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Sample records for bacillus anthracis dna

  1. Identification of Bacillus anthracis specific chromosomal sequences by suppressive subtractive hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Redkar Rajendra

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus are closely related members of the B. cereus-group of bacilli. Suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH was used to identify specific chromosomal sequences unique to B. anthracis. Results Two SSH libraries were generated. Genomic DNA from plasmid-cured B. anthracis was used as the tester DNA in both libraries, while genomic DNA from either B. cereus or B. thuringiensis served as the driver DNA. Progressive screening of the libraries by colony filter and Southern blot analyses identified 29 different clones that were specific for the B. anthracis chromosome relative not only to the respective driver DNAs, but also to seven other different strains of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis included in the process. The nucleotide sequences of the clones were compared with those found in genomic databases, revealing that over half of the clones were located into 2 regions on the B. anthracis chromosome. Conclusions Genes encoding potential cell wall synthesis proteins dominated one region, while bacteriophage-related sequences dominated the other region. The latter supports the hypothesis that acquisition of these bacteriophage sequences occurred during or after speciation of B. anthracis relative to B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. This study provides insight into the chromosomal differences between B. anthracis and its closest phylogenetic relatives.

  2. The role of DNA restriction-modification systems in the biology of Bacillus anthracis

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    Ramakrishnan eSitaraman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Restriction-modification (R-M systems are widespread among prokaryotes and, depending on their type, may be viewed as selfish genetic elements that persist as toxin-antitoxin modules or as cellular defense systems against phage infection. Studies in the last decade have made it amply clear that these two options do not exhaust the list of possible biological roles for R-M systems. Their presence in a cell may also have a bearing on other processes such as horizontal gene transfer and gene regulation. From genome sequencing and experimental data, we know that Bacillus anthracis encodes at least three methylation-dependent (typeIV restriction endonucleases, and an orphan DNA methyltransferase. In this article, we first present an outline of our current knowledge of R-M systems in Bacillus anthracis. Based on available DNA sequence data, and on our current understanding of the functions of similar genes in other systems, we conclude with hypotheses on the possible roles of the three restriction endonucleases and the orphan DNA methyltransferase.

  3. Detection of Bacillus anthracis in the air, soil and animal tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kušar D.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present work was to establish effective and rapid diagnostic methods for the detection of Bacillus anthracis, a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen, in the air, soil and animal (or human tissue samples. Liquid culture of B. anthracis was aerosolized and four air sampling procedures were employed. Detection of B. anthracis in the air samples was successful with RCS High Flow sampler (culturebased detection and when sampling through the air filter (molecular detection using SmartHelix Complex Samples DNA Extraction Kit. Liquid B. anthracis culture was also employed for spiking the homogenised bovine lymphatic gland tissue and soil samples. DNA extraction was performed using three different commercial kits for each sample type. High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit was the most effective for DNA extraction from animal tissue samples. Detection in the soil was successful when PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit was used. Our results indicate that B. anthracis can be monitored in different matrices by rapid molecular methods when appropriate sampling and DNA extraction procedures are employed prior to PCR assay. The selected rapid protocols can be implemented in specialized veterinary or human diagnostic laboratories with moderate costs.

  4. Literature Review of DNA-Based Subspecies Analysis of Bacillus Anthracis Burkholderia Pseudomallel Burkholderia Mallei, and Yersinia Pestis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Harvey, Steven

    1999-01-01

    ...; Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei, and Yersinia pestis. Considerable research has been accomplished for the identification of polymorphisms from the strains B. anthracis and B. pseudomallei. The B...

  5. Genetic Characterization of Bacillus anthracis 17 JB strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seyed-Mohamadi, Sakineh; Moradi Bidhendi, Soheila; Tadayon, Keyvan; Ghaderi, Rainak

    2015-06-01

    Bacillus anthracis is one of the most homogenous bacteria ever described. Some level of diversity. Bacillus anthracis 17JB is a laboratory strain It is broadly used as a challenge strain in guinea pigs for potency test of anthrax vaccine. This work describes genetic characterization of B. anthracis 17 JB strain using the SNPs and MLVA genotyping. In SNPs typing, the originally French 17JB strain represented the A.Br. 008/009 subgroup. In Levy's genotyping method, 843, 451 and 864 bp long fragments were identified at AA03, AJ03 and AA07 loci, respectively. In the vaccine manufacturer perspective these findings are much valuable on their own account, but similar research is required to extend molecular knowledge of B. anthracis epidemiology in Persia.

  6. The Bacillus anthracis chromosome contains four conserved, excision-proficient, putative prophages

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    Sozhamannan Shanmuga

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacillus anthracis is considered to be a recently emerged clone within the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group. The B. anthracis genome sequence contains four putative lambdoid prophages. We undertook this study in order to understand whether the four prophages are unique to B. anthracis and whether they produce active phages. Results More than 300 geographically and temporally divergent isolates of B. anthracis and its near neighbors were screened by PCR for the presence of specific DNA sequences from each prophage region. Every isolate of B. anthracis screened by PCR was found to produce all four phage-specific amplicons whereas none of the non-B. anthracis isolates, produced more than one phage-specific amplicon. Excision of prophages could be detected by a PCR based assay for attP sites on extra-chromosomal phage circles and for attB sites on phage-excised chromosomes. SYBR-green real-time PCR assays indicated that prophage excision occurs at very low frequencies (2 × 10-5 - 8 × 10-8/cell. Induction with mitomycin C increased the frequency of excision of one of the prophages by approximately 250 fold. All four prophages appear to be defective since, mitomycin C induced culture did not release any viable phage particle or lyse the cells or reveal any phage particle under electron microscopic examination. Conclusion The retention of all four putative prophage regions across all tested strains of B. anthracis is further evidence of the very recent emergence of this lineage and the prophage regions may be useful for differentiating the B. anthracis chromosome from that of its neighbors. All four prophages can excise at low frequencies, but are apparently defective in phage production.

  7. Decontamination Efficacy and Skin Toxicity of Two Decontaminants against Bacillus anthracis.

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    Chad W Stratilo

    Full Text Available Decontamination of bacterial endospores such as Bacillus anthracis has traditionally required the use of harsh or caustic chemicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a chlorine dioxide decontaminant in killing Bacillus anthracis spores in solution and on a human skin simulant (porcine cadaver skin, compared to that of commonly used sodium hypochlorite or soapy water decontamination procedures. In addition, the relative toxicities of these decontaminants were compared in human skin keratinocyte primary cultures. The chlorine dioxide decontaminant was similarly effective to sodium hypochlorite in reducing spore numbers of Bacillus anthracis Ames in liquid suspension after a 10 minute exposure. After five minutes, the chlorine dioxide product was significantly more efficacious. Decontamination of isolated swine skin contaminated with Bacillus anthracis Sterne with the chlorine dioxide product resulted in no viable spores sampled. The toxicity of the chlorine dioxide decontaminant was up to two orders of magnitude less than that of sodium hypochlorite in human skin keratinocyte cultures. In summary, the chlorine dioxide based decontaminant efficiently killed Bacillus anthracis spores in liquid suspension, as well as on isolated swine skin, and was less toxic than sodium hypochlorite in cultures of human skin keratinocytes.

  8. Novel giant siphovirus from Bacillus anthracis features unusual genome characteristics.

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    Holly H Ganz

    Full Text Available Here we present vB_BanS-Tsamsa, a novel temperate phage isolated from Bacillus anthracis, the agent responsible for anthrax infections in wildlife, livestock and humans. Tsamsa phage is a giant siphovirus (order Caudovirales, featuring a long, flexible and non-contractile tail of 440 nm (not including baseplate structure and an isometric head of 82 nm in diameter. We induced Tsamsa phage in samples from two different carcass sites in Etosha National Park, Namibia. The Tsamsa phage genome is the largest sequenced Bacillus siphovirus, containing 168,876 bp and 272 ORFs. The genome features an integrase/recombinase enzyme, indicative of a temperate lifestyle. Among bacterial strains tested, the phage infected only certain members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group (B. anthracis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis and exhibited moderate specificity for B. anthracis. Tsamsa lysed seven out of 25 B. cereus strains, two out of five B. thuringiensis strains and six out of seven B. anthracis strains tested. It did not lyse B. anthracis PAK-1, an atypical strain that is also resistant to both gamma phage and cherry phage. The Tsamsa endolysin features a broader lytic spectrum than the phage host range, indicating possible use of the enzyme in Bacillus biocontrol.

  9. Novel Sample Preparation Method for Safe and Rapid Detection of Bacillus anthracis Spores in Environmental Powders and Nasal Swabs

    OpenAIRE

    Luna, Vicki A.; King, Debra; Davis, Carisa; Rycerz, Tony; Ewert, Matthew; Cannons, Andrew; Amuso, Philip; Cattani, Jacqueline

    2003-01-01

    Bacillus anthracis spores have been used as a biological weapon in the United States. We wanted to develop a safe, rapid method of sample preparation that provided safe DNA for the detection of spores in environmental and clinical specimens. Our method reproducibly detects B. anthracis in samples containing

  10. Characterization of 21 Strains of Bacillus Anthracis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kournikakis, B

    2000-01-01

    Twenty-one strains of Bacillus anthracis currently held in the culture collection at DRES were characterized by colonial morphology, antibiotic sensitivity and BiologTM metabolic identification profiles...

  11. DECONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS, BACILLUS SUBTILIS, AND GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS SPORES ON INDOOR SURFACTS USING A HYDROGEN PERIOXIDE GAS GENERATOR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aims: To evaluate the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials using hydrogen peroxide gas. Methods and Results: B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. Stearothermophilus spores were dried on seven...

  12. A novel multiplex PCR discriminates Bacillus anthracis and its genetically related strains from other Bacillus cereus group species.

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    Hirohito Ogawa

    Full Text Available Anthrax is an important zoonotic disease worldwide that is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming pathogenic bacterium. A rapid and sensitive method to detect B. anthracis is important for anthrax risk management and control in animal cases to address public health issues. However, it has recently become difficult to identify B. anthracis by using previously reported molecular-based methods because of the emergence of B. cereus, which causes severe extra-intestinal infection, as well as the human pathogenic B. thuringiensis, both of which are genetically related to B. anthracis. The close genetic relation of chromosomal backgrounds has led to complexity of molecular-based diagnosis. In this study, we established a B. anthracis multiplex PCR that can screen for the presence of B. anthracis virulent plasmids and differentiate B. anthracis and its genetically related strains from other B. cereus group species. Six sets of primers targeting a chromosome of B. anthracis and B. anthracis-like strains, two virulent plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2, a bacterial gene, 16S rRNA gene, and a mammalian gene, actin-beta gene, were designed. The multiplex PCR detected approximately 3.0 CFU of B. anthracis DNA per PCR reaction and was sensitive to B. anthracis. The internal control primers also detected all bacterial and mammalian DNAs examined, indicating the practical applicability of this assay as it enables monitoring of appropriate amplification. The assay was also applied for detection of clinical strains genetically related to B. anthracis, which were B. cereus strains isolated from outbreaks of hospital infections in Japan, and field strains isolated in Zambia, and the assay differentiated B. anthracis and its genetically related strains from other B. cereus group strains. Taken together, the results indicate that the newly developed multiplex PCR is a sensitive and practical method for detecting B. anthracis.

  13. In silico and in vitro evaluation of PCR-based assays for the detection of Bacillus anthracis chromosomal signature sequences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ågren, Joakim; Hamidjaja, Raditijo A.; Hansen, Trine

    2013-01-01

    Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a zoonotic pathogen that is relatively common throughout the world and may cause life threatening diseases in animals and humans. There are many PCR-based assays in use for the detection of B. anthracis. While most of the developed assays rely...... on unique markers present on virulence plasmids pXO1 and pXO2, relatively few assays incorporate chromosomal DNA markers due to the close relatedness of B. anthracis to the B. cereus group strains. For the detection of chromosomal DNA, different genes have been used, such as BA813, rpoB, gyrA, plcR, S...... targets evaluated are claimed to be specific to B. anthracis, cross-reactions with closely related B. cereus and B. thuringiensis strains were often observed. Of the 35 investigated PCR assays, only 4 were 100% specific for the B. anthracis chromosome. An interlaboratory ring trial among five European...

  14. Real-Time PCR Assay for a Unique Chromosomal Sequence of Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-12-01

    13061 Neisseria lactamica .............................................................. 23970 Bacillus coagulans ...NEG Bacillus coagulane 7050 NEG NEG Bacillus cereus 13472 NEG NEG Bacillus licheniforms 12759 NEG NEG Bacillus cereus 13824 NEG NEG Bacillus ...Assay for a Unique Chromosomal Sequence of Bacillus anthracis Elizabeth Bode,1 William Hurtle,2† and David Norwood1* United States Army Medical

  15. Assembly and Function of the Bacillus anthracis S-Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Missiakas, Dominique; Schneewind, Olaf

    2017-09-08

    Bacillus anthracis, the anthrax agent, is a member of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, which includes invasive pathogens of mammals or insects as well as nonpathogenic environmental strains. The genes for anthrax pathogenesis are located on two large virulence plasmids. Similar virulence plasmids have been acquired by other B. cereus strains and enable the pathogenesis of anthrax-like diseases. Among the virulence factors of B. anthracis is the S-layer-associated protein BslA, which endows bacilli with invasive attributes for mammalian hosts. BslA surface display and function are dependent on the bacterial S-layer, whose constituents assemble by binding to the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (SCWP) via S-layer homology (SLH) domains. B. anthracis and other pathogenic B. cereus isolates harbor genes for the secretion of S-layer proteins, for S-layer assembly, and for synthesis of the SCWP. We review here recent insights into the assembly and function of the S-layer and the SCWP.

