Detection of Bacillus anthracis Spore Germination In Vivo by Bioluminescence Imaging

Detection of Bacillus anthracis spore germination in vivo by bioluminescence imaging.

We sought to visualize the site of Bacillus anthracis spore germination in vivo. For that purpose, we constructed a reporter plasmid with the lux operon under control of the spore small acid-soluble protein B (sspB) promoter. In B. subtilis, sspB-driven synthesis of luciferase during sporulation results in incorporation of the enzyme in spores. We observed that B. anthracis Sterne transformed w...

Spore Germination and Outgrowth Spore Detection and Functional Analyses of Bacillus anthracis Monoclonal Antibodies for

Identification of an in Vivo Inhibitor of Bacillus Anthracis Sterne Spore Germination

*Correspondence should be addressed to Ernesto Abel-Santos or Jürgen Brojatsch. EAS: Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Pkwy-Box 454003, Las Vegas, NV 89154, Tel. 702 895-2608, Fax. 702 895-4072, E-mail: [email protected]. JB: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Golding 404, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx,...

Identification of an in vivo inhibitor of Bacillus anthracis spore germination.

Germination of Bacillus anthracis spores into the vegetative form is an essential step in anthrax pathogenicity. This process can be triggered in vitro by the common germinants inosine and alanine. Kinetic analysis of B. anthracis spore germination revealed synergy and a sequential mechanism between inosine and alanine binding to their cognate receptors. Because inosine is a critical germinant ...

Morphogenesis of the Bacillus anthracis spore.

Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. form a specialized cell type, called a spore, during a multistep differentiation process that is initiated in response to starvation. Spores are protected by a morphologically complex protein coat. The Bacillus anthracis coat is of particular interest because the spore is the infective particle of anthrax. We determined the roles of several B. anthracis orthol...