze anthrax toxin translocation across membranes. | anthrax toxin is an intracellularly acting toxin in which sufficient information is available regarding the structure of its transmembrane channel, allowing for detailed investigation of models of translocation. anthrax toxin, comprising three proteins-protective antigen (pa), lethal factor (lf), and edema factor-translocates large proteins across membranes. here we show that the pa translocase channel has a transport function in which its catalytic active sites operate allosterically. we find t ... | 2016 | 27506790 |
| design, synthesis and antimicrobial activity of 6-n-substituted chitosan derivatives. | three novel 6-n-substituted chitosan derivatives were designed and synthesised and characterized by ftir and nmr. the degree of substitution was calculated by elemental analysis results. the antimicrobial activities of the target compounds were evaluated by twofold serial broth dilution method and poisoned food technique. the antifungal activities of 6-aminoethylamino-6-deoxy chitosan (3), 6-butylamino-6-deoxy chitosan (4) and 6-pyridyl-6-deoxy chitosan (5) were significantly increased against r ... | 2016 | 27506558 |
| evidence that oxidative stress induces spxa2 transcription in bacillus anthracis sterne through a mechanism requiring spxa1 and positive autoregulation. | bacillus anthracis possesses two paralogs of the transcriptional regulator, spx. spxa1 and spxa2 interact with rna polymerase (rnap) to activate the transcription of genes implicated in the prevention and alleviation of oxidative protein damage. the spxa2 gene is highly upregulated in infected macrophages, but how this is achieved is unknown. previous studies have shown that the spxa2 gene was under negative control by the rrf2 family repressor protein, sair, whose activity is sensitive to oxida ... | 2016 | 27501985 |
| ca-asp bound x-ray structure and inhibition of bacillus anthracis dihydroorotase (dhoase). | dihydroorotase (dhoase) is the third enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway and is responsible for the reversible cyclization of carbamyl-aspartate (ca-asp) to dihydroorotate (dho). dhoase is further divided into two classes based on several structural characteristics, one of which is the length of the flexible catalytic loop that interacts with the substrate, ca-asp, regulating the enzyme activity. here, we present the crystal structure of class i bacillus anthracis dhoase with ca-a ... | 2016 | 27499369 |
| multivalent chromosomal expression of the clostridium botulinum serotype a neurotoxin heavy-chain antigen and the bacillus anthracis protective antigen in lactobacillus acidophilus. | clostridium botulinum and bacillus anthracis produce potent toxins that cause severe disease in humans. new and improved vaccines are needed for both of these pathogens. for mucosal vaccine delivery using lactic acid bacteria, chromosomal expression of antigens is preferred over plasmid-based expression systems, as chromosomal expression circumvents plasmid instability and the need for antibiotic pressure. in this study, we constructed three strains of lactobacillus acidophilus ncfm expressing f ... | 2016 | 27496774 |
| comparative analysis of the immunologic response induced by the sterne 34f2 live spore bacillus anthracis vaccine in a ruminant model. | the sterne 34f2 live spore vaccine (slsv) developed in 1937 is the most widely used veterinary vaccine against anthrax. however, literature on the immunogenicity of this vaccine in a target ruminant host is scarce. in this study, we evaluated the humoral response to the bacillus anthracis protective antigen (rpa), a recombinant bacillus collagen-like protein of anthracis (rbcla), formaldehyde inactivated spores (fis) prepared from strain 34f2 and a vegetative antigen formulation prepared from a ... | 2016 | 27496738 |
| the roles of atxa orthologs in virulence of anthrax-like bacillus cereus g9241. | atxa is a critical transcriptional regulator of plasmid-encoded virulence genes in bacillus anthracis. bacillus cereus g9241, which caused an anthrax-like infection, has two virulence plasmids, pbcxo1 and pbc210, that each harbor toxin genes and a capsule locus. g9241 also produces two orthologs of atxa: atxa1, encoded on pbcxo1, and atxa2, encoded on pbc210. the amino acid sequence of atxa1 is identical to that of atxa from b. anthracis, while the sequences of atxa1 and atxa2 are 79% identical ... | 2016 | 27490458 |