  16. Identification of Bacillus anthracis by Using Monoclonal Antibody to Cell Wall Galactose-N-Acetylglucosamine Polysaccharide

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-02-01

    Bacillus circulans ATCC 4513 b - - NR NT NT NT NT Bacillus coagulans ATCC 7050 b - - NR NT NT NT NT Bacillus eugilitis B-61 f - - NR NT NT NT NT...American Society for Microbiology W Identification of Bacillus anthracis by-U-sing Monoclonal Antibody CC to Cell Wall Galactose-N-Acetylglucosamine...Received 22 June 1989/Accepted 31 October 1989 ’ Guanidine extracts of crude Bacillus anthracis cell wall were used to vaccinate BALB/c mice and to

  17. Functional Comparison of the Two Bacillus anthracis Glutamate Racemases▿

    OpenAIRE

    Dodd, Dylan; Reese, Joseph G.; Louer, Craig R.; Ballard, Jimmy D.; Spies, M. Ashley; Blanke, Steven R.

    2007-01-01

    Glutamate racemase activity in Bacillus anthracis is of significant interest with respect to chemotherapeutic drug design, because l-glutamate stereoisomerization to d-glutamate is predicted to be closely associated with peptidoglycan and capsule biosynthesis, which are important for growth and virulence, respectively. In contrast to most bacteria, which harbor a single glutamate racemase gene, the genomic sequence of B. anthracis predicts two genes encoding glutamate racemases, racE1 and rac...

  18. FORMALDEHYDE GAS INACTIVATION OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS, BACILLUS SUBTILIS AND GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS SPORES ON INDOOR SURFACE MATERIALS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Research evaluated the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface material using formaldehyde gas. Spores were dried on seven types of indoor surfaces and exposed to 1100 ppm formaldehyde gas for 10 hr. Fo...

  19. Dendritic Cells Endocytose Bacillus Anthracis Spores: Implications for Anthrax Pathogenesis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Brittingham, Katherine C; Ruthel, Gordon; Panchal, Rekha G; Fuller, Claudette L; Ribot, Wilson J

    2005-01-01

    Phagocytosis of inhaled Bacillus anthracis spores and subsequent trafficking to lymph nodes are decisive events in the progression of inhaled anthrax because they initiate germination and dissemination of spores...

  20. The mechanism of DNA ejection in the Bacillus anthracis spore-binding phage 8a revealed by cryo-electron tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu, Xiaofeng [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Walter, Michael H. [Department of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614 (United States); Paredes, Angel [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Morais, Marc C., E-mail: mcmorais@utmb.edu [Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 (United States); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 (United States); Liu, Jun, E-mail: Jun.Liu.1@uth.tmc.edu [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030 (United States)

    2011-12-20

    The structure of the Bacillus anthracis spore-binding phage 8a was determined by cryo-electron tomography. The phage capsid forms a T = 16 icosahedron attached to a contractile tail via a head-tail connector protein. The tail consists of a six-start helical sheath surrounding a central tail tube, and a structurally novel baseplate at the distal end of the tail that recognizes and attaches to host cells. The parameters of the icosahedral capsid lattice and the helical tail sheath suggest protein folds for the capsid and tail-sheath proteins, respectively, and indicate evolutionary relationships to other dsDNA viruses. Analysis of 2518 intact phage particles show four distinct conformations that likely correspond to four sequential states of the DNA ejection process during infection. Comparison of the four observed conformations suggests a mechanism for DNA ejection, including the molecular basis underlying coordination of tail sheath contraction and genome release from the capsid.

  1. Caenorhabditis elegans Predation on Bacillus anthracis: Decontamination of Spore Contaminated Soil with Germinants and Nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schelkle, Bettina; Choi, Young; Baillie, Leslie W; Richter, William; Buyuk, Fatih; Celik, Elif; Wendling, Morgan; Sahin, Mitat; Gallagher, Theresa

    2017-01-01

    Remediation of Bacillus anthracis -contaminated soil is challenging and approaches to reduce overall spore levels in environmentally contaminated soil or after intentional release of the infectious disease agent in a safe, low-cost manner are needed. B. anthracis spores are highly resistant to biocides, but once germinated they become susceptible to traditional biocides or potentially even natural predators such as nematodes in the soil environment. Here, we describe a two-step approach to reducing B. anthracis spore load in soil during laboratory trials, whereby germinants and Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes are applied concurrently. While the application of germinants reduced B. anthracis spore load by up to four logs depending on soil type, the addition of nematodes achieved a further log reduction in spore count. These laboratory based results suggest that the combined use of nematodes and germinants could represent a promising approach for the remediation of B. anthracis spore contaminated soil. Originality-Significance Statement: This study demonstrates for the first time the successful use of environmentally friendly decontamination methods to inactivate Bacillus anthracis spores in soil using natural predators of the bacterium, nematode worms.

  2. Functional and Immunological Analyses of Superoxide Dismutases and Other Spore-Associated Proteins of Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-08-20

    L., S. Hibbs, P. Tsai, G. L. Cao, and G. M. Rosen . 2005. Role of superoxide in the germination of Bacillus anthracis endospores. FEMS Microbiol...178:7994-8001. 42. Cohen, S., I. Mendelson, Z. Altboum, D. Kobiler, E. Elhanany, T. Bino, M. Leitner, I. Inbar, H. Rosenberg, Y. Gozes, R. Barak ...K. W. Raines, G. L. Cao, S. Hibbs, P. Tsai, L. Baillie, G. M. Rosen , and A. S. Cross. 2007. Protective role of Bacillus anthracis exosporium in

  3. Bacillus anthracis: una mirada molecular a un patógeno célebre Bacillus anthracis: a molecular look at a famous pathogen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María E Pavan

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis es un bacilo gram positivo del grupo Bacillus cereus, que posee un genoma extremadamente monomórfco y comparte gran similitud fsiológica y de estructura genética con B. cereus y Bacillus thuringiensis. En este artículo se describen nuevos métodos moleculares para la identifcación y tipifcación de B. anthracis, basados en repeticiones en tándem de número variable o en diferencias genéticas detectadas por secuenciación, desarrollados en los últimos años. Los aspectos moleculares de los factores de virulencia tradicionales, cápsula, antígeno protector, factor letal y factor edema se describen en profundidad, junto con factores de virulencia recientemente propuestos, como los sideróforos, petrobactina y bacilibactina, la adhesina de la capa S y la lipoproteína MntA. También se detalla la organización molecular de los megaplásmidos pXO1 y pXO2, incluyendo la isla de patogenicidad de pXO1. El esqueleto genético de estos plásmidos se ha encontrado en otras especies relacionadas, probablemente debido a eventos de transferencia lateral. Finalmente, se presentan los dos receptores celulares del antígeno protector, ANTXR1/TEM8 y ANTXR2/CMG2, esenciales en la interacción del patógeno con el hospedador. Los estudios moleculares realizados en los últimos años han permitido aumentar enormemente el conocimiento de los diferentes aspectos de este microorganismo y su relación con el hospedador, pero a la vez han abierto nuevos interrogantes sobre este notorio patógeno.Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive rod belonging to the Bacillus cereus group, has an extremely monomorphic genome, and presents high structural and physiological similarity with B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis. In this work, the new molecular methods for the identifcation and typing of B. anthracis developed in the last years, based on variable number tandem repeats or on genetic differences detected through sequencing, are described. The

  4. The Efficiency of Methionine as a Radioprotectant of Bacillus anthracis for Cell Viability and Outgrowth Time after UVC and Gamma Irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    Qiagen, "EndoFree Plasmid Purification Handbook ," 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.qiagen.com/resources/resourcedetail?id=f8ed5bab-15c3-4211 - bfa8...115] L. J. Hoffman, "Thermogravimetric Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Spores of DNA by Spectroscopy and Chromatography of Pyrolysis Products," M.S

  5. Improvements to a Markerless Allelic Exchange System for Bacillus anthracis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger D Plaut

    Full Text Available A system was previously developed for conducting I-SceI-mediated allelic exchange in Bacillus anthracis. In this system, recombinational loss of a chromosomally-integrated allelic exchange vector is stimulated by creation of a double-stranded break within the vector by the homing endonuclease I-SceI. Although this system is reasonably efficient and represents an improvement in the tools available for allelic exchange in B. anthracis, researchers are nonetheless required to "pick and patch" colonies in order to identify candidate "exchangeants." In the present study, a number of improvements have been made to this system: 1 an improved I-SceI-producing plasmid includes oriT so that both plasmids can now be introduced by conjugation, thus avoiding the need for preparing electro-competent cells of each integration intermediate; 2 antibiotic markers have been changed to allow the use of the system in select agent strains; and 3 both plasmids have been marked with fluorescent proteins, allowing the visualization of plasmid segregation on a plate and obviating the need for "picking and patching." These modifications have made the process easier, faster, and more efficient, allowing for parallel construction of larger numbers of mutant strains. Using this improved system, the genes encoding the tripartite anthrax toxin were deleted singly and in combination from plasmid pXO1 of Sterne strain 34F2. In the course of this study, we determined that DNA transfer to B. anthracis could be accomplished by conjugation directly from a methylation-competent E. coli strain.

  6. Automated thermochemolysis reactor for detection of Bacillus anthracis endospores by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Dan [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Rands, Anthony D.; Losee, Scott C. [Torion Technologies, American Fork, UT 84003 (United States); Holt, Brian C. [Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Williams, John R. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Lammert, Stephen A. [Torion Technologies, American Fork, UT 84003 (United States); Robison, Richard A. [Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Tolley, H. Dennis [Department of Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Lee, Milton L., E-mail: milton_lee@byu.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States)

    2013-05-02

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •An automated sample preparation system for Bacillus anthracis endospores was developed. •A thermochemolysis method was applied to produce and derivatize biomarkers for Bacillus anthracis detection. •The autoreactor controlled the precise delivery of reagents, and TCM reaction times and temperatures. •Solid phase microextraction was used to extract biomarkers, and GC–MS was used for final identification. •This autoreactor was successfully applied to the identification of Bacillus anthracis endospores. -- Abstract: An automated sample preparation system was developed and tested for the rapid detection of Bacillus anthracis endospores by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for eventual use in the field. This reactor is capable of automatically processing suspected bio-threat agents to release and derivatize unique chemical biomarkers by thermochemolysis (TCM). The system automatically controls the movement of sample vials from one position to another, crimping of septum caps onto the vials, precise delivery of reagents, and TCM reaction times and temperatures. The specific operations of introduction of sample vials, solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling, injection into the GC–MS system, and ejection of used vials from the system were performed manually in this study, although they can be integrated into the automated system. Manual SPME sampling is performed by following visual and audible signal prompts for inserting the fiber into and retracting it from the sampling port. A rotating carousel design allows for simultaneous sample collection, reaction, biomarker extraction and analysis of sequential samples. Dipicolinic acid methyl ester (DPAME), 3-methyl-2-butenoic acid methyl ester (a fragment of anthrose) and two methylated sugars were used to compare the performance of the autoreactor with manual TCM. Statistical algorithms were used to construct reliable bacterial endospore signatures, and 24

  7. Automated thermochemolysis reactor for detection of Bacillus anthracis endospores by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Dan; Rands, Anthony D.; Losee, Scott C.; Holt, Brian C.; Williams, John R.; Lammert, Stephen A.; Robison, Richard A.; Tolley, H. Dennis; Lee, Milton L.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •An automated sample preparation system for Bacillus anthracis endospores was developed. •A thermochemolysis method was applied to produce and derivatize biomarkers for Bacillus anthracis detection. •The autoreactor controlled the precise delivery of reagents, and TCM reaction times and temperatures. •Solid phase microextraction was used to extract biomarkers, and GC–MS was used for final identification. •This autoreactor was successfully applied to the identification of Bacillus anthracis endospores. -- Abstract: An automated sample preparation system was developed and tested for the rapid detection of Bacillus anthracis endospores by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for eventual use in the field. This reactor is capable of automatically processing suspected bio-threat agents to release and derivatize unique chemical biomarkers by thermochemolysis (TCM). The system automatically controls the movement of sample vials from one position to another, crimping of septum caps onto the vials, precise delivery of reagents, and TCM reaction times and temperatures. The specific operations of introduction of sample vials, solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling, injection into the GC–MS system, and ejection of used vials from the system were performed manually in this study, although they can be integrated into the automated system. Manual SPME sampling is performed by following visual and audible signal prompts for inserting the fiber into and retracting it from the sampling port. A rotating carousel design allows for simultaneous sample collection, reaction, biomarker extraction and analysis of sequential samples. Dipicolinic acid methyl ester (DPAME), 3-methyl-2-butenoic acid methyl ester (a fragment of anthrose) and two methylated sugars were used to compare the performance of the autoreactor with manual TCM. Statistical algorithms were used to construct reliable bacterial endospore signatures, and 24

  8. The search and identification of the new immunodiagnostic targets of bacillus anthracis spore

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biketov, S.; Dunaytsev, I.; Baranova, E.; Marinin, L.; Dyatlov, I.

