| fusion of laboratory and textual data for investigative bioforensics. | chemical and biological forensic programs focus on the identification of a threat and acquisition of laboratory measurements to determine how a threat agent may have been produced. however, to generate investigative leads, it might also be useful to identify institutions where the same agent has been produced by the same or a very similar process, since the producer of the agent may have learned methods at a university or similar institution. we have developed a bayesian network framework that f ... | 2013 | 23313599 |
| new aspects of the infection mechanisms of bacillus anthracis. | articles concerning new aspects of b. anthracis mechanisms of infection were reviewed. it was found, that the hair follicle plays an important role in the spore germination process. the hair follicle represent an important portal of entry in the course of the cutaneous form of disease infections. after mouse exposition to aerosol of spores prepared from b. anthracis strains, an increase in the level of tnf-α cytokines was observed. the tnf-α cytokines were produced after intrusion into the host ... | 2012 | 23311776 |
| anthrax drug first antibacterial mab to win approval. | | 2013 | 23302914 |
| study of charge distribution on the surface of biocolloids. | potentiometric titration and zeta potential measurements are crucial techniques for the characterization of the surface properties of bacterial cells. in this study, we investigated the effects of two commonly used electrolytes, nano(3) and naclo(4), on the viability and acid-base properties of gram-positive bacteria bacillus subtilis. b. subtilis are non-pathogenic bacteria which are often used to model the surface properties of pathogenic microorganisms of the same genus, including bacillus an ... | 2013 | 23298596 |
| identification of cody targets in bacillus anthracis by genome-wide in vitro binding analysis. | in gram-positive bacteria, cody is an important regulator of genes whose expression changes under conditions of nutrient limitation. bacillus anthracis cody represses or activates directly or indirectly approximately 500 genes. affinity purification of cody-dna complexes was used to identify the direct targets of cody. of the 389 dna binding sites that were copurified with cody, 132 sites were in or near the regulatory regions governing the expression of 197 cody-controlled genes, indicating tha ... | 2013 | 23292769 |
| computational studies on molecular interactions of 6-thioguanosine analogs with anthrax toxin receptor 1. | dormant endospores of bacillus anthracis are the causative agent of anthrax, which is an acute disease for both human and animals. anthrax has been practised as biological weapon because of two attributes: i) short duration of spore germination, and ii) lethal toxaemia of the vegetative stage. pathogenesis is caused by the activity of edema toxin and lethal toxin. protective antigen (pa), is an essential component of both complexes, binds to anthrax toxin receptor (atr) and mediates the lethalit ... | 2012 | 23292691 |
| targeting her2-positive cancer cells with receptor-redirected anthrax protective antigen. | targeted therapeutics have emerged in recent years as an attractive approach to treating various types of cancer. one approach is to modify a cytocidal protein toxin to direct its action to a specific population of cancer cells. we created a targeted toxin in which the receptor-binding and pore-forming moiety of anthrax toxin, termed protective antigen (pa), was modified to redirect its receptor specificity to her2, a marker expressed at the surface of a significant fraction of breast and ovaria ... | 2013 | 23290417 |
| development of a high throughput assay for indirectly measuring phage growth using the omnilog(tm) system. | the conventional and most accepted method of measuring the lytic activity of a phage against its bacterial host is the plaque assay. this method is laborious, time consuming and expensive, especially in high throughput analyses where multiple phage-bacterial interactions are required to be monitored simultaneously. it can also vary considerably with the experimenter and by the growth and plating conditions. alternatively, the lytic activity can be measured indirectly by following the decrease in ... | 2012 | 23275867 |
| an investigation of a cluster of parapoxvirus cases in missouri, feb-may 2006: epidemiologic, clinical and molecular aspects. | in the spring of 2006, four human cases of parapoxvirus infections in missouri residents were reported to the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc), two of which were initially diagnosed as cutaneous anthrax. this investigation was conducted to determine the level of recognition of zoonotic parapoxvirus infections and prevention measures, the degree to which veterinarians may be consulted on human infections and what forces were behind this perceived increase in reported infections. i ... | 2013 | 26487314 |
| fast identification of yersinia pestis, bacillus anthracis and francisella tularensis based on conventional pcr. | rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for detection and identification of y pestis, b. anthracis and f. tularensis are essential for timely initial appropriate treatment of exposed individuals, which will be critical to their survival, as well as for reduction of the public health impact and the spread of the disease. the paper presents application of fast polymerases and fast dry electrophoresis in conventional pcr as an alternative for real-time pcr application for detection and identification o ... | 2013 | 24730142 |
| genetic populations of bacillus anthracis isolates from korea. | bacillus (b.) anthracis is the pathogen that causes fatal anthrax. strain-specific detection of this bacterium using molecular approaches has enhanced our knowledge of microbial population genetics. in the present study, we employed molecular approaches including multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (mlva) and canonical single-nucleotide polymorphism (cansnp) analysis to perform molecular typing of b. anthracis strains isolated in korea. according to the mlva, 17 b. anthracis is ... | 2012 | 23271180 |
| serodiagnosis of human cutaneous anthrax in india using an indirect anti-lethal factor igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. | anthrax, caused by bacillus anthracis, is primarily a zoonotic disease. being a public health problem also in several developing countries, its early diagnosis is very important in human cases. in this study, we describe the use of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for detection of anti-lethal factor (anti-lf) igg in human serum samples. a panel of 203 human serum samples consisting of 50 samples from patients with confirmed cutaneous anthrax, 93 samples from healthy controls ... | 2013 | 23269414 |
| injection anthrax--a new outbreak in heroin users. | injection anthrax is a rare disease that affects heroin users and is caused by bacillus anthracis. in 2012, there were four cases in germany, one of which was fatal, as well as a small number of cases in other european countries, including denmark, france, and the united kingdom. three cases among drug users occurred in germany in 2009/2010, in the setting of a larger outbreak centered on scotland, where there were 119 cases. case presentation and clinical course: we present three cases of injec ... | 2012 | 23267409 |