| preparedness and response to chemical and biological threats: the role of exposure science. | there are multiple components to emergency preparedness and the response to chemical and biological threat agents. the 5rs framework (rescue, reentry, recovery, restoration, and rehabitation) outlines opportunities to apply exposure science in emergency events. exposure science provides guidance and refined tools for characterizing, assessing, and reducing risks from catastrophic events, such as the release of hazardous airborne chemicals or biological agents. important challenges to be met incl ... | 2016 | 27479653 |
| genome sequence of bacillus anthracis strain tangail-1 from bangladesh. | soil was collected in july 2013 at a site where a cow infected with anthrax had been the month before. selective culturing yielded bacillus anthracis strain tangail-1. here, we report the draft genome sequence of this bacillus anthracis isolate that belongs to the canonical a.br.001/002 clade. | 2016 | 27469968 |
| multivalent inhibitors of channel-forming bacterial toxins. | rational design of multivalent molecules represents a remarkable modern tool to transform weak non-covalent interactions into strong binding by creating multiple finely-tuned points of contact between multivalent ligands and their supposed multivalent targets. here, we describe several prominent examples where the multivalent blockers were investigated for their ability to directly obstruct oligomeric channel-forming bacterial exotoxins, such as the pore-forming bacterial toxins and b component ... | 2016 | 27469304 |
| green synthesis of multifunctional silver and gold nanoparticles from the oriental herbal adaptogen: siberian ginseng. | pharmacologically active stem of the oriental herbal adaptogen, siberian ginseng, was employed for the ecofriendly synthesis of siberian ginseng silver nanoparticles (sg-agnps) and siberian ginseng gold nanoparticles (sg-aunps). first, for metabolic characterization of the sample, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (indicated the presence of eleutherosides a and e), total phenol content, and total reducing sugar were analyzed. second, the water extract of the sample mediated ... | 2016 | 27468232 |
| serum paraoxonase activity and oxidative stress levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. | anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by the aerobic sporeforming bacterium bacillus anthracis. it has been suggested that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of b. anthracis. the aim of this study was to investigate serum paraoxonase 1 (pon1) activity, catalase activity, malondialdehyde (mda) levels, and superoxide dismutase (sod) levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. | 2016 | 27461010 |
| a structural, functional, and computational analysis of bsha, the first enzyme in the bacillithiol biosynthesis pathway. | bacillithiol is a compound produced by several gram-positive bacterial species, including the human pathogens staphylococcus aureus and bacillus anthracis. it is involved in maintaining cellular redox balance as well as the destruction of reactive oxygen species and harmful xenobiotic agents, including the antibiotic fosfomycin. bsha, bshb, and bshc are the enzymes involved in bacillithiol biosynthesis. bsha is a retaining glycosyltransferase responsible for the first committed step in bacillith ... | 2016 | 27454321 |
| case report of an anthrax presentation relevant to special operations medicine. | special operations forces (sof) medical personnel function worldwide in environments where endemic anthrax (caused by bacillus anthracis infection) may present in one of three forms: cutaneous, pulmonary, or gastrointestinal. this report presents a rare periocular anthrax case from haiti to emphasize the need for heightened diagnostic suspicion of unusual lesions likely to be encountered in sof theaters. | 2016 | 27450596 |
| nitric oxide production contributes to bacillus anthracis edema toxin-associated arterial hypotension and lethality: ex vivo and in vivo studies in the rat. | we showed previously that bacillus anthracis edema toxin (et), comprised of protective antigen (pa) and edema factor (ef), inhibits phenylephrine (pe)-induced contraction in rat aortic rings and these effects are diminished in endothelial-denuded rings. therefore, employing rat aortic ring and in vivo models, we tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide (no) contributes to et's arterial effects. compared with rings challenged with pa alone, et (pa + ef) reduced pe-stimulated maximal contractile fo ... | 2016 | 27448553 |