    2009-01-01

    Spores of Bacillus anthracis have been used as bio warfare agent to bio terrorize purposes. As efficiency of anti-epidemic measures included urgent prevention and treatment is determined by terms within which the bio agent is identified. Direct and rapid spore detection by antibodies based detection system is very attractive alternative to current PCR-based assays or routine phenotyping which are the most accurate but are also complex, time-consumption and expensive. The main difficulty with respect to such kind of anthrax spores detection is a cross-reaction with spores of closely related bacteria. For development of species-specific antibodies to anthrax spores recombinant scFvs or hybridoma technique were used. In both case surface spore antigens contained species-specific epitopes are need. Among exosporium proteins only ExsF(BxpB), ExsK and SoaA are specific to B.cereus group. On the surface of B. anthracis spores, a unique tetrasaccharides containing an novel monosaccharide - anthrose, was discovered. It was shown that anthrose can be serving as species-specific target for B. anthracis spores detection. We have revealed that EA1 isolated from spore of Russians strain STI-1 contain carbohydrate which formed species-specific epitopes and determine immunogenicity of this antigen. Antibodies to this antigen specifically recognized the surface target of B. anthracis spores and do not reacted with others Bacillus spore. Based on these antibodies we developed the test-systems in different formats for rapid direct detection and identification of B. anthracis spores. The results of trial these test-systems with using more than 50 different Bacillus strains were indicated that carbohydrate of EA1 isolated from spore is effective immunodiagnostic target for anthrax spores bio detection.(author)

  9. The Pathogenomic Sequence Analysis of B. cereus and B.thuringiensis Isolates Closely Related to Bacillus anthracis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Cliff S.; Xie, Gary; Challacombe, Jean F.; Altherr, MichaelR.; Smriti, B.; Bruce, David; Campbell, Connie S.; Campbell, Mary L.; Chen, Jin; Chertkov, Olga; Cleland, Cathy; Dimitrijevic-Bussod, M.; Doggett, Norman A.; Fawcett, John J.; Glavina, Tijana; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Hill, Karen K.; Hitchcock, Penny; Jackson, Paul J.; Keim, Paul; Kewalramani, Avinash Ramesh; Longmire, Jon; Lucas, Susan; Malfatti,Stephanie; McMurry, Kim; Meincke, Linda J.; Misra, Monica; Moseman,Bernice L.; Mundt, Mark; Munk, A. Christine; Okinaka, Richard T.; Parson-Quintana, B.; Reilly, Lee P.; Richardson, Paul; Robinson, DonnaL.; Rubin, Eddy; Saunders, Elizabeth; Tapia, Roxanne; Tesmer, Judith G.; Thayer, Nina; Thompson, Linda S.; Tice, Hope; Ticknor, Lawrence O.; Wills, Patti L.; Gilna, Payl; Brettin, Thomas S.

    2005-08-18

    The sequencing and analysis of two close relatives of Bacillus anthracis are reported. AFLP analysis of over 300 isolates of B.cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. anthracis identified two isolates as being very closely related to B. anthracis. One, a B. cereus, BcE33L, was isolated from a zebra carcass in Nambia; the second, a B. thuringiensis, 97-27, was isolated from a necrotic human wound. The B. cereus appears to be the closest anthracis relative sequenced to date. A core genome of over 3,900 genes was compiled for the Bacillus cereus group, including Banthracis. Comparative analysis of these two genomes with other members of the B. cereus group provides insight into the evolutionary relationships among these organisms. Evidence is presented that differential regulation modulates virulence, rather than simple acquisition of virulence factors. These genome sequences provide insight into the molecular mechanisms contributing to the host range and virulence of this group of organisms.

  10. Efficacy of Oritavancin in a Murine Model of Bacillus anthracis Spore Inhalation Anthrax

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Heine, H. S; Bassett, J; Miller, L; Bassett, A; Ivins, B. E; Lehous, D; Arhin, F. F; Parr, Jr., T. R; Moeck, G

    2008-01-01

    The inhaled form of Bacillus anthracis infection may be fatal to humans. The current standard of care for inhalational anthrax postexposure prophylaxis is ciprofloxacin therapy twice daily for 60 days...

  11. Survival of Bacillus anthracis spores in fruit juices and wine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leishman, Oriana N; Johnson, Miranda J; Labuza, Theodore P; Diez-Gonzalez, Francisco

    2010-09-01

    Foods have been identified as a potential target for bioterrorism due to their essential nature and global distribution. Foods produced in bulk have the potential to have large batches of product intentionally contaminated, which could affect hundreds or thousands of individuals. Bacillus anthracis spores are one potential bioterrorism agent that may survive pasteurization and remain viable throughout the shelf life of fruit juices and cause disease if consumed. This project examined B. anthracis spore survival in orange, apple, and grape juices, as well as wine. Samples of beverages were inoculated with spores of two nonpathogenic B. anthracis strains at approximately 10(6) CFU/ml, and the spore count was determined periodically during storage for 30 days at 4°C. After this time, the counts of survival spores never declined more than 1 log CFU/ml in any of the beverage types. These results indicate that spores can survive, with little to no loss in viability, for at least a month in fruit juices and wine.

  12. Crystal structure of Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity

    OpenAIRE

    Hammerstrom, Troy G.; Horton, Lori B.; Swick, Michelle C.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Koehler, Theresa M.

    2014-01-01

    The Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthesis operon. AtxA activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and CO2/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the CO2/bicarbonate signal, AtxA activity, and homomultimerization. AtxA activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. We show that AtxA crystallizes as a dimer. Distinct folds associated with predicted DNA-bin...

  13. Encapsulated Bacillus anthracis interacts closely with liver endothelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piris-Gimenez, Alejandro; Corre, Jean-Philippe; Jouvion, Gregory; Candela, Thomas; Khun, Huot; Goossens, Pierre L

    2009-11-01

    The Bacillus anthracis poly-gamma-D-glutamate capsule is essential for virulence. It impedes phagocytosis and protects bacilli from the immune system, thus promoting systemic dissemination. To further define the virulence mechanisms brought into play by the capsule, we characterized the interactions between encapsulated nontoxinogenic B. anthracis and its host in vivo through histological analysis, perfusion, and competition experiments with purified capsule. Clearance of encapsulated bacilli from the blood was rapid (>90% clearance within 5 min), with 75% of the bacteria being trapped in the liver. Competition experiments with purified capsule polyglutamate inhibited this interaction. At the septicemic phase of cutaneous infection with spores, the encapsulated bacilli were trapped in the vascular spaces of the liver and interacted closely with the liver endothelium in the sinusoids and terminal and portal veins. They often grow as microcolonies containing capsular material shed by the bacteria. We show that, in addition to its inhibitory effect on the interaction with the immune system, the capsule surrounding B. anthracis plays an active role in mediating the trapping of the bacteria within the liver and may thus contribute to anthrax pathogenesis. Because other microorganisms produce polyglutamate, it may also represent a general mechanism of virulence or in vivo survival.

  14. Historical distribution and molecular diversity of Bacillus anthracis, Kazakhstan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aikembayev, Alim M; Lukhnova, Larissa; Temiraliyeva, Gulnara; Meka-Mechenko, Tatyana; Pazylov, Yerlan; Zakaryan, Sarkis; Denissov, Georgiy; Easterday, W Ryan; Van Ert, Matthew N; Keim, Paul; Francesconi, Stephen C; Blackburn, Jason K; Hugh-Jones, Martin; Hadfield, Ted

    2010-05-01

    To map the distribution of anthrax outbreaks and strain subtypes in Kazakhstan during 1937-2005, we combined geographic information system technology and genetic analysis by using archived cultures and data. Biochemical and genetic tests confirmed the identity of 93 archived cultures in the Kazakhstan National Culture Collection as Bacillus anthracis. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis genotyping identified 12 genotypes. Cluster analysis comparing these genotypes with previously published genotypes indicated that most (n = 78) isolates belonged to the previously described A1.a genetic cluster, 6 isolates belonged to the A3.b cluster, and 2 belonged to the A4 cluster. Two genotypes in the collection appeared to represent novel genetic sublineages; 1 of these isolates was from Krygystan. Our data provide a description of the historical, geographic, and genetic diversity of B. anthracis in this Central Asian region.

  15. Recombinant expression and purification of a tumor-targeted toxin in Bacillus anthracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachran, Christopher; Abdelazim, Suzanne; Fattah, Rasem J.; Liu, Shihui; Leppla, Stephen H.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Non-infectious and protease-deficient Bacillus anthracis protein expression system. ► Successful expression and purification of a tumor-targeted fusion protein drug. ► Very low endotoxin contamination of purified protein. ► Efficient protein secretion simplifies purification. ► Functional anti-tumor fusion protein purified. -- Abstract: 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 protease-deficient strain BH460, we expressed a fusion of the N-terminal 254 amino acids of anthrax lethal factor (LFn), the N-terminal 389 amino acids of diphtheria toxin (DT389) and human transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα). The resulting fusion protein was constitutively expressed and successfully secreted by B. anthracis into the culture supernatant. Purification was achieved by anion exchange chromatography and proteolytic cleavage removed LFn from the desired fusion protein (DT389 fused to TGFα). The fusion protein showed the intended specific cytotoxicity to epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing human head and neck cancer cells. Final analyses showed low levels of lipopolysaccharides, originating most likely from contamination during the purification process. Thus, the fusion to LFn for protein secretion and expression in B. anthracis BH460 provides an elegant tool to obtain high levels of lipopolysaccharide-free recombinant protein.

  16. Ebselen and analogs as inhibitors of Bacillus anthracis thioredoxin reductase and bactericidal antibacterials targeting Bacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafsson, Tomas N; Osman, Harer; Werngren, Jim; Hoffner, Sven; Engman, Lars; Holmgren, Arne

    2016-06-01

    Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax, a disease associated with a very high mortality rate in its invasive forms. We studied a number of ebselen analogs as inhibitors of B. anthracis thioredoxin reductase and their antibacterial activity on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The most potent compounds in the series gave IC(50) values down to 70 nM for the pure enzyme and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) down to 0.4 μM (0.12 μg/ml) for B. subtilis, 1.5 μM (0.64 μg/ml) for S. aureus, 2 μM (0.86 μg/ml) for B. cereus and 10 μg/ml for M. tuberculosis. Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were found at 1-1.5 times the MIC, indicating a general, class-dependent, bactericidal mode of action. The combined bacteriological and enzymological data were used to construct a preliminary structure-activity-relationship for the benzoisoselenazol class of compounds. When S. aureus and B. subtilis were exposed to ebselen, we were unable to isolate resistant mutants on both solid and in liquid medium suggesting a high resistance barrier. These results suggest that ebselen and analogs thereof could be developed into a novel antibiotic class, useful for the treatment of infections caused by B. anthracis, S. aureus, M. tuberculosis and other clinically important bacteria. Furthermore, the high barrier against resistance development is encouraging for further drug development. We have characterized the thioredoxin system from B. anthracis as a novel drug target and ebselen and analogs thereof as a potential new class of antibiotics targeting several important human pathogens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The genome of a Bacillus isolate causing anthrax in chimpanzees combines chromosomal properties of B. cereus with B. anthracis virulence plasmids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silke R Klee

    Full Text Available Anthrax is a fatal disease caused by strains of Bacillus anthracis. Members of this monophyletic species are non motile and are all characterized by the presence of four prophages and a nonsense mutation in the plcR regulator gene. Here we report the complete genome sequence of a Bacillus strain isolated from a chimpanzee that had died with clinical symptoms of anthrax. Unlike classic B. anthracis, this strain was motile and lacked the four prohages and the nonsense mutation. Four replicons were identified, a chromosome and three plasmids. Comparative genome analysis revealed that the chromosome resembles those of non-B. anthracis members of the Bacillus cereus group, whereas two plasmids were identical to the anthrax virulence plasmids pXO1 and pXO2. The function of the newly discovered third plasmid with a length of 14 kbp is unknown. A detailed comparison of genomic loci encoding key features confirmed a higher similarity to B. thuringiensis serovar konkukian strain 97-27 and B. cereus E33L than to B. anthracis strains. For the first time we describe the sequence of an anthrax causing bacterium possessing both anthrax plasmids that apparently does not belong to the monophyletic group of all so far known B. anthracis strains and that differs in important diagnostic features. The data suggest that this bacterium has evolved from a B. cereus strain independently from the classic B. anthracis strains and established a B. anthracis lifestyle. Therefore we suggest to designate this isolate as "B. cereus variety (var. anthracis".

  18. Lethality of Bacillus Anthracis Spores Due to Short Duration Heating Measured Using Infrared Spectroscopy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Goetz, Kristina M

    2005-01-01

    In this research, Bacillus anthracis spores were subjected to bursts of heat lasting on the order of one second in duration using a laser system to simulate the explosive environment from an agent defeat weapon...

  19. Reagent-free and portable detection of Bacillus anthracis spores using a microfluidic incubator and smartphone microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, Janine R; Erikson, Rebecca L; Sheen, Allison M; Ozanich, Richard M; Kelly, Ryan T

    2015-09-21

    Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax and can be contracted by humans and herbivorous mammals by inhalation, ingestion, or cutaneous exposure to bacterial spores. Due to its stability and disease potential, B. anthracis is a recognized biothreat agent and robust detection and viability methods are needed to identify spores from unknown samples. Here we report the use of smartphone-based microscopy (SPM) in combination with a simple microfluidic incubation device (MID) to detect 50 to 5000 B. anthracis Sterne spores in 3 to 5 hours. This technique relies on optical monitoring of the conversion of the ∼1 μm spores to the filamentous vegetative cells that range from tens to hundreds of micrometers in length. This distinguishing filament formation is unique to B. anthracis as compared to other members of the Bacillus cereus group. A unique feature of this approach is that the sample integrity is maintained, and the vegetative biomass can be removed from the chip for secondary molecular analysis such as PCR. Compared with existing chip-based and rapid viability PCR methods, this new approach reduces assay time by almost half, and is highly sensitive, specific, and cost effective.

  20. Recombinant expression and purification of a tumor-targeted toxin in Bacillus anthracis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bachran, Christopher; Abdelazim, Suzanne; Fattah, Rasem J.; Liu, Shihui [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States); Leppla, Stephen H., E-mail: sleppla@niaid.nih.gov [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States)

    2013-01-04

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Non-infectious and protease-deficient Bacillus anthracis protein expression system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Successful expression and purification of a tumor-targeted fusion protein drug. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Very low endotoxin contamination of purified protein. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Efficient protein secretion simplifies purification. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Functional anti-tumor fusion protein purified. -- Abstract: 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 protease-deficient strain BH460, we expressed a fusion of the N-terminal 254 amino acids of anthrax lethal factor (LFn), the N-terminal 389 amino acids of diphtheria toxin (DT389) and human transforming growth factor alpha (TGF{alpha}). The resulting fusion protein was constitutively expressed and successfully secreted by B. anthracis into the culture supernatant. Purification was achieved by anion exchange chromatography and proteolytic cleavage removed LFn from the desired fusion protein (DT389 fused to TGF{alpha}). The fusion protein showed the intended specific cytotoxicity to epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing human head and neck cancer cells. Final analyses showed low levels of lipopolysaccharides, originating most likely from contamination during the purification process. Thus, the fusion to LFn for protein secretion and expression in B. anthracis BH460 provides an elegant tool to obtain high levels of lipopolysaccharide-free recombinant protein.