| anthrax receptors position the spindle. | spindle orientation plays a pivotal role in tissue morphogenesis. an asymmetric anthrax receptor cap is revealed to promote activation of a formin to orient the spindle along the planar cell polarity (pcp) axis in zebrafish dorsal epiblast cells. | 2013 | 23263369 |
| use of medical simulation to teach bioterrorism preparedness: the anthrax example. | the 2001 anthrax bioterrorism attacks demonstrated vulnerability for future similar attacks. this article describes mechanisms that can be used to prepare the medical community and healthcare facilities for the diagnosis and management of a subsequent bioterrorism attack should such an event occur and the fundamentals of medical simulation and its use in teaching learners about the diagnosis of management of anthrax exposure. | 2013 | 23263314 |
| preparedness of rural physicians for bioterrorist events in florida. | human-induced public health emergencies such as the anthrax bioterrorism event and the terrorism events of september 11, 2001 in the united states have increased awareness of the nation's vulnerability to large-scale emergencies. scant attention has been given to preparing physicians in sparsely populated areas for public health emergencies. this study introduces a conceptual model developed from participants' responses that can be used to improve our understanding of rural physicians' preparedn ... | 2013 | 23263309 |
| comparison of single domain antibody immobilization strategies evaluated by surface plasmon resonance. | the use of single domain antibodies (sdabs) in place of conventional antibodies for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications continues to grow. sdabs offer a number of advantages when compared to conventional antibodies such as their small size and low structural complexity which allows them to readily be produced as fusions in a variety formats. in this work we compared the utility of various c-terminal fusions and immobilization strategies for two sdabs; one which recognizes ricin and the ... | 2013 | 23261918 |
| infections with spore-forming bacteria in persons who inject drugs, 2000-2009. | since 2000 in the united kingdom, infections caused by spore-forming bacteria have been associated with increasing illness and death among persons who inject drugs (pwid). to assess temporal and geographic trends in these illnesses (botulism, tetanus, clostridium novyi infection, and anthrax), we compared rates across england and scotland for 2000-2009. overall, 295 infections were reported: 1.45 per 1,000 pwid in england and 4.01 per 1,000 pwid in scotland. the higher rate in scotland was mainl ... | 2013 | 23260795 |
| a field usable qualitative anti-protective antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human anthrax. | although all mammals, including humans, are vulnerable when they come into direct contact with infected animals, anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals. in countries like india, cutaneous anthrax is a public health problem in several regions. hence, a simple and efficacious serodiagnostic assay for large scale surveillance of endemic populations is required. in the present study, a field-usable, qualitative elisa was developed for serodiagnosis of human anthrax. results are assess ... | 2013 | 23252995 |
| effects of epidemic diseases on the distribution of bonobos. | this study examined how outbreaks and the occurrence of anthrax, ebola, monkeypox and trypanosomiasis may differentially affect the distribution of bonobos (pan paniscus). using a combination of mapping, jaccard overlapping coefficients and binary regressions, the study determined how each disease correlated with the extent of occurrence of, and the areas occupied by, bonobos. anthrax has only been reported to occur outside the range of bonobos and so was not considered further. ebola, monkeypox ... | 2012 | 23251431 |
| plasma bacterial and mitochondrial dna distinguish bacterial sepsis from sterile systemic inflammatory response syndrome and quantify inflammatory tissue injury in nonhuman primates. | systemic inflammatory response syndrome (sirs) is a fundamental host response common to bacterial infection and sterile tissue injury. systemic inflammatory response syndrome can cause organ dysfunction and death, but its mechanisms are incompletely understood. moreover, sirs can progress to organ failure or death despite being sterile or after control of the inciting infection. biomarkers discriminating between sepsis, sterile sirs, and postinfective sirs would therefore help direct care. circu ... | 2013 | 23247122 |
| public response to an anthrax attack: a multiethnic perspective. | the 2001 anthrax attacks emphasized the need to develop outreach that would more effectively support racial/ethnic minority populations during a bioterrorism incident. given the importance of antibiotic prophylaxis in a future anthrax attack, it should be a priority to better support racial/ethnic minorities in mass dispensing programs. to examine the needs and perspectives of racial/ethnic minorities, this study used a nationally representative poll of 1,852 adults, including 1,240 whites, 261 ... | 2012 | 23244501 |
| bacillus anthracis acetyltransferases pata1 and pata2 modify the secondary cell wall polysaccharide and affect the assembly of s-layer proteins. | the envelope of bacillus anthracis encompasses a proteinaceous s-layer with two s-layer proteins (sap and ea1). protein assembly in the envelope of b. anthracis requires s-layer homology domains (slh) within s-layer proteins and s-layer-associated proteins (bsls), which associate with the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (scwp), an acetylated carbohydrate that is tethered to peptidoglycan. here, we investigated the contributions of two putative acetyltransferases, pata1 and pata2, on scwp acet ... | 2013 | 23243307 |
| rapid deamidation of recombinant protective antigen when adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide gel correlates with reduced potency of vaccine. | deamidation of the recombinant protective antigen (rpa) correlates with decreased effectiveness of the vaccine in protecting against infection by bacillus anthracis. we present data demonstrating dramatic deamidation of amino acid positions 713 and 719 of rpa adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide gel, an adjuvant, relative to rpa stored in solution without adjuvant. although deamidation did not impact total levels of rpa-specific antibodies in a mouse model, it did correlate with a decrease in toxin- ... | 2013 | 23242822 |
| analysing the spatial patterns of livestock anthrax in kazakhstan in relation to environmental factors: a comparison of local (gi*) and morphology cluster statistics. | we compared a local clustering and a cluster morphology statistic using anthrax outbreaks in large (cattle) and small (sheep and goats) domestic ruminants across kazakhstan. the getis-ord (gi*) statistic and a multidirectional optimal ecotope algorithm (amoeba) were compared using 1st, 2nd and 3rd order rook contiguity matrices. multivariate statistical tests were used to evaluate the environmental signatures between clusters and non-clusters from the amoeba and gi* tests. a logistic regression ... | 2012 | 23242686 |