| comparison of four commercial dna extraction kits for the recovery of bacillus spp. spore dna from spiked powder samples. | bacillus spp. include human pathogens such as bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax and a biothreat agent. bacillus spp. form spores that are physically highly resistant and may remain active over sample handling. we tested four commercial dna extraction kits (qiaamp dna mini kit, rtp pathogen kit, zr fungal/bacterial dna miniprep, and genesig easy dna/rna extraction kit) for sample inactivation and dna recovery from two powders (icing sugar and potato flour) spiked with bacillus th ... | 2016 | 27435532 |
| bacillus cereus group-type strain-specific diagnostic peptides. | the bacillus cereus group consists of eight very closely related species and comprises both harmless and human pathogenic species such as bacillus anthracis, bacillus cereus, and bacillus cytotoxicus. numerous efforts have been undertaken to allow presumptive differentiation of b. cereus group species from one another. however, methods to rapidly and accurately distinguish these species are currently lacking. we confirmed that classical matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight ... | 2016 | 27432653 |
| sers of meso-droplets supported on superhydrophobic wires allows exquisitely sensitive detection of dipicolinic acid, an anthrax biomarker, considerably below the infective dose. | surface-enhanced raman measurements of <1 μl analyte/colloid meso-droplets on superhydrophobic wires with hydrophilic tips allowed dipicolinic acid, a spore biomarker for bacillus anthracis (anthrax), to be detected at 10(-6) mol dm(-3). this is equivalent to 18 spores, significantly below the infective dose of 10(4) spores and 2 orders of magnitude better than previous measurements. | 2016 | 27432481 |
| efficacy projection of obiltoxaximab for treatment of inhalational anthrax across a range of disease severity. | inhalational anthrax has high mortality even with antibiotic treatment, and antitoxins are now recommended as an adjunct to standard antimicrobial regimens. the efficacy of obiltoxaximab, a monoclonal antibody against anthrax protective antigen (pa), was examined in multiple studies conducted in two animal models of inhalational anthrax. a single intravenous bolus of 1 to 32 mg/kg of body weight obiltoxaximab or placebo was administered to new zealand white rabbits (two studies) and cynomolgus m ... | 2016 | 27431222 |
| obiltoxaximab prevents disseminated bacillus anthracis infection and improves survival during pre- and postexposure prophylaxis in animal models of inhalational anthrax. | the centers for disease control and prevention recommend adjunctive antitoxins when systemic anthrax is suspected. obiltoxaximab, a monoclonal antibody against protective antigen (pa), is approved for treatment of inhalational anthrax in combination with antibiotics and for prophylaxis when alternative therapies are not available. the impact of toxin neutralization with obiltoxaximab during pre- and postexposure prophylaxis was explored, and efficacy results that supported the prophylaxis indica ... | 2016 | 27431219 |
| semicarbazone ega inhibits uptake of diphtheria toxin into human cells and protects cells from intoxication. | diphtheria toxin is a single-chain protein toxin that invades human cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. in acidic endosomes, its translocation domain inserts into endosomal membranes and facilitates the transport of the catalytic domain (dta) from endosomal lumen into the host cell cytosol. here, dta adp-ribosylates elongation factor 2 inhibits protein synthesis and leads to cell death. the compound 4-bromobenzaldehyde n-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)semicarbazone (ega) has been previously shown to pr ... | 2016 | 27428999 |
| flying under the radar: the non-canonical biochemistry and molecular biology of petrobactin from bacillus anthracis. | the dramatic, rapid growth of bacillus anthracis that occurs during systemic anthrax implies a crucial requirement for the efficient acquisition of iron. while recent advances in our understanding of b. anthracis iron acquisition systems indicate the use of strategies similar to other pathogens, this review focuses on unique features of the major siderophore system, petrobactin. ways that petrobactin differs from other siderophores include: a. unique ferric iron binding moieties that allow petro ... | 2016 | 27425635 |