  1. Bacillus cereus Biovar Anthracis Causing Anthrax in Sub-Saharan Africa-Chromosomal Monophyly and Broad Geographic Distribution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kym S Antonation

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available 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 of Congo. The isolates shared several phenotypic features of both B. anthracis and B. cereus, but differed amongst each other in motility and their resistance or sensitivity to penicillin. They all possessed the same mutation in the regulator gene plcR, different from the one found in B. anthracis, and in addition, carry genes which enable them to produce a second capsule composed of hyaluronic acid. Our findings show the existence of a discrete clade of the B. cereus group capable of causing anthrax-like disease, found in areas of high biodiversity, which are possibly also the origin of the worldwide distributed B. anthracis. Establishing the impact of these pathogenic bacteria on threatened wildlife species will require systematic investigation. Furthermore, the consumption of wildlife found dead by the local population and presence in a domestic animal reveal potential sources of exposure to humans.

  2. Storage Effects on Sample Integrity of Environmental Surface Sampling Specimens with Bacillus anthracis Spores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, K Allison; O'Connell, Heather A; Rose, Laura J; Noble-Wang, Judith A; Arduino, Matthew J

    The effect of packaging, shipping temperatures and storage times on recovery of Bacillus anthracis . Sterne spores from swabs was investigated. Macrofoam swabs were pre-moistened, inoculated with Bacillus anthracis spores, and packaged in primary containment or secondary containment before storage at -15°C, 5°C, 21°C, or 35°C for 0-7 days. Swabs were processed according to validated Centers for Disease Control/Laboratory Response Network culture protocols, and the percent recovery relative to a reference sample (T 0 ) was determined for each variable. No differences were observed in recovery between swabs held at -15° and 5°C, (p ≥ 0.23). These two temperatures provided significantly better recovery than swabs held at 21°C or 35°C (all 7 days pooled, p ≤ 0.04). The percent recovery at 5°C was not significantly different if processed on days 1, 2 or 4, but was significantly lower on day 7 (day 2 vs. 7, 5°C, 10 2 , p=0.03). Secondary containment provided significantly better percent recovery than primary containment, regardless of storage time (5°C data, p ≤ 0.008). The integrity of environmental swab samples containing Bacillus anthracis spores shipped in secondary containment was maintained when stored at -15°C or 5°C and processed within 4 days to yield the optimum percent recovery of spores.

  3. Method for screening inhibitors of the toxicity of Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cirino, Nick M.; Jackson, Paul J.; Lehnert, Bruce E.

    2001-01-01

    The protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis is integral to the mechanism of anthrax poisoning. The cloning, expression and purification of a 32 kDa B. anthracis PA fragment (PA32) is described. This fragment has also been expressed as a fusion construct to stabilized green fluorescent protein (EGFP-PA32). Both proteins were capable of binding to specific cell surface receptors as determined by fluorescent microscopy and a flow cytometric assay. To confirm binding specificity in the flow cytometric assay, non-fluorescent PA83 or PA32 was used to competitively inhibit fluorescent EGFP-PA32 binding to cell receptors. This assay can be employed as a rapid screen for compounds which disrupts binding of PA to cells. Additionally, the high intracellular expression levels and ease of purification make this recombinant protein an attractive vaccine candidate or therapeutic treatment for anthrax poisoning.

  4. Laboratory Studies on Surface Sampling of Bacillus anthracis Contamination: Summary, Gaps, and Recommendations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piepel, Gregory F.; Amidan, Brett G.; Hu, Rebecca

    2011-11-28

    This report summarizes previous laboratory studies to characterize the performance of methods for collecting, storing/transporting, processing, and analyzing samples from surfaces contaminated by Bacillus anthracis or related surrogates. The focus is on plate culture and count estimates of surface contamination for swab, wipe, and vacuum samples of porous and nonporous surfaces. Summaries of the previous studies and their results were assessed to identify gaps in information needed as inputs to calculate key parameters critical to risk management in biothreat incidents. One key parameter is the number of samples needed to make characterization or clearance decisions with specified statistical confidence. Other key parameters include the ability to calculate, following contamination incidents, the (1) estimates of Bacillus anthracis contamination, as well as the bias and uncertainties in the estimates, and (2) confidence in characterization and clearance decisions for contaminated or decontaminated buildings. Gaps in knowledge and understanding identified during the summary of the studies are discussed and recommendations are given for future studies.

  5. Rap phosphatase of virulence plasmid pXO1 inhibits Bacillus anthracis sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bongiorni, Cristina; Stoessel, Ricarda; Shoemaker, Dorinda; Perego, Marta

    2006-01-01

    This study shows that the Bacillus anthracis pXO1 virulence plasmid carries a Rap-Phr system, BXA0205, which regulates sporulation initiation in this organism. The BXA0205Rap protein was shown to dephosphorylate the Spo0F response regulator intermediate of the phosphorelay signal transduction system that regulates the initiation of the developmental pathway in response to environmental, metabolic, and cell cycle signals. The activity of the Rap protein was shown to be inhibited by the carboxy-terminal pentapeptide generated through an export-import processing pathway from the associated BXA0205Phr protein. Deregulation of the Rap activity by either overexpression or lack of the Phr pentapeptide resulted in severe inhibition of sporulation. Five additional Rap-Phr encoding systems were identified on the chromosome of B. anthracis, one of which, BA3790-3791, also affected sporulation initiation. The results suggest that the plasmid-borne Rap-Phr system may provide a selective advantage to the virulence of B. anthracis.

  6. Rap Phosphatase of Virulence Plasmid pXO1 Inhibits Bacillus anthracis Sporulation†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bongiorni, Cristina; Stoessel, Ricarda; Shoemaker, Dorinda; Perego, Marta

    2006-01-01

    This study shows that the Bacillus anthracis pXO1 virulence plasmid carries a Rap-Phr system, BXA0205, which regulates sporulation initiation in this organism. The BXA0205Rap protein was shown to dephosphorylate the Spo0F response regulator intermediate of the phosphorelay signal transduction system that regulates the initiation of the developmental pathway in response to environmental, metabolic, and cell cycle signals. The activity of the Rap protein was shown to be inhibited by the carboxy-terminal pentapeptide generated through an export-import processing pathway from the associated BXA0205Phr protein. Deregulation of the Rap activity by either overexpression or lack of the Phr pentapeptide resulted in severe inhibition of sporulation. Five additional Rap-Phr encoding systems were identified on the chromosome of B. anthracis, one of which, BA3790-3791, also affected sporulation initiation. The results suggest that the plasmid-borne Rap-Phr system may provide a selective advantage to the virulence of B. anthracis. PMID:16385039

  7. clpC operon regulates cell architecture and sporulation in Bacillus anthracis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Lalit K; Dhasmana, Neha; Sajid, Andaleeb; Kumar, Prasun; Bhaduri, Asani; Bharadwaj, Mitasha; Gandotra, Sheetal; Kalia, Vipin C; Das, Taposh K; Goel, Ajay K; Pomerantsev, Andrei P; Misra, Richa; Gerth, Ulf; Leppla, Stephen H; Singh, Yogendra

    2015-03-01

    The clpC operon is known to regulate several processes such as genetic competence, protein degradation and stress survival in bacteria. Here, we describe the role of clpC operon in Bacillus anthracis. We generated knockout strains of the clpC operon genes to investigate the impact of CtsR, McsA, McsB and ClpC deletion on essential processes of B. anthracis. We observed that growth, cell division, sporulation and germination were severely affected in mcsB and clpC deleted strains, while none of deletions affected toxin secretion. Growth defect in these strains was pronounced at elevated temperature. The growth pattern gets restored on complementation of mcsB and clpC in respective mutants. Electron microscopic examination revealed that mcsB and clpC deletion also causes defect in septum formation leading to cell elongation. These vegetative cell deformities were accompanied by inability of mutant strains to generate morphologically intact spores. Higher levels of polyhydroxybutyrate granules accumulation were also observed in these deletion strains, indicating a defect in sporulation process. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the vital role played by McsB and ClpC in physiology of B. anthracis and open up further interest on this operon, which might be of importance to success of B. anthracis as pathogen. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. The secret life of the anthrax agent Bacillus anthracis: bacteriophage-mediated ecological adaptations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raymond Schuch

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Ecological and genetic factors that govern the occurrence and persistence of anthrax reservoirs in the environment are obscure. A central tenet, based on limited and often conflicting studies, has long held that growing or vegetative forms of Bacillus anthracis survive poorly outside the mammalian host and must sporulate to survive in the environment. Here, we present evidence of a more dynamic lifecycle, whereby interactions with bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, elicit phenotypic alterations in B. anthracis and the emergence of infected derivatives, or lysogens, with dramatically altered survival capabilities. Using both laboratory and environmental B. anthracis strains, we show that lysogeny can block or promote sporulation depending on the phage, induce exopolysaccharide expression and biofilm formation, and enable the long-term colonization of both an artificial soil environment and the intestinal tract of the invertebrate redworm, Eisenia fetida. All of the B. anthracis lysogens existed in a pseudolysogenic-like state in both the soil and worm gut, shedding phages that could in turn infect non-lysogenic B. anthracis recipients and confer survival phenotypes in those environments. Finally, the mechanism behind several phenotypic changes was found to require phage-encoded bacterial sigma factors and the expression of at least one host-encoded protein predicted to be involved in the colonization of invertebrate intestines. The results here demonstrate that during its environmental phase, bacteriophages provide B. anthracis with alternatives to sporulation that involve the activation of soil-survival and endosymbiotic capabilities.

  9. Rapid-viability PCR method for detection of live, virulent Bacillus anthracis in environmental samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Létant, Sonia E; Murphy, Gloria A; Alfaro, Teneile M; Avila, Julie R; Kane, Staci R; Raber, Ellen; Bunt, Thomas M; Shah, Sanjiv R

    2011-09-01

    In the event of a biothreat agent release, hundreds of samples would need to be rapidly processed to characterize the extent of contamination and determine the efficacy of remediation activities. Current biological agent identification and viability determination methods are both labor- and time-intensive such that turnaround time for confirmed results is typically several days. In order to alleviate this issue, automated, high-throughput sample processing methods were developed in which real-time PCR analysis is conducted on samples before and after incubation. The method, referred to as rapid-viability (RV)-PCR, uses the change in cycle threshold after incubation to detect the presence of live organisms. In this article, we report a novel RV-PCR method for detection of live, virulent Bacillus anthracis, in which the incubation time was reduced from 14 h to 9 h, bringing the total turnaround time for results below 15 h. The method incorporates a magnetic bead-based DNA extraction and purification step prior to PCR analysis, as well as specific real-time PCR assays for the B. anthracis chromosome and pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids. A single laboratory verification of the optimized method applied to the detection of virulent B. anthracis in environmental samples was conducted and showed a detection level of 10 to 99 CFU/sample with both manual and automated RV-PCR methods in the presence of various challenges. Experiments exploring the relationship between the incubation time and the limit of detection suggest that the method could be further shortened by an additional 2 to 3 h for relatively clean samples.

  10. Discrimination of Bacillus anthracis Spores by Direct in-situ Analysis of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Youngsu; Lee, Jonghee; Kim, Seongsoo

    2013-01-01

    The rapid and accurate identification of biological agents is a critical step in the case of bio-terror and biological warfare attacks. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been widely used for the identification of microorganisms. In this study, we describe a method for the rapid and accurate discrimination of Bacillus anthracis spores using MALDI-TOF MS. Our direct in-situ analysis of MALDI-TOF MS does not involve subsequent high-resolution mass analyses and sample preparation steps. This method allowed the detection of species-specific biomarkers from each Bacillus spores. Especially, B. anthracis spores had specific biomarker peaks at 2503, 3089, 3376, 6684, 6698, 6753, and 6840 m/z. Cluster and PCA analyses of the mass spectra of Bacillus spores revealed distinctively separated clusters and within-groups similarity. Therefore, we believe that this method is effective in the real-time identification of biological warfare agents such as B. anthracis as well as other microorganisms in the field

  11. Discrimination of Bacillus anthracis Spores by Direct in-situ Analysis of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Youngsu; Lee, Jonghee; Kim, Seongsoo [Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    The rapid and accurate identification of biological agents is a critical step in the case of bio-terror and biological warfare attacks. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been widely used for the identification of microorganisms. In this study, we describe a method for the rapid and accurate discrimination of Bacillus anthracis spores using MALDI-TOF MS. Our direct in-situ analysis of MALDI-TOF MS does not involve subsequent high-resolution mass analyses and sample preparation steps. This method allowed the detection of species-specific biomarkers from each Bacillus spores. Especially, B. anthracis spores had specific biomarker peaks at 2503, 3089, 3376, 6684, 6698, 6753, and 6840 m/z. Cluster and PCA analyses of the mass spectra of Bacillus spores revealed distinctively separated clusters and within-groups similarity. Therefore, we believe that this method is effective in the real-time identification of biological warfare agents such as B. anthracis as well as other microorganisms in the field.