| critical challenges and impediments affecting rural physicians during a public health emergency. | disaster preparedness has become a health policy priority for the united states in the aftermath of the anthrax attacks, 9/11, and other calamities. it is important for rural health care professionals to be prepared for a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency. we sought to determine the barriers impeding rural physicians from being prepared for a human-induced disaster such as a bioterrorist attack. | 2012 | 23241464 |
| the differential susceptibility of spores from virulent and attenuated bacillus anthracis strains to aldehyde- and hypochlorite-based disinfectants. | this study compared the sensitivity of spores from virulent and attenuated bacillus anthracis strains in suspension to inactivation by various chemical disinfectants. spore suspensions from two virulent strains (a0256 and a0372) and two attenuated strains (sterne and a0141) of b. anthracis were tested against two aldehyde-based disinfectants and one hypochlorite-based disinfectant. a novel statistical model was used to estimate 4-log(10) reduction times for each disinfectant/strain combination. ... | 2012 | 23233190 |
| coumarin-based inhibitors of bacillus anthracis and staphylococcus aureus replicative dna helicase: chemical optimization, biological evaluation, and antibacterial activities. | the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial infections demands the development of new antibacterials that are not subject to existing mechanisms of resistance. previously, we described coumarin-based inhibitors of an underexploited bacterial target, namely the replicative helicase. here we report the synthesis and evaluation of optimized coumarin-based inhibitors with 9-18-fold increased potency against staphylococcus aureus (sa) and bacillus anthracis (ba) helicases. compounds 20 and ... | 2012 | 23231076 |
| [detection and identification of highly pathogenic bacteria within the framework of the eqadeba project--part ii: samples containing inactivated pathogens]. | the aim of the studies was analysis of methods applied and results of detection and identification of bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis, brucella sp., bulkholderia mallei and b. pseudomallei in inactivated samples obtained within the framework of the third external quality assessment exercise (eqae) in the project ,,establishment of quality assurances for detection of highly pathogenic bacteria of potential bioterrorism risk (eqadeba)". | 2012 | 23230707 |
| activation of the nlrp1b inflammasome by reduction of cytosolic atp. | the efficacy of the innate immune system depends on its ability to mount an appropriate response to diverse infections and damaging agents. key components of this system are pattern recognition receptors that detect pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns (pamps and damps). nlrp1b is a pattern recognition receptor that forms a caspase-1 activation platform, known as an inflammasome, upon sensing the proteolytic activity of anthrax lethal toxin. the activation of caspase-1 le ... | 2013 | 23230290 |
| anthrax infection in an intravenous drug user. | | 2013 | 23229347 |
| cyclopentane-peptide nucleic acids for qualitative, quantitative, and repetitive detection of nucleic acids. | we report the development of chemically modified peptide nucleic acids (pnas) as probes for qualitative and quantitative detection of dna. the remarkable stability of pnas toward enzymatic degradation makes this class of molecules ideal to develop as part of a diagnostic device that can be used outside of a laboratory setting. using an enzyme-linked reporter assay, we demonstrate that excellent levels of detection and accuracy for anthrax dna can be achieved using pna probes with suitable chemic ... | 2013 | 23214925 |
| recovery balance: a method for estimating losses in a bacillus anthracis spore sampling protocol. | the aim of this study was to develop a method to calculate the performance, and isolate error contributions occurring in a microbial surface sampling protocol. | 2013 | 23210624 |
| [safe from biothreats? legislation protects you and society]. | the 9/11 terror attacks, followed by mailing of letters containing anthrax spores, changed our comprehension on threats towards modern society. finland is committed by international treaties to develop biosafety and biosecurity legislation, and general awareness of the legislation. however, the rapidly developing field of biosciences cannot be extensively regulated by legislation. awareness of the risks and challenges involved in handling of biological agents is an important tool in threat preve ... | 2012 | 23210284 |
| dna sequence detection based on raman spectroscopy using single walled carbon nanotube. | a biosensor for detection of dna sequence in bacterium bacillus anthracis has been developed using raman spectrum of single walled carbon nanotubes (swnts). we have utilized the fact that being hydrophobic in nature single strand of target dna (diseased dna) gets wrapped over swnt surface forming single stranded dna-swnt complex. the sensing ability of this sensor has been studied using the dependency of g peak intensity (in the raman spectrum of swnts) on the covered surface of swnts. when a dn ... | 2013 | 23207369 |
| rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spores using a super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunological detection system. | there is an urgent need for convenient, sensitive, and specific methods to detect the spores of bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, because of the bioterrorism threat posed by this bacterium. in this study, we firstly develop a super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunological detection system for b. anthracis spores. this system involves the use of a portable magnetic assay reader, super-paramagnetic iron oxide particles, lateral-flow strips and two different monoclonal antibodies d ... | 2013 | 23206542 |
| bacillus cereus g9241 s-layer assembly contributes to the pathogenesis of anthrax-like disease in mice. | bacillus cereus g9241, the causative agent of anthrax-like disease, harbors virulence plasmids encoding anthrax toxins as well as hyaluronic acid (ha) and b. cereus exopolysaccharide (bps) capsules. b. cereus g9241 also harbors s-layer genes, including homologs of bacillus anthracis surface array protein (sap), extractable antigen 1 (ea1), and the s-layer-associated proteins (bsls). in b. anthracis, s-layer proteins and bsls attach via their s-layer homology domains (slh) to the secondary cell w ... | 2013 | 23204457 |