| discovery of a unique extracellular polysaccharide in members of the pathogenic bacillus that can co-form with spores. | an exopolysaccharide, produced during the late stage of stationary growth phase, was discovered and purified from the culture medium of bacillus cereus, bacillus anthracis, and bacillus thuringiensis when strains were grown in a defined nutrient medium that induces biofilm. two-dimensional nmr structural characterization of the polysaccharide, named pzx, revealed that it is composed of an unusual three amino-sugar sequence repeat of [-3)xylnac4oac(α1-3)glcnaca4oac(α1-3)xylnac(α1-]n the sugar res ... | 2016 | 27402849 |
| bacillus anthracis tir domain-containing protein localises to cellular microtubule structures and induces autophagy. | toll-like receptors (tlrs) recognise invading pathogens and mediate downstream immune signalling via toll/il-1 receptor (tir) domains. tir domain proteins (tdps) have been identified in multiple pathogenic bacteria and have recently been implicated as negative regulators of host innate immune activation. a tdp has been identified in bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. here we present the first study of this protein, designated batdp. recombinantly expressed and purified batdp tir ... | 2016 | 27391310 |
| agility in adversity: vaccines on demand. | is the us ready for a biological attack using ebola virus or anthrax? will vaccine developers be able to produce a zika virus vaccine, before the epidemic spreads around the world? a recent report by the blue ribbon study panel on biodefense argues that the us is not ready for these challenges, however, technologies and capabilities that could address these deficiencies are within reach. vaccine technologies have advanced and readiness has improved in recent years, due to advances in sequencing ... | 2016 | 27389971 |
| polio infrastructure strengthened disease outbreak preparedness and response in the who african region. | the continuous deployments of polio resources, infrastructures and systems for responding to other disease outbreaks in many african countries has led to a number of lessons considered as best practice that need to be documented for strengthening preparedness and response activities in future outbreaks. | 2016 | 27378681 |
| generation of a novel chimeric palfn antigen of bacillus anthracis and its immunological characterization in mouse model. | bacillus anthracis chimeric molecule palfn, comprising the immunodominant domains of protective antigen (pa) and lethal factor (lf), has been developed in the past and has been shown to confer enhanced protection against anthrax in mouse model when challenged with anthrax lethal toxin (letx). however, the immunological correlates for this chimeric antigen, both in terms of humoral as well as cell-mediated immune responses, have not been described in detail. to address this gap, we have determine ... | 2016 | 27364624 |
| temperature-mediated recombinant anthrax protective antigen aggregate development: implications for toxin formation and immunogenicity. | anthrax vaccines containing recombinant pa (rpa) as the only antigen face a stability issue: rpa forms aggregates in solution after exposure to temperatures ⩾40°c, thus losing its ability to form lethal toxin (letx) with lethal factor. to study rpa aggregation's impact on immune response, we subjected rpa to several time and temperature combinations. rpa treated at 50°c for 30min formed high mass aggregates when analyzed by gel electrophoresis and failed to form letx as measured by a macrophage ... | 2016 | 27364097 |
| involvement of the pagr gene of pxo2 in anthrax pathogenesis. | anthrax is a disease caused by bacillus anthracis. specifically, the anthrax toxins and capsules encoded by the pxo1 and pxo2 plasmids, respectively, are the major virulence factors. we previously reported that the pxo1 plasmid was retained in the attenuated strain of b. anthracis vaccine strains even after subculturing at high temperatures. in the present study, we reinvestigate the attenuation mechanism of pasteur ii. sequencing of pxo1 and pxo2 from pasteur ii strain revealed mutations in the ... | 2016 | 27363681 |
| evaluation of standardized sample collection, packaging, and decontamination procedures to assess cross-contamination potential during bacillus anthracis incident response operations. | sample collection procedures and primary receptacle (sample container and bag) decontamination methods should prevent contaminant transfer between contaminated and non-contaminated surfaces and areas during bio-incident operations. cross-contamination of personnel, equipment, or sample containers may result in the exfiltration of biological agent from the exclusion (hot) zone and have unintended negative consequences on response resources, activities and outcomes. the current study was designed ... | 2016 | 27362274 |