  12. Comparison of false-negative rates and limits of detection following macrofoam-swab sampling of Bacillus anthracis surrogates via Rapid Viability PCR and plate culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, J R; Piepel, G F; Amidan, B G; Hess, B M; Sydor, M A; Deatherage Kaiser, B L

    2018-05-01

    We evaluated the effects of Bacillus anthracis surrogates, low surface concentrations, surface materials and assay methods on false-negative rate (FNR) and limit of detection (LOD 95 ) for recovering Bacillus spores using a macrofoam-swab sampling procedure. Bacillus anthracis Sterne or Bacillus atrophaeus Nakamura spores were deposited over a range of low target concentrations (2-500 per coupon) onto glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile and plastic. Samples were assayed using a modified Rapid Viability-PCR (mRV-PCR) method and the traditional plate culture method to obtain FNR and LOD 95 results. Mean FNRs tended to be lower for mRV-PCR compared to culturing, and increased as spore concentration decreased for all surface materials. Surface material, but not B. anthracis surrogate, influenced FNRs with the mRV-PCR method. The mRV-PCR LOD 95 was lowest for glass and highest for vinyl tile. LOD 95 values overall were lower for mRV-PCR than for the culture method. This study adds to the limited data on FNR and LOD 95 for mRV-PCR and culturing methods with low concentrations of B. anthracis sampled from various surface materials by the CDC macrofoam-swab method. These are key inputs for planning characterization and clearance studies for low contamination levels of B. anthracis. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  13. Nanoscale Structural and Mechanical Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Spores Inactivated with Rapid Dry Heating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felker, Daniel L.; Burggraf, Larry W.

    2014-01-01

    Effective killing of Bacillus anthracis spores is of paramount importance to antibioterrorism, food safety, environmental protection, and the medical device industry. Thus, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of spore resistance and inactivation is highly desired for developing new strategies or improving the known methods for spore destruction. Previous studies have shown that spore inactivation mechanisms differ considerably depending upon the killing agents, such as heat (wet heat, dry heat), UV, ionizing radiation, and chemicals. It is believed that wet heat kills spores by inactivating critical enzymes, while dry heat kills spores by damaging their DNA. Many studies have focused on the biochemical aspects of spore inactivation by dry heat; few have investigated structural damages and changes in spore mechanical properties. In this study, we have inactivated Bacillus anthracis spores with rapid dry heating and performed nanoscale topographical and mechanical analysis of inactivated spores using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results revealed significant changes in spore morphology and nanomechanical properties after heat inactivation. In addition, we also found that these changes were different under different heating conditions that produced similar inactivation probabilities (high temperature for short exposure time versus low temperature for long exposure time). We attributed the differences to the differential thermal and mechanical stresses in the spore. The buildup of internal thermal and mechanical stresses may become prominent only in ultrafast, high-temperature heat inactivation when the experimental timescale is too short for heat-generated vapor to efficiently escape from the spore. Our results thus provide direct, visual evidences of the importance of thermal stresses and heat and mass transfer to spore inactivation by very rapid dry heating. PMID:24375142

  14. Genotype Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Strains Circulating in Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rume, Farzana Islam; Affuso, Alessia; Serrecchia, Luigina; Rondinone, Valeria; Manzulli, Viviana; Campese, Emanuele; Di Taranto, Pietro; Biswas, Paritosh Kumar; Ahsan, Chowdhury Rafiqul; Yasmin, Mahmuda; Fasanella, Antonio; Hugh-Jones, Martin

    2016-01-01

    In Bangladesh, anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is considered an endemic disease affecting ruminants with sporadic zoonotic occurrences in humans. Due to the lack of knowledge about risks from an incorrect removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and because of the socio-economic conditions, the situation is under-reported and under-diagnosed. For sensitive species, anthrax represents a fatal outcome with sudden death and sometimes bleeding from natural orifices. The most common source of infection for ruminants is ingestion of spores during grazing in contaminated pastures or through grass and water contaminated with anthrax spores. Domestic cattle, sheep and goats can also become infected through contaminated bone meal (used as feed) originating from anthrax-infected carcasses. The present investigation was conducted to isolate B. anthracis organisms from 169 samples (73 soil, 1 tissue, 4 bone and 91 bone meal samples) collected from 12 different districts of Bangladesh. The sampling was carried out from 2012 to 2015. Twelve samples resulted positive for B. anthracis. Biomolecular analyses were conducted starting from the Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (CanSNP) to analyze the phylogenetic origin of strains. The analysis of genotype, obtained through the Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) with the analysis of 15 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR), demonstrated four different genotypes: two of them were previously identified in the district of Sirajganj. The sub-genotyping, conducted with Single Nucleotide Repeats analysis, revealed the presence of eight subgenotypes. The data of the present study concluded that there was no observed correlation between imported cattle feed and anthrax occurrence in Bangladesh and that the remarkable genetic variations of B. anthracis were found in the soil of numerous outbreaks in this country.

  15. Genotype Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Strains Circulating in Bangladesh.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzana Islam Rume

    Full Text Available In Bangladesh, anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is considered an endemic disease affecting ruminants with sporadic zoonotic occurrences in humans. Due to the lack of knowledge about risks from an incorrect removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and because of the socio-economic conditions, the situation is under-reported and under-diagnosed. For sensitive species, anthrax represents a fatal outcome with sudden death and sometimes bleeding from natural orifices. The most common source of infection for ruminants is ingestion of spores during grazing in contaminated pastures or through grass and water contaminated with anthrax spores. Domestic cattle, sheep and goats can also become infected through contaminated bone meal (used as feed originating from anthrax-infected carcasses. The present investigation was conducted to isolate B. anthracis organisms from 169 samples (73 soil, 1 tissue, 4 bone and 91 bone meal samples collected from 12 different districts of Bangladesh. The sampling was carried out from 2012 to 2015. Twelve samples resulted positive for B. anthracis. Biomolecular analyses were conducted starting from the Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (CanSNP to analyze the phylogenetic origin of strains. The analysis of genotype, obtained through the Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA with the analysis of 15 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR, demonstrated four different genotypes: two of them were previously identified in the district of Sirajganj. The sub-genotyping, conducted with Single Nucleotide Repeats analysis, revealed the presence of eight subgenotypes. The data of the present study concluded that there was no observed correlation between imported cattle feed and anthrax occurrence in Bangladesh and that the remarkable genetic variations of B. anthracis were found in the soil of numerous outbreaks in this country.

  16. Hal Is a Bacillus anthracis Heme Acquisition Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balderas, Miriam A.; Nobles, Christopher L.; Honsa, Erin S.; Alicki, Embriette R.

    2012-01-01

    The metal iron is a limiting nutrient for bacteria during infection. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax and a potential weapon of bioterrorism, grows rapidly in mammalian hosts, which suggests that it efficiently attains iron during infection. Recent studies have uncovered both heme (isd) and siderophore-mediated (asb) iron transport pathways in this pathogen. Whereas deletion of the asb genes results in reduced virulence, the loss of three surface components from isd had no effect, thereby leaving open the question of what additional factors in B. anthracis are responsible for iron uptake from the most abundant iron source for mammals, heme. Here, we describe the first functional characterization of bas0520, a gene recently implicated in anthrax disease progression. bas0520 encodes a single near-iron transporter (NEAT) domain and several leucine-rich repeats. The NEAT domain binds heme, despite lacking a stabilizing tyrosine common to the NEAT superfamily of hemoproteins. The NEAT domain also binds hemoglobin and can acquire heme from hemoglobin in solution. Finally, deletion of bas0520 resulted in bacilli unable to grow efficiently on heme or hemoglobin as an iron source and yielded the most significant phenotype relative to that for other putative heme uptake systems, a result that suggests that this protein plays a prominent role in the replication of B. anthracis in hematogenous environments. Thus, we have assigned the name of Hal (heme-acquisition leucine-rich repeat protein) to BAS0520. These studies advance our understanding of heme acquisition by this dangerous pathogen and justify efforts to determine the mechanistic function of this novel protein for vaccine or inhibitor development. PMID:22865843

  17. Characterization of the variable-number tandem repeats in vrrA from different Bacillus anthracis isolates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, P.J.; Walthers, E.A.; Richmond, K.L. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

    1997-04-01

    PCR analysis of 198 Bacillus anthracis isolates revealed a variable region of DNA sequence differing in length among the isolates. Five Polymorphisms differed by the presence Of two to six copies of the 12-bp tandem repeat 5{prime}-CAATATCAACAA-3{prime}. This variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) region is located within a larger sequence containing one complete open reading frame that encodes a putative 30-kDa protein. Length variation did not change the reading frame of the encoded protein and only changed the copy number of a 4-amino-acid sequence (QYQQ) from 2 to 6. The structure of the VNTR region suggests that these multiple repeats are generated by recombination or polymerase slippage. Protein structures predicted from the reverse-translated DNA sequence suggest that any structural changes in the encoded protein are confined to the region encoded by the VNTR sequence. Copy number differences in the VNTR region were used to define five different B. anthracis alleles. Characterization of 198 isolates revealed allele frequencies of 6.1, 17.7, 59.6, 5.6, and 11.1% sequentially from shorter to longer alleles. The high degree of polymorphism in the VNTR region provides a criterion for assigning isolates to five allelic categories. There is a correlation between categories and geographic distribution. Such molecular markers can be used to monitor the epidemiology of anthrax outbreaks in domestic and native herbivore populations. 22 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

  18. Decontamination of materials contaminated with Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus thuringiensis Al Hakam spores using PES-Solid, a solid source of peracetic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhr, T L; Wells, C M; Young, A A; Minter, Z A; Johnson, C A; Payne, A N; McPherson, D C

    2013-08-01

    To develop test methods and evaluate survival of Bacillus anthracis Ames, B. anthracis ∆Sterne and B. thuringiensis Al Hakam spores after exposure to PES-Solid (a solid source of peracetic acid), including PES-Solid formulations with bacteriostatic surfactants. Spores (≥ 7 logs) were dried on seven different test materials and treated with three different PES-Solid formulations (or preneutralized controls) at room temperature for 15 min. There was either no spore survival or less than 1 log (<10 spores) of spore survival in 56 of 63 test combinations (strain, formulation and substrate). Less than 2.7 logs (<180 spores) survived in the remaining seven test combinations. The highest spore survival rates were seen on water-dispersible chemical agent resistant coating (CARC-W) and Naval ship topcoat (NTC). Electron microscopy and Coulter analysis showed that all spore structures were intact after spore inactivation with PES-Solid. Three PES-Solid formulations inactivated Bacillus spores that were dried on seven different materials. A test method was developed to show that PES-Solid formulations effectively inactivate Bacillus spores on different materials. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  19. Pilot-scale crossflow-microfiltration and pasturization to remove spores of Bacillus anthracis (Sterne) from milk

    Science.gov (United States)

    HTST pasteurization of milk is generally ineffective against spore-forming bacteria such as Bacillus anthracis (BA) but is lethal to its vegetative cells. Crossflow microfiltration (MF), using ceramic membranes with a pore diameter of 1.4 um, has been shown to physically remove somatic cells, vegeta...

  20. Rapid Detection of Bacillus anthracis Spores Using Immunomagnetic Separation and Amperometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David F. Waller

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Portable detection and quantitation methods for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax spores in pure culture or in environmental samples are lacking. Here, an amperometric immunoassay has been developed utilizing immunomagnetic separation to capture the spores and remove potential interferents from test samples followed by amperometric measurement on a field-portable instrument. Antibody-conjugated magnetic beads and antibody-conjugated glucose oxidase were used in a sandwich format for the capture and detection of target spores. Glucose oxidase activity of spore pellets was measured indirectly via amperometry by applying a bias voltage after incubation with glucose, horseradish peroxidase, and the electron mediator 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid. Target capture was mediated by polyclonal antisera, whereas monoclonal antibodies were used for signal generation. This strategy maximized sensitivity (500 target spores, 5000 cfu/mL, while also providing a good specificity for Bacillus anthracis spores. Minimal signal deviation occurs in the presence of environmental interferents including soil and modified pH conditions, demonstrating the strengths of immunomagnetic separation. The simultaneous incubation of capture and detection antibodies and rapid substrate development (5 min result in short sample-to-signal times (less than an hour. With attributes comparable or exceeding that of ELISA and LFDs, amperometry is a low-cost, low-weight, and practical method for detecting anthrax spores in the field.

  1. The Poly-γ-D-Glutamic Acid Capsule of Bacillus licheniformis, a Surrogate of Bacillus anthracis Capsule Induces Interferon-Gamma Production in NK Cells through Interactions with Macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hae-Ri; Jeon, Jun Ho; Rhie, Gi-Eun

    2017-05-28

    The poly-γ- D -glutamic acid (PGA) capsule, a major virulence factor of Bacillus anthracis , provides protection of the bacterium from phagocytosis and allows its unimpeded growth in the host. We investigated crosstalk between murine natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages stimulated with the PGA capsule of Bacillus licheniformis , a surrogate of the B. anthracis capsule. PGA induced interferon-gamma production from NK cells cultured with macrophages. This effect was dependent on macrophage-derived IL-12 and cell-cell contact interaction with macrophages through NK cell receptor NKG2D and its ligand RAE-1. The results showed that PGA could enhance NK cell activation by inducing IL-12 production in macrophages and a contact-dependent crosstalk with macrophages.

  2. Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis Spores during Laboratory-Scale Composting of Feedlot Cattle Manure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Shanwei; Harvey, Amanda; Barbieri, Ruth; Reuter, Tim; Stanford, Kim; Amoako, Kingsley K.; Selinger, Leonard B.; McAllister, Tim A.