| anthrax toxin receptor 2a controls mitotic spindle positioning. | oriented mitosis is essential during tissue morphogenesis. the wnt/planar cell polarity (wnt/pcp) pathway orients mitosis in a number of developmental systems, including dorsal epiblast cell divisions along the animal-vegetal (a-v) axis during zebrafish gastrulation. how wnt signalling orients the mitotic plane is, however, unknown. here we show that, in dorsal epiblast cells, anthrax toxin receptor 2a (antxr2a) accumulates in a polarized cortical cap, which is aligned with the embryonic a-v axi ... | 2013 | 23201782 |
| monoclonal antibody against the poly-gamma-d-glutamic acid capsule of bacillus anthracis protects mice from enhanced lethal toxin activity due to capsule and anthrax spore challenge. | the poly-gamma-d-glutamic acid (pga) capsule, a major virulence factor of bacillus anthracis, protects bacilli from immune surveillance and allows its unimpeded growth in the host. recently, the importance of the pga in the pathogenesis of anthrax infection has been reported. the pga capsule is associated with lethal toxin (lt) in the blood of experimentally infected animals and enhances the cytotoxicity of lt. | 2013 | 23201204 |
| recombinant expression and purification of a tumor-targeted toxin in bacillus anthracis. | many recombinant therapeutic proteins are purified from escherichia coli. while expression in e. coli is easily achieved, some disadvantages such as protein aggregation, formation of inclusion bodies, and contamination of purified proteins with the lipopolysaccharides arise. lipopolysaccharides have to be removed to prevent inflammatory responses in patients. use of the gram-positive bacillus anthracis as an expression host offers a solution to circumvent these problems. using the multiple prote ... | 2013 | 23200832 |
| role of mechanical vs. chemical action in the removal of adherent bacillus spores during cip procedures. | this study was designed to evaluate the respective roles of mechanical and chemical effects on the removal of bacillus spores during cleaning-in-place. this analysis was performed on 12 strains belonging to the bacillus cereus group (b. cereus, bacillus anthracis, bacillus thuringiensis) or to less related bacillus species (bacillus pumilus, bacillus licheniformis, bacillus sporothermodurans, bacillus subtilis). adherent spores were subjected to rinsing-in-place (mechanical action) and cleaning- ... | 2013 | 23200646 |
| perhydrolase-nanotube paint composites with sporicidal and antiviral activity. | act (perhydrolase) containing paint composites were prepared leading to broad-spectrum decontamination. act was immobilized onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (mwnts) and then incorporated into latex-based paints to form catalytic coatings. these act-based paint composites showed a 6-log reduction in the viability of spores of bacillus cereus and bacillus anthracis (sterne) within 60 min. the paint composites also showed >4-log reduction in the titer of influenza virus (x-31) within 10 min (init ... | 2013 | 23188457 |
| bacillus anthracis-derived nitric oxide induces protein s-nitrosylation contributing to macrophage death. | bacillus anthracis, a causative agent of anthrax, is able to germinate and survive within macrophages. a recent study suggested that b. anthracis-derived nitric oxide (bno) is a key aspect of bacterial defense that protects bacterial dna from oxidative burst in the macrophages. however, the virulent effect of bno in host cells has not been investigated. here, we report that bno contributes macrophage killing by s-nitrosylation of bioenergetic-relating proteins within mitochondria. toxigenic ster ... | 2013 | 23178574 |
| phenotypic changes in spores and vegetative cells of bacillus anthracis associated with benk. | a transposon insertional mutagenesis spore library of the pathogen bacillus anthracis was screened to identify mutants altered in germination kinetics. one mutant exhibited an accelerated rate of germination in association with disruption of benk. this gene encodes a putative protein with high homology to membrane transporters that facilitate benzoate transport. we hypothesized that benk may not be only spore associated, but also have a vegetative cell role. a reporter strain with a translationa ... | 2013 | 23178382 |
| using a bacteriocin structure to engineer a phage lysin that targets yersinia pestis. | purified phage lysins present an alternative to traditional antibiotics and work by hydrolysing peptidoglycan. phage lysins have been developed against gram-positive pathogens such as bacillus anthracis and streptococcus pneumoniae, where the peptidoglycan layer is exposed on the cell surface. addition of the lysin to a bacterial culture results in rapid death of the organism. gram-negative bacteria are resistant to phage lysins because they contain an outer membrane that protects the peptidogly ... | 2012 | 23176506 |
| activated protein c ameliorates bacillus anthracis lethal toxin-induced lethal pathogenesis in rats. | lethal toxin (lt) is a major virulence factor of bacillus anthracis. sprague dawley rats manifest pronounced lung edema and shock after lt treatments, resulting in high mortality. the heart failure that is induced by lt has been suggested to be a principal mechanism of lung edema and mortality in rodents. since lt-induced death occurs more rapidly in rats than in mice, suggesting that other mechanisms in addition to the heart dysfunction may be contributed to the fast progression of lt-induced p ... | 2012 | 23170801 |
| clinical and forensic signs related to opioids abuse. | for a good performance in clinical and forensic toxicology it is important to be aware of the biological and non-biological signs and symptoms related to xenobiotic exposure. this manuscript highlights and analyzes clinical and forensic imaging related to opioids abuse critically. particularly, respiratory depression, track marks and hemorrhages, skin "popping", practices of phlebotomy, tissue necrosis and ulceration, dermatitis, tongue hyperpigmentation, "coma blisters", intra-arterial administ ... | 2012 | 23170787 |
| anthrax cases in pregnant and postpartum women: a systematic review. | to describe the worldwide experience of bacillus anthracis infection reported in pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women. | 2012 | 23168771 |
| detection of multiple waterborne pathogens using microsequencing arrays. | a microarray was developed to simultaneously detect cryptosporidium parvum, cryptosporidium hominis, enterococcus faecium, bacillus anthracis and francisella tularensis in water. | 2013 | 23167710 |
| inactivation of bacillus anthracis spores by single-walled carbon nanotubes coupled with oxidizing antimicrobial chemicals. | in this study, we investigated the sporicidal effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes (swcnts) and swcnts combined with oxidizing antimicrobial chemicals, h₂o₂ and naocl, on b. anthracis spores. the results indicated that treatment with swcnts alone exhibited little sporicidal effect on b. anthracis spores, while treatment with h₂o₂ or naocl alone showed moderate sporicidal effect. the combination treatment with swcnts (100 μg/ml) and h₂o₂ (1.5%) or naocl (0.25%) exhibited much stronger sporic ... | 2012 | 23167544 |
| [analysis of outbreak of anthrax in omsk region in 2010]. | carrying out analysis of epizootologic-epidemiologic situation on anthrax that had emerged in omsk region in 2010 when horse meat from epizootic focus of anthrax was used in production of meat semi-finished products. | 2012 | 23163033 |