| solid tumor therapy by selectively targeting stromal endothelial cells. | engineered tumor-targeted anthrax lethal toxin proteins have been shown to strongly suppress growth of solid tumors in mice. these toxins work through the native toxin receptors tumor endothelium marker-8 and capillary morphogenesis protein-2 (cmg2), which, in other contexts, have been described as markers of tumor endothelium. we found that neither receptor is required for tumor growth. we further demonstrate that tumor cells, which are resistant to the toxin when grown in vitro, become highly ... | 2016 | 27357689 |
| is there an infection risk when playing drums contaminated with bacillus anthracis? | this study aims to investigate the aerosol release of a bacillus anthracis spore surrogate from two different types of drums while playing, by; (i) quantifying the number of spores aerosolized during playing; (ii) investigating spore recovery from drums over long time periods, and (iii) measuring differences between (i) and (ii) for two different drums types. | 2016 | 27348508 |
| biochip for the detection of bacillus anthracis lethal factor and therapeutic agents against anthrax toxins. | tethered lipid bilayer membranes (tblms) have been used in many applications, including biosensing and membrane protein structure studies. this report describes a biosensor for anthrax toxins that was fabricated through the self-assembly of a tblm with b. anthracis protective antigen ion channels that are both the recognition element and electrochemical transducer. we characterize the sensor and its properties with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. the sensor ... | 2016 | 27348008 |
| antimicrobial susceptibility of bacillus anthracis strains from hungary. | the susceptibility of 29 bacillus anthracis strains, collected in hungary between 1933 and 2014, was tested to 10 antibiotics with commercially available minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) test strips. all strains were susceptible to amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, doxycycline, gentamicin, penicillin, rifampicin, and vancomycin. intermediate susceptibility to erythromycin and cefotaxime was detected in 17.2% (5/29) and 58.6% (17/29) of the strains, respectively. correlations were no ... | 2016 | 27342086 |
| label-free detection and discrimination of bacterial pathogens based on hemin recognition. | hemin linked to hexa(ethylene glycol)bishydrazide was patterned by inkjet printing into periodic microarrays, and evaluated for their ability to capture bacterial pathogens expressing various hemin receptors. bacterial adhesion was imaged under darkfield conditions with fourier analysis, supporting a label-free method of pathogen detection. hemin microarrays were screened against a panel of 16 bacteria and found capable of capturing multiple species, some with limits of detection as low as 10(3) ... | 2016 | 27337653 |
| spore germination. | despite being resistant to a variety of environmental insults, the bacterial endospore can sense the presence of small molecules and respond by germinating, losing the specialized structures of the dormant spore, and resuming active metabolism, before outgrowing into vegetative cells. our current level of understanding of the spore germination process in bacilli and clostridia is reviewed, with particular emphasis on the germinant receptors characterized in bacillus subtilis, bacillus cereus, an ... | 2015 | 27337279 |
| an outbreak of cutaneous anthrax in yunnan, china. | | 2016 | 27329849 |
| protection of rhesus macaques against inhalational anthrax with a bacillus anthracis capsule conjugate vaccine. | the efficacy of currently licensed anthrax vaccines is largely attributable to a single bacillus anthracis immunogen, protective antigen. to broaden protection against possible strains resistant to protective antigen-based vaccines, we previously developed a vaccine in which the anthrax polyglutamic acid capsule was covalently conjugated to the outer membrane protein complex of neisseria meningitidis serotype b and demonstrated that two doses of 2.5μg of this vaccine conferred partial protection ... | 2016 | 27329184 |