    2016-01-01

    Anthrax outbreaks in livestock have social, economic and health implications, altering farmer’s livelihoods, impacting trade and posing a zoonotic risk. Our study investigated the survival of Bacillus thuringiensis and B. anthracis spores sporulated at 15, 20, or 37°C, over 33 days of composting. Spores (∼7.5 log10 CFU g-1) were mixed with manure and composted in laboratory scale composters. After 15 days, the compost was mixed and returned to the composter for a second cycle. Temperatures peaked at 71°C on day 2 and remained ≥55°C for an average of 7 days in the first cycle, but did not exceed 55°C in the second. For B. thuringiensis, spores generated at 15 and 21°C exhibited reduced (P composting for spores generated at 15, 21, and 37°C, respectively. For both species, spore viability declined more rapidly (P composting cycle. Our findings suggest that the duration of thermophilic exposure (≥55°C) is the main factor influencing survival of B. anthracis spores in compost. As sporulation temperature did not influence survival of B. anthracis, composting may lower the viability of spores associated with carcasses infected with B. anthracis over a range of sporulation temperatures. PMID:27303388

  3. Ecological Niche Modelling of the Bacillus anthracis A1.a sub-lineage in Kazakhstan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a globally distributed zoonotic pathogen that continues to be a veterinary and human health problem in Central Asia. We used a database of anthrax outbreak locations in Kazakhstan and a subset of genotyped isolates to model the geographic distribution and ecological associations of B. anthracis in Kazakhstan. The aims of the study were to test the influence of soil variables on a previous ecological niche based prediction of B. anthracis in Kazakhstan and to determine if a single sub-lineage of B. anthracis occupies a unique ecological niche. Results The addition of soil variables to the previously developed ecological niche model did not appreciably alter the limits of the predicted geographic or ecological distribution of B. anthracis in Kazakhstan. The A1.a experiment predicted the sub-lineage to be present over a larger geographic area than did the outbreak based experiment containing multiple lineages. Within the geographic area predicted to be suitable for B. anthracis by all ten best subset models, the A1.a sub-lineage was associated with a wider range of ecological tolerances than the outbreak-soil experiment. Analysis of rule types showed that logit rules predominate in the outbreak-soil experiment and range rules in the A1.a sub-lineage experiment. Random sub-setting of locality points suggests that models of B. anthracis distribution may be sensitive to sample size. Conclusions Our analysis supports careful consideration of the taxonomic resolution of data used to create ecological niche models. Further investigations into the environmental affinities of individual lineages and sub-lineages of B. anthracis will be useful in understanding the ecology of the disease at large and small scales. With model based predictions serving as approximations of disease risk, these efforts will improve the efficacy of public health interventions for anthrax prevention and control. PMID:22152056

  4. Comparison of false-negative rates and limits of detection following macrofoam-swab sampling of Bacillus anthracis surrogates via Rapid Viability PCR and plate culture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchison, J. R. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Piepel, G. F. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Amidan, B. G. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Hess, B. M. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Sydor, M. A. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Deatherage Kaiser, B. L. [National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA

    2018-03-13

    Aims: We evaluated the effects of Bacillus anthracis surrogates, low surface concentrations, surface materials, and assay methods on false-negative rate (FNR) and limit of detection (LOD95) for recovering Bacillus spores using a macrofoam-swab sampling procedure. Methods and Results: Bacillus anthracis Sterne or Bacillus atrophaeus Nakamura spores were deposited over a range of low target concentrations (2 – 500 coupon-1) onto glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile, and plastic. Samples were assayed using a modified Rapid Viability-PCR (mRV-PCR) method and the traditional plate culture method to obtain FNR and LOD95 results. Conclusions: Mean FNRs tended to be lower for mRV-PCR compared to culturing, and increased as spore concentration decreased for all surface materials. Surface material, but not B. anthracis surrogate, influenced FNRs with the mRV-PCR method. The mRV-PCR LOD95 was lowest for glass and highest for vinyl tile. LOD95 values overall were lower for mRV-PCR than for the culture method. Significance and Impact of Study: This study adds to the limited data on FNR and LOD95 for mRV-PCR and culturing methods with low concentrations of B. anthracis sampled from various surface materials by the CDC macrofoam-swab method. These are key inputs for planning characterization and clearance studies for low contamination levels of B. anthracis.

  5. Structural study and thermodynamic characterization of inhibitor binding to lumazine synthase from Bacillus anthracis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morgunova, Ekaterina [Karolinska Institutet NOVUM, Center of Structural Biochemistry, Hälsovägen 7-9, 141 57 Huddinge (Sweden); Illarionov, Boris; Saller, Sabine [Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Popov, Aleksander [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble CEDEX 09 (France); Sambaiah, Thota [Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University (United States); Bacher, Adelbert [Chemistry Department, Technical University of Munich, 85747 Garching (Germany); Cushman, Mark [Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University (United States); Fischer, Markus [Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Ladenstein, Rudolf, E-mail: rudolf.ladenstein@ki.se [Karolinska Institutet NOVUM, Center of Structural Biochemistry, Hälsovägen 7-9, 141 57 Huddinge (Sweden)

    2010-09-01

    Crystallographic studies of lumazine synthase, the penultimate enzyme of the riboflavin-biosynthetic pathway in B. anthracis, provide a structural framework for the design of antibiotic inhibitors, together with calorimetric and kinetic investigations of inhibitor binding. The crystal structure of lumazine synthase from Bacillus anthracis was solved by molecular replacement and refined to R{sub cryst} = 23.7% (R{sub free} = 28.4%) at a resolution of 3.5 Å. The structure reveals the icosahedral symmetry of the enzyme and specific features of the active site that are unique in comparison with previously determined orthologues. The application of isothermal titration calorimetry in combination with enzyme kinetics showed that three designed pyrimidine derivatives bind to lumazine synthase with micromolar dissociation constants and competitively inhibit the catalytic reaction. Structure-based modelling suggested the binding modes of the inhibitors in the active site and allowed an estimation of the possible contacts formed upon binding. The results provide a structural framework for the design of antibiotics active against B. anthracis.

  6. Rapid detection and identification of Bacillus anthracis in food using pyrosequencing technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amoako, Kingsley K; Janzen, Timothy W; Shields, Michael J; Hahn, Kristen R; Thomas, Matthew C; Goji, Noriko

    2013-08-01

    The development of advanced methodologies for the detection of Bacillus anthracis has been evolving rapidly since the release of the anthrax spores in the mail in 2001. Recent advances in detection and identification techniques could prove to be an essential component in the defense against biological attacks. Sequence based such as pyrosequencing, which has the capability to determine short DNA stretches in real-time using biotinylated PCR amplicons, has potential biodefense applications. Using markers from the virulence plasmids (pXO1 and pXO2) and chromosomal regions, we have demonstrated the power of this technology in the rapid, specific and sensitive detection of B. anthracis spores in food matrices including milk, juice, bottled water, and processed meat. The combined use of immunomagnetic separation and pyrosequencing showed positive detection when liquid foods (bottled water, milk, juice), and processed meat were experimentally inoculated with 6CFU/mL and 6CFU/g, respectively, without an enrichment step. Pyrosequencing is completed in about 60min (following PCR amplification) and yields accurate and reliable results with an added layer of confidence. The entire assay (from sample preparation to sequencing information) can be completed in about 7.5h. A typical run on food samples yielded 67-80bp reads with 94-100% identity to the expected sequence. This sequence based approach is a novel application for the detection of anthrax spores in food with potential application in foodborne bioterrorism response and biodefense involving the use of anthrax spores. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. In Silico Genomic Fingerprints of the Bacillus anthracis Group Obtained by Virtual Hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hueman Jaimes-Díaz

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study we evaluate the capacity of Virtual Hybridization to identify between highly related bacterial strains. Eight genomic fingerprints were obtained by virtual hybridization for the Bacillus anthracis genome set, and a set of 15,264 13-nucleotide short probes designed to produce genomic fingerprints unique for each organism. The data obtained from each genomic fingerprint were used to obtain hybridization patterns simulating a DNA microarray. Two virtual hybridization methods were used: the Direct and the Extended method to identify the number of potential hybridization sites and thus determine the minimum sensitivity value to discriminate between genomes with 99.9% similarity. Genomic fingerprints were compared using both methods and phylogenomic trees were constructed to verify that the minimum detection value is 0.000017. Results obtained from the genomic fingerprints suggest that the distribution in the trees is correct, as compared to other taxonomic methods. Specific virtual hybridization sites for each of the genomes studied were also identified.

  8. Impedance Measurements Could Accelerate Phage-Based Identification of Bacillus anthracis and Other Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Impedance Measurements Could Accelerate Phage-Based Identification of Bacillus anthracis And Other Bacteria Thomas Brown, Salwa Shan, Teresa...infection can be detected as early as one hour after exposing as few as 105 CFU bacteria to the stressor. We predicted that similar responses could be used... bacteria to form confluent growth and for phage-induced plaques to appear. Techniques that permit faster detection of species-specific bacteria /phage

  9. Cloning and Expressing Recombinant Protective Antigen Domains of B. anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    future predictive modeling toolkits. 1 1. Introduction The use of Bacillus anthracis as a bio - weapon in the United States in 2001 affirmed the need...for improved sensing and detection of biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Protective Antigen (PA) protein of Bacillus anthracis is the...Cloning and Expressing Recombinant Protective Antigen Domains of B. anthracis by Deborah A. Sarkes, Joshua M. Kogot, Irene Val-Addo

  10. A Simple Luminescent Adenylate-Cyclase Functional Assay for Evaluation of Bacillus anthracis Edema Factor Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma’ayan Israeli

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Edema Factor (EF, the toxic sub-unit of the Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin (ET is a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase whose detrimental activity in the infected host results in severe edema. EF is therefore a major virulence factor of B. anthracis. We describe a simple, rapid and reliable functional adenylate-cyclase assay based on inhibition of a luciferase-mediated luminescence reaction. The assay exploits the efficient adenylate cyclase-mediated depletion of adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP, and the strict dependence on ATP of the light-emitting luciferase-catalyzed luciferin-conversion to oxyluciferin, which can be easily visualized. The assay exhibits a robust EF-dose response decrease in luminescence, which may be specifically reverted by anti-EF antibodies. The application of the assay is exemplified in: (a determining the presence of EF in B. anthracis cultures, or its absence in cultures of EF-defective strains; (b evaluating the anti-EF humoral response in experimental animals infected/vaccinated with B. anthracis; and (c rapid discrimination between EF producing and non-producing bacterial colonies. Furthermore, the assay may be amenable with high-throughput screening for EF inhibitory molecules.

  11. Decontamination Options for Drinking Water Contaminated with Bacillus anthracis Spores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raber, E; Burklund, A

    2010-02-16

    Five parameters were evaluated with surrogates of Bacillus anthracis spores to determine effective decontamination options for use in a contaminated drinking water supply. The parameters were: (1) type of Bacillus spore surrogate (B. thuringiensis or B. atrophaeus); (2) spore concentration in suspension (10{sup 2} to 10{sup 6} spores/ml); (3) chemical characteristics of decontaminant [sodium dicholor-s-triazinetrione dihydrate (Dichlor), hydrogen peroxide, potassium peroxymonosulfate (Oxone), sodium hypochlorite, and VirkonS{reg_sign}]; (4) decontaminant concentration (0.01% to 5%); and (5) decontaminant exposure time (10 min to 24 hr). Results from 162 suspension tests with appropriate controls are reported. Hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 5%, and Dichlor and sodium hypochlorite at a concentration of 2%, were effective at spore inactivation regardless of spore type tested, spore exposure time, or spore concentration evaluated. This is the first reported study of Dichlor as an effective decontaminant for B. anthracis spore surrogates. Dichlor's desirable characteristics of high oxidation potential, high level of free chlorine, and more neutral pH than that of other oxidizers evaluated appear to make it an excellent alternative. All three oxidizers were effective against B. atrophaeus spores in meeting EPA's biocide standard of greater than a 6 log kill after a 10-minute exposure time and at lower concentrations than typically reported for biocide use. Solutions of 5% VirkonS{reg_sign} and Oxone were less effective decontaminants than other options evaluated in this study and did not meet the EPA's efficacy standard for biocides. Differences in methods and procedures reported by other investigators make quantitative comparisons among studies difficult.

  12. Bacillus anthracis genome organization in light of whole transcriptome sequencing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, Jeffrey; Zhu, Wenhan; Passalacqua, Karla D.; Bergman, Nicholas; Borodovsky, Mark

    2010-03-22

    Emerging knowledge of whole prokaryotic transcriptomes could validate a number of theoretical concepts introduced in the early days of genomics. What are the rules connecting gene expression levels with sequence determinants such as quantitative scores of promoters and terminators? Are translation efficiency measures, e.g. codon adaptation index and RBS score related to gene expression? We used the whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing of a bacterial pathogen Bacillus anthracis to assess correlation of gene expression level with promoter, terminator and RBS scores, codon adaptation index, as well as with a new measure of gene translational efficiency, average translation speed. We compared computational predictions of operon topologies with the transcript borders inferred from RNA-Seq reads. Transcriptome mapping may also improve existing gene annotation. Upon assessment of accuracy of current annotation of protein-coding genes in the B. anthracis genome we have shown that the transcriptome data indicate existence of more than a hundred genes missing in the annotation though predicted by an ab initio gene finder. Interestingly, we observed that many pseudogenes possess not only a sequence with detectable coding potential but also promoters that maintain transcriptional activity.