| anthrax lethal factor cleaves mouse nlrp1b in both toxin-sensitive and toxin-resistant macrophages. | anthrax lethal factor (lf) is the protease component of anthrax lethal toxin (lt). lt induces pyroptosis in macrophages of certain inbred mouse and rat strains, while macrophages from other inbred strains are resistant to the toxin. in rats, the sensitivity of macrophages to toxin-induced cell death is determined by the presence of an lf cleavage sequence in the inflammasome sensor nlrp1. lf cleaves rat nlrp1 of toxin-sensitive macrophages, activating caspase-1 and inducing cell death. toxin-res ... | 2012 | 23152930 |
| in vivo germination of bacillus anthracis spores during murine cutaneous infection. | germination is a key step for successful bacillus anthracis colonization and systemic dissemination. few data are available on spore germination in vivo, and the necessity of spore and host cell interactions to initiate germination is unclear. | 2013 | 23148288 |
| long genomic dna amplicons adsorption onto unmodified gold nanoparticles for colorimetric detection of bacillus anthracis. | unmodified gold nanoparticles (gnps) can be wrapped with long genomic single- and double-stranded dna (ssdna and dsdna) molecules produced by asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (as-pcr). more importantly, the dna-au interaction can be utilized for colorimetric detection of a specific nucleic acid sequence in clinical samples. | 2013 | 23145437 |
| estimated copy number of bacillus anthracis plasmids pxo1 and pxo2 using digital pcr. | we evaluated digital pcr (dpcr) to directly enumerate plasmid and chromosome copies in three strains of bacillus anthracis. copy number estimates based on conventional quantitative pcr (qpcr) highlighted the variability of using qpcr to measure copy number whereas estimates based on direct sequencing are comparable to dpcr. | 2013 | 23142659 |
| anthrax epizootic and migration: persistence or extinction. | in this paper, we use an extension of the deterministic mathematical model of an anthrax epizootic of hahn and furniss to study the effects of anthrax transmission, carcass ingestion, carcass induced environmental contamination, and migration rates on the persistence or extinction of animal populations. we compute the basic reproduction number r(0) for the anthrax epizootic model with and without taking into account animal migration. we obtained conditions for an anthrax enzootic region. we demo ... | 2013 | 23137874 |
| ability of elisa and a toxin neutralization assay to detect changes in immunogenicity of a recombinant bacillus anthracis protective antigen vaccine upon storage. | we examined the capability of a mouse immunogenicity assay to detect improper storage of a recombinant protective antigen (rpa)-based anthrax vaccine formulated with an aluminum adjuvant, using elisa and a toxin neutralization assay (tna) to measure the antibody response to rpa. the vaccine was stored at 4 °c, room temperature (rt) or 37 °c for one, four and eight weeks and used for immunization, along with freshly prepared vaccine. results showed that, contrary to elisa, tna is suitable to dete ... | 2013 | 23137818 |
| cardiac-specific catalase overexpression rescues anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction: role of oxidative stress and autophagy. | lethal and edema toxins secreted by bacillus anthracis during anthrax infection were found to incite serious cardiovascular complications. however, the underlying mechanisms in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac anomalies remain unknown. this study was designed to evaluate the impact of antioxidant enzyme catalase in anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction. | 2012 | 23134810 |
| a novel mode of regulation of the staphylococcus aureus catabolite control protein a (ccpa) mediated by stk1 protein phosphorylation. | the staphylococcus aureus serine/threonine protein kinase stk1 (also known as pknb) affects different key pathways such as cell wall metabolism, antibiotic susceptibility, and regulation of virulence. here we report that the catabolite control protein a (ccpa), a highly conserved regulator of carbon catabolite repression and virulence in a number of gram-positive pathogens, was efficiently phosphorylated in vitro and in vivo by stk1 in s. aureus, whereas the ccpa homologues of bacillus subtilis ... | 2012 | 23132867 |
| poly-γ-(d)-glutamic acid capsule interferes with lytic infection of bacillus anthracis by b. anthracis-specific bacteriophages. | the poly-γ-d-glutamic acid capsule of bacillus anthracis is a barrier to infection by b. anthracis-specific bacteriophages. capsule expression was found to completely inhibit lytic infection by γ phage, an observation supported by the demonstration that this phage does not elaborate a hydrolase that would facilitate penetration through the protective capsule outer layer. | 2013 | 23124233 |
| cell-wall preparation containing poly-γ-d-glutamate covalently linked to peptidoglycan, a straightforward extractable molecule, protects mice against experimental anthrax infection. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax that is characterized by septicemia and toxemia. many vaccine strategies were described to counteract anthrax infection. in contrast with veterinary live vaccines, currently human vaccines are acellular with the protective antigen, a toxin component, as the main constituent. however, in animal models this vaccine is less efficient than the live vaccine. in this study, we analyzed the protection afforded by a single extractable surface element. ... | 2012 | 23122993 |
| [present status and prospects for the detection of bacillus anthracis--a review]. | anthrax, as a fulminating infectious disease, threatens human' s health seriously. bacillus anthracis, the agent of anthrax, was classified into the second kinds of pathogenic microorganisms (one kind of the highly pathogenic microorganism) in the list of human pathogenic microorganisms issued by the chinese government. the spores formed by b. anthracis are potential material for biological warfare agent and biological terror. therefore, it is very important and pressing to develop sensitive, ef ... | 2012 | 23115964 |
| electrostatic ratchet in the protective antigen channel promotes anthrax toxin translocation. | central to the power-stroke and brownian-ratchet mechanisms of protein translocation is the process through which nonequilibrium fluctuations are rectified or ratcheted by the molecular motor to transport substrate proteins along a specific axis. we investigated the ratchet mechanism using anthrax toxin as a model. anthrax toxin is a tripartite toxin comprised of the protective antigen (pa) component, a homooligomeric transmembrane translocase, which translocates two other enzyme components, let ... | 2012 | 23115233 |
