Quorum-sensing (QS), the regulation of bacterial gene expression in response to changes in cell density, involves pathways that synthesize signaling molecules (auto-inducers). The luxS/AI-2-mediated QS system has been identified in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, possesses genes involved in luxS/AI-2-mediated QS, and deletion ...

Fubra, Ernest S. (Federal Department of Veterinary Research, Vom, Nigeria). Nonproteolytic, avirulent Bacillus anthracis as a live vaccine. J. Bacteriol. 91:930-933. 1966.-A nonproteolytic mutant, derived from the Sterne strain of Bacillus anthracis by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, was used for vaccination of guinea pigs. Vaccine prepared from the parent Sterne strain was used in comparabl...

BACKGROUND Bacillus (B.) anthracis, the causal agent of anthrax, is effectively controlled by the Sterne live spore vaccine (34F2) in animals. However, live spore vaccines are not suitable for simultaneous vaccination and antibiotic treatment of animals being at risk of infection in an outbreak situation. Non-living vaccines could close this gap. RESULTS In this study a combination of recombi...

The innate immune response of macrophages (Mphi) to spores, the environmentally acquired form of Bacillus anthracis, is poorly characterized. We therefore examined the early Mphi cytokine response to B. anthracis spores, before germination. Mphi were exposed to bacilli and spores of Sterne strain 34F2 and its congenic nongerminating mutant (DeltagerH), and cytokine expression was measured by re...

BACKGROUND Recent use of Bacillus anthracis spores as a bioweapon has highlighted the need for a continuous monitoring system. Current monitoring systems rely on antibody-derived probes, which are not hardy enough to withstand long-term use under extreme conditions. We describe new, phage-derived probes that can be used as robust substitutes for antibodies. METHODS From a landscape phage libr...

Systemic anthrax infections can be characterized as proceeding in stages, beginning with an early intracellular establishment stage within phagocytes that is followed by extracelluar stages involving massive bacteraemia, sepsis and death. Because most bacteria require iron, and the host limits iron availability through homeostatic mechanisms, we hypothesized that B. anthracis requires a high-af...

Germination of Bacillus anthracis Sterne and plasmidless Delta-Sterne endospores was dramatically enhanced in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells, while germination of nonpathogenic Bacillus endospores was not. Elimination of gerS, a germinant receptor locus, caused a complete loss of cell-enhanced germination, implicating gerS in the breaking of endospore dormancy in vivo.

The objectives of this study were to compare generation and lag times of virulent Bacillus anthracis strains with those of other Bacillus strains, to identify possible surrogates for growth studies, and to determine if the B. cereus module of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) had predictive value for B. anthracis. Growth characteristics of B. anthracis, B. cereu...

BACKGROUND The Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay was utilized in laboratory evaluations to determine the presence and concentration of vegetative and spore forms of Bacillus anthracis Sterne 34F2. METHODS Seventeen surfaces from the healthcare environment were selected for evaluation. Surfaces were inoculated with 50 µL of organism suspensions at three concentrations of 104, ...

The potency test for anthrax vaccines has historically involved the challenge of actively or passively immunized laboratory animals with a fully virulent strain of Bacillus anthracis. Lethal challenge studies with the archetypal virulent strains such as B. anthracis Ames strain present considerable difficulties in laboratory management and handling and are too inefficient for the early evaluati...