  13. Modeling the potential distribution of Bacillus anthracis under multiple climate change scenarios for Kazakhstan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timothy Andrew Joyner

    Full Text Available Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonotic disease that persists throughout much of the world in livestock, wildlife, and secondarily infects humans. This is true across much of Central Asia, and particularly the Steppe region, including Kazakhstan. This study employed the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP to model the current and future geographic distribution of Bacillus anthracis in Kazakhstan based on the A2 and B2 IPCC SRES climate change scenarios using a 5-variable data set at 55 km(2 and 8 km(2 and a 6-variable BioClim data set at 8 km(2. Future models suggest large areas predicted under current conditions may be reduced by 2050 with the A2 model predicting approximately 14-16% loss across the three spatial resolutions. There was greater variability in the B2 models across scenarios predicting approximately 15% loss at 55 km(2, approximately 34% loss at 8 km(2, and approximately 30% loss with the BioClim variables. Only very small areas of habitat expansion into new areas were predicted by either A2 or B2 in any models. Greater areas of habitat loss are predicted in the southern regions of Kazakhstan by A2 and B2 models, while moderate habitat loss is also predicted in the northern regions by either B2 model at 8 km(2. Anthrax disease control relies mainly on livestock vaccination and proper carcass disposal, both of which require adequate surveillance. In many situations, including that of Kazakhstan, vaccine resources are limited, and understanding the geographic distribution of the organism, in tandem with current data on livestock population dynamics, can aid in properly allocating doses. While speculative, contemplating future changes in livestock distributions and B. anthracis spore promoting environments can be useful for establishing future surveillance priorities. This study may also have broader applications to global public health surveillance relating to other diseases in addition to B

  14. Crystal structure of Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammerstrom, Troy G; Horton, Lori B; Swick, Michelle C; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Koehler, Theresa M

    2015-02-01

    The Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthetic operon. AtxA activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and CO(2)/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the CO(2)/bicarbonate signal, AtxA activity and homomultimerization. AtxA activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. We show that AtxA crystallizes as a dimer. Distinct folds associated with predicted DNA-binding domains (HTH1 and HTH2) and phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system-regulated domains (PRD1 and PRD2) are apparent. We tested AtxA variants containing single and double phosphomimetic (His→Asp) and phosphoablative (His→Ala) amino acid changes for activity in B. anthracis cultures and for protein-protein interactions in cell lysates. Reduced activity of AtxA H199A, lack of multimerization and activity of AtxAH379D variants, and predicted structural changes associated with phosphorylation support a model for control of AtxA function. We propose that (i) in the AtxA dimer, phosphorylation of H199 in PRD1 affects HTH2 positioning, influencing DNA-binding; and (ii) phosphorylation of H379 in PRD2 disrupts dimer formation. The AtxA structure is the first reported high-resolution full-length structure of a PRD-containing regulator, and can serve as a model for proteins of this family, especially those that link virulence to bacterial metabolism. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Optimization of a sample processing protocol for recovery of Bacillus anthracis spores from soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestri, Erin E.; Feldhake, David; Griffin, Dale; Lisle, John T.; Nichols, Tonya L.; Shah, Sanjiv; Pemberton, A; Schaefer III, Frank W

    2016-01-01

    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 indirect processing protocol, which included a series of washing and centrifugation steps. Optimization of the protocol included: identifying an ideal extraction diluent, variation in the number of wash steps, variation in the initial centrifugation speed, sonication and shaking mechanisms. The optimized protocol was demonstrated at two laboratories in order to evaluate the recovery of spores from loamy and sandy soils. The new protocol demonstrated an improved limit of detection for loamy and sandy soils over the non-optimized protocol with an approximate matrix limit of detection at 14 spores/g of soil. There were no significant differences overall between the two laboratories for either soil type, suggesting that the processing protocol will be robust enough to use at multiple laboratories while achieving comparable recoveries.

  16. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) fuels the tricarboxylic acid cycle and de novo lipid biosynthesis during Bacillus anthracis sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadykov, Marat R; Ahn, Jong-Sam; Widhelm, Todd J; Eckrich, Valerie M; Endres, Jennifer L; Driks, Adam; Rutkowski, Gregory E; Wingerd, Kevin L; Bayles, Kenneth W

    2017-06-01

    Numerous bacteria accumulate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) as an intracellular reservoir of carbon and energy in response to imbalanced nutritional conditions. In Bacillus spp., where PHB biosynthesis precedes the formation of the dormant cell type called the spore (sporulation), the direct link between PHB accumulation and efficiency of sporulation was observed in multiple studies. Although the idea of PHB as an intracellular carbon and energy source fueling sporulation was proposed several decades ago, the mechanisms underlying PHB contribution to sporulation have not been defined. Here, we demonstrate that PHB deficiency impairs Bacillus anthracis sporulation through diminishing the energy status of the cells and by reducing carbon flux into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and de novo lipid biosynthesis. Consequently, this metabolic imbalance decreased biosynthesis of the critical components required for spore integrity and resistance, such as dipicolinic acid (DPA) and the spore's inner membrane. Supplementation of the PHB deficient mutant with exogenous fatty acids overcame these sporulation defects, highlighting the importance of the TCA cycle and lipid biosynthesis during sporulation. Combined, the results of this work reveal the molecular mechanisms of PHB contribution to B. anthracis sporulation and provide valuable insight into the metabolic requirements for this developmental process in Bacillus species. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Enhanced production and purification of recombinant surface array protein (Sap) for use in detection of Bacillus anthracis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puranik, Nidhi; Tripathi, N K; Pal, V; Goel, Ajay Kumar

    2018-05-01

    Surface array protein (Sap) can be an important biomarker for specific detection of Bacillus anthracis , which is released by the bacterium during its growth in culture broth. In the present work, we have cloned and expressed Sap in Escherichia coli . The culture conditions and cultivation media were optimized and used in batch fermentation process for scale up of Sap in soluble form. The recombinant Sap was purified employing affinity chromatography followed by diafiltration. The final yield of purified protein was 20 and 46 mg/l of culture during shake flasks and batch fermentation, respectively. The protein purity and its reactivity were confirmed employing SDS-PAGE and Western blot, respectively. The antibodies raised against purified Sap were evaluated by Western blotting for detection of Sap released by B. anthracis . Our results showed that the Sap could be a novel marker for detection and confirmation of B. anthracis .

  18. Conjugative plasmid pAW63 brings new insights into the genesis of the Bacillus anthracis virulence plasmid pXO2 and of the Bacillus thuringiensis plasmid pBT9727

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahillon Jacques

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus thuringiensis belong to the genetically close-knit Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, a family of rod-shaped Gram-positive bacteria. pAW63 is the first conjugative plasmid from the B. cereus group to be completely sequenced. Results The 71,777 bp nucleotide sequence of pAW63 reveals a modular structure, including a 42 kb tra region encoding homologs of the Type IV secretion systems components VirB11, VirB4 and VirD4, as well as homologs of Gram-positive conjugation genes from Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Listeria, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species. It also firmly establishes the existence of a common backbone between pAW63, pXO2 from Bacillus anthracis and pBT9727 from the pathogenic Bacillus thuringiensis serovar konkukian strain 97-27. The alignment of these three plasmids highlights the presence of well conserved segments, in contrast to distinct regions of high sequence plasticity. The study of their specific differences has provided a three-point reference framework that can be exploited to formulate solid hypotheses concerning the functionalities and the molecular evolution of these three closely related plasmids. This has provided insight into the chronology of their divergence, and led to the discovery of two Type II introns on pAW63, matching copies of the mobile element IS231L in different loci of pXO2 and pBT9727, and the identification on pXO2 of a 37 kb pathogenicity island (PAI containing the anthrax capsule genes. Conclusion The complete sequence determination of pAW63 has led to a functional map of the plasmid yielding insights into its conjugative apparatus, which includes T4SS-like components, as well as its resemblance to other large plasmids of Gram-positive bacteria. Of particular interest is the extensive homology shared between pAW63 and pXO2, the second virulence plasmid of B. anthracis, as well as pBT9727 from the pathogenic strain B. thuringiensis

  19. Bacillus anthracis secretome time course under host-simulated conditions and identification of immunogenic proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Whittington Jessica

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The secretion time course of Bacillus anthracis strain RA3R (pXO1+/pXO2- during early, mid, and late log phase were investigated under conditions that simulate those encountered in the host. All of the identified proteins were analyzed by different software algorithms to characterize their predicted mode of secretion and cellular localization. In addition, immunogenic proteins were identified using sera from humans with cutaneous anthrax. Results A total of 275 extracellular proteins were identified by a combination of LC MS/MS and MALDI-TOF MS. All of the identified proteins were analyzed by SignalP, SecretomeP, PSORT, LipoP, TMHMM, and PROSITE to characterize their predicted mode of secretion, cellular localization, and protein domains. Fifty-three proteins were predicted by SignalP to harbor the cleavable N-terminal signal peptides and were therefore secreted via the classical Sec pathway. Twenty-three proteins were predicted by SecretomeP for secretion by the alternative Sec pathway characterized by the lack of typical export signal. In contrast to SignalP and SecretomeP predictions, PSORT predicted 171 extracellular proteins, 7 cell wall-associated proteins, and 6 cytoplasmic proteins. Moreover, 51 proteins were predicted by LipoP to contain putative Sec signal peptides (38 have SpI sites, lipoprotein signal peptides (13 have SpII sites, and N-terminal membrane helices (9 have transmembrane helices. The TMHMM algorithm predicted 25 membrane-associated proteins with one to ten transmembrane helices. Immunogenic proteins were also identified using sera from patients who have recovered from anthrax. The charge variants (83 and 63 kDa of protective antigen (PA were the most immunodominant secreted antigens, followed by charge variants of enolase and transketolase. Conclusion This is the first description of the time course of protein secretion for the pathogen Bacillus anthracis. Time course studies of protein secretion and

  20. The reporting of a Bacillus anthracis B-clade strain in South Africa after more than 20 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lekota, K E; Hassim, A; Rogers, P; Dekker, E H; Last, R; de Klerk-Lorist, L; van Heerden, H

    2018-05-02

    Anthrax is a disease with an age old history in Africa caused by the Gram-positive endospore forming soil bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Epizootics of wild ungulates occur annually in the enzootic region of Pafuri, Kruger National Park (KNP) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Rigorous routine surveillance and diagnostics in KNP, has not revealed these rare isolates since the 1990s, despite unabated annual outbreaks. In 2011 a cheetah was diagnosed as anthrax positive from a private game reserve in Limpopo Province and reported to State Veterinary Services for further investigation. Isolation, molecular diagnostics, whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics were carried out for B. anthracis KC2011. Bacteriological and molecular diagnostics confirmed the isolate as B. anthracis. Subsequent typing and whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms analysis indicated it clustered alongside B. anthracis SA A0091 in the B.Br.010 SNP branch. Unlike B. anthracis KrugerB strain, KC2011 strain has unique SNPs and represents a new branch in the B-clade. The isolation and genotypic characterisation of KC2011 demonstrates a gap in the reporting of anthrax outbreaks in the greater Limpopo province area. The identification of vulnerable and susceptible cheetah mortalities due to this strain has implications for conservation measures and disease control.

  1. Evaluation of immunoradiometric and ELISA versions of a microtitre plate assay for Bacillus anthracis spores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phillips, A P; Martin, K L; Cross, N L [Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment, Porton (UK); Drake, R G [Glasgow Univ. (UK). Inst. of Biochemistry

    1984-05-11

    Solid-phase indirectly-labelled antibody assays for Bacillus anthracis spores heat-fixed on polystyrene microtitre plates were compared as immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) versions. Signal-to-noise ratios were usually higher in the IRMA than in the ELISA performed under parallel conditions but replicates were more varied in the IRMA. The antigen detection threshold and resolution limit calculated after regression analysis were broadly comparable in the 2 types of assay.

  2. Measurements of the Ultraviolet Fluorescence Cross Sections and Spectra of Bacillus Anthracis Simulants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stephens, J.R.

    1998-09-01

    Measurements of the ultraviolet autofluorescence spectra and absolute cross sections of the Bacillus anthracis (Ba) simulants Bacillus globigii (Bg), Bacillus megaterium (Bm), Bacillus subtilis (Bs), and Bacillus cereus (Bc) were measured. Fluorescence spectra and cross sections of pine pollen (Pina echinata) were measured for comparison. Both dried vegetative cells and spores separated from the sporulated vegetative material were studied. The spectra were obtained by suspending a small number (<10) of particles in air in our Single Particle Spectroscopy Apparatus (SPSA), illuminating the particles with light from a spectrally filtered arc lamp, and measuring the fluorescence spectra of the particles. The illumination was 280 nm (20 nm FWHM) and the fluorescence spectra was measured between 300 and 450 nm. The fluorescence cross section of vegetative Bg peaks at 320 nm with a maximum cross section of 5 X 10{sup -14} cm{sup 2}/sr-nm-particle while the Bg spore fluorescence peaks at 310 nm with peak fluorescence of 8 X 10{sup -15} cm{sup 2}/sr-nm-particle. Pine pollen particles showed a higher fluorescence peaking at 355 nm with a cross section of 1.7 X 10{sup -13} cm{sup 2}/sr-nm-particle. Integrated cross sections ranged from 3.0 X 10{sup -13} for the Bg spores through 2.25 X 10{sup -12} (cm{sup 2}/sr-particle) for the vegetative cells.