| use of site-directed mutagenesis to model the effects of spontaneous deamidation on the immunogenicity of bacillus anthracis protective antigen. | long-term stability is a desired characteristic of vaccines, especially anthrax vaccines, which must be stockpiled for large-scale use in an emergency situation; however, spontaneous deamidation of purified vaccine antigens has the potential to adversely affect vaccine immunogenicity over time. in order to explore whether spontaneous deamidation of recombinant protective antigen (rpa)--the major component of new-generation anthrax vaccines--affects vaccine immunogenicity, we created a "genetical ... | 2013 | 23115046 |
| immunization of mice with formalin-inactivated spores from avirulent bacillus cereus strains provides significant protection from challenge with bacillus anthracis ames. | bacillus anthracis spores are the infectious form of the organism for humans and animals. however, the approved human vaccine in the united states is derived from a vegetative culture filtrate of a toxigenic, nonencapsulated b. anthracis strain that primarily contains protective antigen (pa). immunization of mice with purified spore proteins and formalin-inactivated spores (fis) from a nonencapsulated, nontoxigenic b. anthracis strain confers protection against b. anthracis challenge when pa is ... | 2013 | 23114705 |
| in vivo murine and in vitro m-like cell models of gastrointestinal anthrax. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax and is acquired by three routes of infection: inhalational, gastrointestinal and cutaneous. gastrointestinal (gi) anthrax is rare, but can rapidly result in severe, systemic disease that is fatal in 25%-60% of cases. disease mechanisms of gi anthrax remain unclear due to limited numbers of clinical cases and the lack of experimental animal models. here, we developed an in vivo murine model of gi anthrax where spore survival was maximized throu ... | 2013 | 23108317 |
| multi-platform comparison of ten commercial master mixes for probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction detection of bioterrorism threat agents for surge preparedness. | the centers for disease control and prevention and united states army research institute for infectious diseases have developed real-time pcr assays for the detection of bioterrorism threat agents. these assays all rely on a limited number of approved real-time pcr master mixes. because the availability of these reagents is a critical element of bioterrorism preparedness, we undertook a joint national preparedness exercise to address the potential surge needs resulting from a large-scale bio-eme ... | 2012 | 23107058 |
| draft genome sequence of bacillus anthracis bf-1, isolated from bavarian cattle. | bacillus anthracis bf-1 was isolated from a cow in bavaria (germany) that had succumbed to anthrax. here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain, which belongs to the european b2 subclade of b. anthracis. the closest phylogenetic neighbor of strain bf-1 is a strain isolated from cattle in france. | 2012 | 23105087 |
| outbreak of cutaneous anthrax in musalimadugu village, chittoor district, andhra pradesh, india, july-august 2011. | in august 2011, chittoor district authorities reported a cluster of suspected human anthrax cases to the andhra pradesh state surveillance unit. we investigated this cluster to confirm its etiology, describe its magnitude, identify potential risk factors, and make recommendations for preventing similar outbreaks in the future. | 2012 | 23103890 |
| kinetics and thermodynamics of binding reactions as exemplified by anthrax toxin channel blockage with a cationic cyclodextrin derivative. | the thermodynamics of binding reactions is usually studied in the framework of the linear van't hoff analysis of the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant. the logarithm of the equilibrium constant is plotted versus inverse temperature to discriminate between two terms: an enthalpic contribution that is linear in the inverse temperature, and a temperature-independent entropic contribution. when we apply this approach to a particular case-blockage of the anthrax pa(63) channel by a m ... | 2012 | 23100532 |
| an adenovirus-vectored nasal vaccine confers rapid and sustained protection against anthrax in a single-dose regimen. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, and its spores have been developed into lethal bioweapons. to mitigate an onslaught from airborne anthrax spores that are maliciously disseminated, it is of paramount importance to develop a rapid-response anthrax vaccine that can be mass administered by nonmedical personnel during a crisis. we report here that intranasal instillation of a nonreplicating adenovirus vector encoding b. anthracis protective antigen could confer rapid and sustain ... | 2013 | 23100479 |
| identification of bacillus anthracis via raman spectroscopy and chemometric approaches. | raman micro-spectroscopy was applied to compile a large-scale database of raman spectra of single bacillus endospores and to calculate classification functions, which were trained to discriminate between endospores of 66 strains from 13 bacillus and bacillus-related species including b. anthracis. the developed two-stage classification system comprising two support vector machines and one linear discriminant analysis classifier was then challenged by a test set of 27 samples to simulate the case ... | 2012 | 23098322 |
| whole genome sequencing of phage resistant bacillus anthracis mutants reveals an essential role for cell surface anchoring protein csab in phage ap50c adsorption. | spontaneous bacillus anthracis mutants resistant to infection by phage ap50c (ap50r) exhibit a mucoid colony phenotype and secrete an extracellular matrix. | 2012 | 23098174 |
| screen for agents that induce autolysis in bacillus subtilis. | the growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections underscores the need to discover new antibiotics and to use them with maximum effectiveness. in response to these needs, we describe a screening protocol for the discovery of autolysis-inducing agents that uses two bacillus subtilis reporter strains, sh-536 and bau-102. to screen chemical libraries, autolysis-inducing agents were first identified with a bau-102-based screen and then subdivided with sh-536 into two major groups: those that ... | 2013 | 23089762 |
| [joining forces in the fight against epidemics--priority task in cooperation between russia and kazakhstan]. | this problem has historically existed for russia and kazakhstan. traditionally plague, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever anthrax, cholera, and other diseases have been a matter of greater public health concern in the above countries. under russia's chairmanship in the group of eight in 2006 and in the shanghai cooperation organization in 2008-2009, these countries were first to join their effects to control epidemics. as for kazakhstan, its cooperation with russia has been reinforced only by a sol ... | 2012 | 23088106 |
| the contribution of residents who cooperate with ring-vaccination measures against smallpox epidemic. | establishing containment measures against the potential spread of the smallpox virus has become a major issue in the public health field since the 2001 anthrax attacks in the united states. the primary objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between the level of activity of public health agencies and the voluntary cooperation of residents with ring-vaccination measures against a smallpox epidemic. | 2012 | 23077270 |
| disrupting the luxs quorum sensing gene does not significantly affect bacillus anthracis virulence in mice or guinea pigs. | many bacterial species use secreted quorum-sensing autoinducer molecules to regulate cell density- and growth phase-dependent gene expression, including virulence factor production, as sufficient environmental autoinducer concentrations are achieved. bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, contains a functional autoinducer (ai-2) system, which appears to regulate virulence gene expression. to determine if the ai-2 system is necessary for disease, we constructed a luxs ai-2 synthase-d ... | 2012 | 23076278 |
| multilocus sequence analysis of bacillus thuringiensis serovars navarrensis, bolivia and vazensis and bacillus weihenstephanensis reveals a common phylogeny. | the bacillus cereus group sensu lato includes six closely-related bacterial species: bacillus cereus, bacillus anthracis, bacillus thuringiensis, bacillus mycoides, bacillus pseudomycoides and bacillus weihenstephanensis. b. thuringiensis is distinguished from the other species mainly by the appearance of an inclusion body upon sporulation. b. weihenstephanensis is distinguished based on its psychrotolerance and the presence of specific signature sequences in the 16s rrna gene and cspa genes. a ... | 2013 | 23073664 |
| rational design of a fluorescent receptor for the recognition of anthrax biomarker dipicolinate. | a new carbazole-2,7-dicarboxamide derivative has been synthesised and has been proved to effectively bind the dipicolinate anion, which is commonly used as an anthrax biomarker. the fluorescent response from this synthetic receptor offers a selective colour change in an organic-aqueous environment that is of valuable analytical use. | 2012 | 23070516 |
| one health in mongolia. | the asia pacific strategy for emerging diseases (apsed) requires collaboration, consensus, and partnership across all the different actors and sectors involved in different aspects of emerging disease. guided by apsed, mongolia has established a functional coordination mechanism between the animal and human health sectors. surveillance, information exchange and risk assessment, risk reduction, and coordinated response capacity and collaborative research have been identified as the four pillars o ... | 2013 | 23065105 |
| inactivation of bacillus anthracis in water by photocatalytic, photolytic and sonochemical treatment. | bacillus anthracis is one of the most dangerous and pathogenic bacterial species and its intrusion in aquatic environments is a serious threat to public health. the aim of the present study was to investigate inactivation rates of b. anthracis in water by means of photocatalytic (uva/tio2), photolytic (uvc) and sonochemical treatment. the effect of various operating conditions such as bacterial concentration, tio2 loading, uv irradiation source, ultrasound power and treatment time was examined. ... | 2013 | 23064250 |
| role of n-terminal his6-tags in binding and efficient translocation of polypeptides into cells using anthrax protective antigen (pa). | it is of interest to define bacterial toxin biochemical properties to use them as molecular-syringe devices in order to deliver enzymatic activities into host cells. binary toxins of the ab(7/8)-type are among the most potent and specialized bacterial protein toxins. the b subunits oligomerize to form a pore that binds with high affinity host cell receptors and the enzymatic a subunit. this allows the endocytosis of the complex and subsequent injection of the a subunit into the cytosol of the ho ... | 2012 | 23056543 |
| draft genome sequence of bacillus anthracis ur-1, isolated from a german heroin user. | we report the draft genome sequence of bacillus anthracis ur-1, isolated from a fatal case of injectional anthrax in a german heroin user. analysis of the genome sequence of strain ur-1 may aid in describing phylogenetic relationships between virulent heroin-associated isolates of b. anthracis isolated in the united kingdom, germany, and other european countries. | 2012 | 23045504 |
| effect of the bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii spo0f h101r mutation on strain fitness. | sporulation is a critical developmental process in bacillus spp. that, once initiated, removes the possibility of further growth until germination. therefore, the threshold conditions triggering sporulation are likely to be subject to evolutionary constraint. our previous studies revealed two spontaneous hypersporulating mutants of bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii, both containing point mutations in the spo0f gene. one of these strains (detrick-2; contains the spo0f101 allele with a c:t [his1 ... | 2012 | 23042165 |
| the role of the exosporium in the environmental distribution of anthrax. | to determine the contribution of the exosporium, the outer layer of the bacillus anthracis spore, to soil attachment. persistence of spores in soil and their ability to infect animals has been linked to a range of factors which include the presence of organic material and calcium (omc), ph > 6.0, temperatures above 15.5°c and cycles of local flooding which are thought to transport buried spores to the surface. | 2013 | 23039141 |
| structural models used in real-time biosurveillance outbreak detection and outbreak curve isolation from noisy background morbidity levels. | we discuss the use of structural models for the analysis of biosurveillance related data. | 2013 | 23037798 |
| three types of human cpg motifs differentially modulate and augment immunogenicity of nonviral and viral replicon dna vaccines as built-in adjuvants. | nakeddna vaccines given by intramuscular injection are efficient in mouse models, but they require improvement for human use. as the immunogenicity of dna vaccines depends, to a large extent, on the presence of cpg motifs as built-in adjuvants, we addressed this issue by inserting three types of human cpg motifs (a-type, b-type, and c-type) into the backbone of nonviral dna and viral dna replicon vectors with distinct immunostimulatory activities on human pbmcs. the adjuvant effects of cpg modif ... | 2013 | 23037552 |
| insights into the drug resistance induced by the badhps mutations: molecular dynamic simulations and mm/gbsa studies. | dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) is essential for the folic acid biosynthetic pathway in prokaryotes; the mutation forms for dhps are found to be relative to the urgent drug resistance problems. in our study, the bacillus anthracis dhps (badhps) was selected for molecular dynamics and binding free energy studies to investigate the biochemistry behaviors of the wild-type and mutation form badhps proteins (d184n and k220q). it is found that the conformational change of the ligand dihydropteroate su ... | 2013 | 23030549 |
| synthesis of bacillithiol and the catalytic selectivity of fosb-type fosfomycin resistance proteins. | bacillithiol (bsh) has been prepared on the gram scale from the inexpensive starting material, d-glucosamine hydrochloride, in 11 steps and 8-9% overall yield. the bsh was used to survey the substrate and metal-ion selectivity of fosb enzymes from four gram-positive microorganisms associated with the deactivation of the antibiotic fosfomycin. the in vitro results indicate that the preferred thiol substrate and metal ion for the fosb from staphylococcus aureus are bsh and ni(ii), respectively. ho ... | 2012 | 23030527 |
| relacin, a novel antibacterial agent targeting the stringent response. | finding bacterial cellular targets for developing novel antibiotics has become a major challenge in fighting resistant pathogenic bacteria. we present a novel compound, relacin, designed to inhibit (p)ppgpp production by the ubiquitous bacterial enzyme rela that triggers the stringent response. relacin inhibits rela in vitro and reduces (p)ppgpp production in vivo. moreover, relacin affects entry into stationary phase in gram positive bacteria, leading to a dramatic reduction in cell viability. ... | 2012 | 23028324 |
| cellular adaptation to anthrax lethal toxin-induced mitochondrial cholesterol enrichment, hyperpolarization, and reactive oxygen species generation through downregulating mln64 in macrophages. | cellular adaptation to different stresses related to survival and function has been demonstrated in several cell types. anthrax lethal toxin (letx) induces rapid cell death, termed "pyroptosis," by activating nlrp1b/caspase-1 in murine macrophages. we and others (s. d. ha et al., j. biol. chem. 282:26275-26283, 2007; i. i. salles et al., proc. natl. acad. sci. u. s. a. 100:12426 -12431, 2003) have shown that raw264.7 cells preexposed to sublethal doses of letx become resistant to subsequent high ... | 2012 | 23028046 |
| bacillus anthracis lethal toxin reduces human alveolar epithelial barrier function. | the lung is the site of entry for bacillus anthracis in inhalation anthrax, the deadliest form of the disease. bacillus anthracis produces virulence toxins required for disease. alveolar macrophages were considered the primary target of the bacillus anthracis virulence factor lethal toxin because lethal toxin inhibits mouse macrophages through cleavage of mek signaling pathway components, but we have reported that human alveolar macrophages are not a target of lethal toxin. our current results s ... | 2012 | 23027535 |
| bacillus anthracis thioredoxin systems, characterization and role as electron donors for ribonucleotide reductase. | bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, which is associated with a high mortality rate. like several medically important bacteria, b. anthracis lacks glutathione but encodes many genes annotated as thioredoxins, thioredoxin reductases, and glutaredoxin-like proteins. we have cloned, expressed, and characterized three potential thioredoxins, two potential thioredoxin reductases, and three glutaredoxin-like proteins. of these, thioredoxin 1 (trx1) and nrdh reduced insulin, 5,5'-dithi ... | 2012 | 23012357 |
| bioterrorism: pathogens as weapons. | biowarfare has been used for centuries. the use of biological weapons in terrorism remains a threat. biological weapons include infectious agents (pathogens) and toxins. the most devastating bioterrorism scenario would be the airborne dispersal of pathogens over a concentrated population area. characteristics that make a specific pathogen a high-risk for bioterrorism include a low infective dose, ability to be aerosolized, high contagiousness, and survival in a variety of environmental condition ... | 2012 | 23011963 |
| synthesis and immunochemical evaluation of a non-methylated disaccharide analogue of the anthrax tetrasaccharide. | anthrax tetrasaccharide is an oligosaccharide expressed at the outermost surface of the bacillus anthracis spores, featuring three rhamnoses and a rare sugar called anthrose. this motif has now been identified as a plausible component of future human vaccines against anthrax. we report herein the synthesis of a 2-o-demethylated-β-d-anthropyranosyl-(1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranose disaccharide analogue of this tetrasaccharide from a cyclic sulfate intermediate. this disaccharide conjugated to bsa induces ... | 2012 | 23010801 |
| effect of ph on the electrophoretic mobility of spores of bacillus anthracis and its surrogates in aqueous solutions. | the electrophoretic mobility (epm) of endospores of bacillus anthracis and surrogates was measured in aqueous solution across a broad ph range and several ionic strengths. epm values trended around phylogenetic clustering based on the 16s rrna gene. measurements reported here provide new insight for bacillus anthracis surrogate selection and for attachment/detachment and transport studies. | 2012 | 23001659 |
| genetic barcodes for improved environmental tracking of an anthrax simulant. | the development of realistic risk models that predict the dissemination, dispersion and persistence of potential biothreat agents have utilized nonpathogenic surrogate organisms such as bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii or commercial products such as bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. comparison of results from outdoor tests under different conditions requires the use of genetically identical strains; however, the requirement for isogenic strains limits the ability to compare other desira ... | 2012 | 23001658 |
| the effect of seasonal variation on anthrax epidemiology in the upper zambezi floodplain of western zambia. | anthrax has become endemic throughout the upper zambezi floodplain located in the western province of zambia over the recent years. to date, no comprehensive study has been carried out to determine whether recurrence of anthrax outbreaks may be linked to differences in precipitation and human activities. retrospective data for the period 1999 to 2007 showed that a total of 1,216 bovine cases of anthrax were reported. during the same period, 1,790 human anthrax cases and a corresponding case fata ... | 2012 | 23000586 |
| structure-activity relationship for enantiomers of potent inhibitors of b. anthracis dihydrofolate reductase. | bacterial resistance to antibiotic therapies is increasing and new treatment options are badly needed. there is an overlap between these resistant bacteria and organisms classified as likely bioterror weapons. for example, bacillus anthracis is innately resistant to the anti-folate trimethoprim due to sequence changes found in the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. development of new inhibitors provides an opportunity to enhance the current arsenal of anti-folate antibiotics while also expanding th ... | 2013 | 22999981 |
| interactions of high-affinity cationic blockers with the translocation pores of b. anthracis, c. botulinum, and c. perfringens binary toxins. | cationic β-cyclodextrin derivatives were recently introduced as highly effective, potentially universal blockers of three binary bacterial toxins: anthrax toxin of bacillus anthracis, c2 toxin of clostridium botulinum, and iota toxin of clostridium perfringens. the binary toxins are made of two separate components: the enzymatic a component, which acts on certain intracellular targets, and the binding/translocation b component, which forms oligomeric channels in the target cell membrane. here we ... | 2012 | 22995493 |