  3. Detection of Bacillus anthracis spores by super-paramagnetic lateral-flow immunoassays based on "Road Closure".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dian-Bing; Tian, Bo; Zhang, Zhi-Ping; Wang, Xu-Ying; Fleming, Joy; Bi, Li-Jun; Yang, Rui-Fu; Zhang, Xian-En

    2015-05-15

    Detection of Bacillus anthracis in the field, whether as a natural infection or as a biothreat remains challenging. Here we have developed a new lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) for B. anthracis spore detection based on the fact that conjugates of B. anthracis spores and super-paramagnetic particles labeled with antibodies will block the pores of chromatographic strips and form retention lines on the strips, instead of the conventionally reported test lines and control lines in classic LFIA. As a result, this new LFIA can simultaneously realize optical, magnetic and naked-eye detection by analyzing signals from the retention lines. As few as 500-700 pure B. anthracis spores can be recognized with CV values less than 8.31% within 5 min of chromatography and a total time of 20 min. For powdery sample tests, this LFIA can endure interference from 25% (w/v) milk, 10% (w/v) baking soda and 10% (w/v) starch without any sample pre-treatment, and has a corresponding detection limit of 6×10(4) spores/g milk powder, 2×10(5) spores/g starch and 5×10(5) spores/g baking soda. Compared with existing methods, this new approach is very competitive in terms of sensitivity, specificity, cost and ease of operation. This proof-of-concept study can also be extended for detection of many other large-sized analytes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. A strain-variable bacteriocin in Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus with repeated Cys-Xaa-Xaa motifs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haft Daniel H

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Bacteriocins are peptide antibiotics from ribosomally translated precursors, produced by bacteria often through extensive post-translational modification. Minimal sequence conservation, short gene lengths, and low complexity sequence can hinder bacteriocin identification, even during gene calling, so they are often discovered by proximity to accessory genes encoding maturation, immunity, and export functions. This work reports a new subfamily of putative thiazole-containing heterocyclic bacteriocins. It appears universal in all strains of Bacillus anthracis and B. cereus, but has gone unrecognized because it is always encoded far from its maturation protein operon. Patterns of insertions and deletions among twenty-four variants suggest a repeating functional unit of Cys-Xaa-Xaa. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Andrei Osterman and Lakshminarayan Iyer.

  5. [An historical, sociocultural view and in the fiction literature of Bacillus anthracis cases by shaving brushes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez-Espinosa, E; Laganà, C; Vazquez, F

    2018-06-01

    In the period from 1915 to 1924 anthrax outbreaks were described by Bacillus anthracis due to the contamination of razor brushes that reached Europe and the United States from areas such as Japan, China or Russia. The brushes were made with badger hair, and then, to reduce the cost with horse hair and other animals. World War I supoosed that the traffics of these brushes, that passed through Europe, changed and the processes of sterilization of the same were deficient giving rise to these outbreaks, that in a percentage of 20% produced the death of the users. The impact of the fashion of wearing a beard, the presence of these cases in the press, in the society of that period, and literature are studied through the work of Agatha Christie who wrote, in 1936, the Hercules Poirot´s novel Cards on the table, and where she describes the murder of one of the characters with the shaving brush contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores. ©The Author 2018. Published by Sociedad Española de Quimioterapia. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

  6. The Use of Germinants to Potentiate the Sensitivity of Bacillus anthracis Spores to Peracetic Acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celebi, Ozgur; Buyuk, Fatih; Pottage, Tom; Crook, Ant; Hawkey, Suzanna; Cooper, Callum; Bennett, Allan; Sahin, Mitat; Baillie, Leslie

    2016-01-01

    Elimination of Bacillus anthracis spores from the environment is a difficult and costly process due in part to the toxicity of current sporicidal agents. For this reason we investigated the ability of the spore germinants L-alanine (100 mM) and inosine (5 mM) to reduce the concentration of peracetic acid (PAA) required to inactivate B. anthracis spores. While L-alanine significantly enhanced (p = 0.0085) the bactericidal activity of 500 ppm PAA the same was not true for inosine suggesting some form of negative interaction. In contrast the germinant combination proved most effective at 100 ppm PAA (p = 0.0009). To determine if we could achieve similar results in soil we treated soil collected from the burial site of an anthrax infected animal which had been supplemented with spores of the Sterne strain of B. anthracis to increase the level of contamination to 10(4) spores/g. Treatment with germinants followed 1 h later by 5000 ppm PAA eliminated all of the spores. In contrast direct treatment of the animal burial site using this approach delivered using a back pack sprayer had no detectable effect on the level of B. anthracis contamination or on total culturable bacterial numbers over the course of the experiment. It did trigger a significant, but temporary, reduction (p < 0.0001) in the total spore count suggesting that germination had been triggered under real world conditions. In conclusion, we have shown that the application of germinants increase the sensitivity of bacterial spores to PAA. While the results of the single field trial were inconclusive, the study highlighted the potential of this approach and the challenges faced when attempting to perform real world studies on B. anthracis spores contaminated sites.

  7. The use of germinants to potentiate the sensitivity of Bacillus anthracis spores to peracetic acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozgur eCelebi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Elimination of Bacillus anthracis spores from the environment is a difficult and costly process due in part to the toxicity of current sporicidal agents. For this reason we investigated the ability of the spore germinants L-alanine (100 mM and inosine (5 mM to reduce the concentration of peracetic acid (PAA required to inactivate B.anthracis spores. While L-alanine significantly enhanced (p=0.0085 the bactericidal activity of 500 ppm PAA the same was not true for inosine suggesting some form of negative interaction. In contrast the germinant combination proved most effective at 100 ppm PAA (p=0.0009. To determine if we could achieve similar results in soil we treated soil collected from the burial site of an anthrax infected animal which had been supplemented with spores of the Sterne strain of B.anthracis to increase the level of contamination to 104 spores/g. Treatment with germinants followed one hour later by 5000 ppm PAA eliminated all of the spores. In contrast direct treatment of the animal burial site using this approach delivered using a back pack sprayer had no detectable effect on the level of B.anthracis contamination or on total culturable bacterial numbers over the course of the experiment. It did trigger a significant, but temporary, reduction (p<0.0001 in the total spore count suggesting that germination had been triggered under real world conditions. In conclusion, we have shown that the application of germinants increase the sensitivity of bacterial spores to PAA. While the results of the single field trial were inconclusive, the study highlighted the potential of this approach and the challenges faced when attempting to perform real world studies on B.anthracis spores contaminated sites.

  8. Bacillus anthracis TIR Domain-Containing Protein Localises to Cellular Microtubule Structures and Induces Autophagy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlsson, Emil; Thwaite, Joanne E; Jenner, Dominic C; Spear, Abigail M; Flick-Smith, Helen; Atkins, Helen S; Byrne, Bernadette; Ding, Jeak Ling

    2016-01-01

    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 domain interacted with several human TIR domains, including that of the key TLR adaptor MyD88, although BaTdp expression in cultured HEK293 cells had no effect on TLR4- or TLR2- mediated immune activation. During expression in mammalian cells, BaTdp localised to microtubular networks and caused an increase in lipidated cytosolic microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3), indicative of autophagosome formation. In vivo intra-nasal infection experiments in mice showed that a BaTdp knockout strain colonised host tissue faster with higher bacterial load within 4 days post-infection compared to the wild type B. anthracis. Taken together, these findings indicate that BaTdp does not play an immune suppressive role, but rather, its absence increases virulence. BaTdp present in wild type B. anthracis plausibly interact with the infected host cell, which undergoes autophagy in self-defence.

  9. Protein profiles of field isolates ofBacillus anthracis from different endemic areas of Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Bhakti Poerwadikarta

    1998-03-01

    Full Text Available Sonicated cell-free extract proteins of 14 field isolates ofBacillus anthracis from six different endemic areas of Indonesia were analyzed by the use of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE methods . The protein profiles of each field isolate tested demonstrated slightly different at the protein bands with molecular weights of 18, 37, 52, 65 and 70 kDa, and varied between the field isolates and vaccine strains. The variation could provide clues to the source of anthrax transmission whether it was originated from similar strain or not.

  10. Impact of spores on the comparative efficacies of five antibiotics for treatment of Bacillus anthracis in an in vitro hollow fiber pharmacodynamic model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louie, Arnold; VanScoy, Brian D; Brown, David L; Kulawy, Robert W; Heine, Henry S; Drusano, George L

    2012-03-01

    Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, is an agent of bioterrorism. The most effective antimicrobial therapy for B. anthracis infections is unknown. An in vitro pharmacodynamic model of B. anthracis was used to compare the efficacies of simulated clinically prescribed regimens of moxifloxacin, linezolid, and meropenem with the "gold standards," doxycycline and ciprofloxacin. Treatment outcomes for isogenic spore-forming and non-spore-forming strains of B. anthracis were compared. Against spore-forming B. anthracis, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, linezolid, and meropenem reduced the B. anthracis population by 4 log(10) CFU/ml over 10 days. Doxycycline reduced the population of this B. anthracis strain by 5 log(10) CFU/ml (analysis of variance [ANOVA] P = 0.01 versus other drugs). Against an isogenic non-spore-forming strain, meropenem killed the vegetative B. anthracis the fastest, followed by moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin and then doxycycline. Linezolid offered the lowest bacterial kill rate. Heat shock studies using the spore-producing B. anthracis strain showed that with moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and meropenem therapies the total population was mostly spores, while the population was primarily vegetative bacteria with linezolid and doxycycline therapies. Spores have a profound impact on the rate and extent of killing of B. anthracis. Against spore-forming B. anthracis, the five antibiotics killed the total (spore and vegetative) bacterial population at similar rates (within 1 log(10) CFU/ml of each other). However, bactericidal antibiotics killed vegetative B. anthracis faster than bacteriostatic drugs. Since only vegetative-phase B. anthracis produces the toxins that may kill the infected host, the rate and mechanism of killing of an antibiotic may determine its overall in vivo efficacy. Further studies are needed to examine this important observation.

  11. Bacillus anthracis Overcomes an Amino Acid Auxotrophy by Cleaving Host Serum Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terwilliger, Austen; Swick, Michelle C.; Pflughoeft, Kathryn J.; Pomerantsev, Andrei; Lyons, C. Rick; Koehler, Theresa M.

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Bacteria sustain an infection by acquiring nutrients from the host to support replication. The host sequesters these nutrients as a growth-restricting strategy, a concept termed “nutritional immunity.” Historically, the study of nutritional immunity has centered on iron uptake because many bacteria target hemoglobin, an abundant circulating protein, as an iron source. Left unresolved are the mechanisms that bacteria use to attain other nutrients from host sources, including amino acids. We employed a novel medium designed to mimic the chemical composition of human serum, and we show here that Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax disease, proteolyzes human hemoglobin to liberate essential amino acids which enhance its growth. This property can be traced to the actions of InhA1, a secreted metalloprotease, and extends to at least three other serum proteins, including serum albumin. The results suggest that we must also consider proteolysis of key host proteins to be a way for bacterial pathogens to attain essential nutrients, and we provide an experimental framework to determine the host and bacterial factors involved in this process. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens acquire nutrients during infection are poorly understood. Here we used a novel defined medium that approximates the chemical composition of human blood serum, blood serum mimic (BSM), to better model the nutritional environment that pathogens encounter during bacteremia. Removing essential amino acids from BSM revealed that two of the most abundant proteins in blood—hemoglobin and serum albumin—can satiate the amino acid requirement for Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. We further demonstrate that hemoglobin is proteolyzed by the secreted protease InhA1. These studies highlight that common blood proteins can be a nutrient source for bacteria. They also challenge the historical view that hemoglobin is solely an iron source for

  12. A Dual Role for the Bacillus anthracis Master Virulence Regulator AtxA: Control of Sporulation and Anthrax Toxin Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dale, Jennifer L; Raynor, Malik J; Ty, Maureen C; Hadjifrangiskou, Maria; Koehler, Theresa M

    2018-01-01

    Bacillus anthracis is an endemic soil bacterium that exhibits two different lifestyles. In the soil environment, B. anthracis undergoes a cycle of saprophytic growth, sporulation, and germination. In mammalian hosts, the pathogenic lifestyle of B. anthracis is spore germination followed by vegetative cell replication, but cells do not sporulate. During infection, and in specific culture conditions, transcription of the structural genes for the anthrax toxin proteins and the biosynthetic operon for capsule synthesis is positively controlled by the regulatory protein AtxA. A critical role for the atxA gene in B. anthracis virulence has been established. Here we report an inverse relationship between toxin production and sporulation that is linked to AtxA levels. During culture in conditions favoring sporulation, B. anthracis produces little to no AtxA. When B. anthracis is cultured in conditions favoring toxin gene expression, AtxA is expressed at relatively high levels and sporulation rate and efficiency are reduced. We found that a mutation within the atxA promoter region resulting in AtxA over-expression leads to a marked sporulation defect. The sporulation phenotype of the mutant is dependent upon pXO2-0075 , an atxA -regulated open reading frame located on virulence plasmid pXO2. The predicted amino acid sequence of the pXO2-0075 protein has similarity to the sensor domain of sporulation sensor histidine kinases. It was shown previously that pXO2-0075 overexpression suppresses sporulation. We have designated pXO2-0075 " skiA " for "sporulation kinase inhibitor." Our results indicate that in addition to serving as a positive regulator of virulence gene expression, AtxA modulates B. anthracis development.

  13. [Efficacy of enterocin S760 in treatment of mice with anthrax infection due to Bacillus anthracis M-71].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svetoch, E A; Borzilov, A I; Eruslanov, B V; Korobova, O V; Kombarova, T I; Levchuk, V P; Teĭmurazov, M G; Stepanshin, Iu G; Marinin, L I; Diatlov, I A

    2011-01-01

    The therapeutic efficacy of enterocin S760, a broad spectrum antimicrobial peptide produced by Enterococcus faecium LWP760 was tested on mice infected with Bacillus anthracis M-71 to induce anthrax (second Tsenkovsky's vaccine). Intraperitoneal four-, two- or one-fold administration of the peptide in a dose of 25 mg/kg for 10 days for prophylactic (1 hour after the contamination) and therapeutic (24 hours after the contamination) purposes prevented or cured the infection in 90-100% of the mice versus the 100-percent lethality in the control (untreated animals). The antimicrobial activity of enterocin S760 against B. anthracis M-71 in vivo correlated with activity in vitro. Enterocin S760 is considered a novel promising antimicrobial for the treatment of grampositive and gramnegative infections.

  14. A survey of the occurrence of Bacillus anthracis in North American soils over two long-range transects and within post-Katrina New Orleans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffin, Dale W.; Petrosky, Terry; Morman, Suzette A.; Luna, Vicki A.

    2009-01-01

    Soil samples were collected along a north-south transect extending from Manitoba, Canada, to the US-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas in 2004 (104 samples), a group of sites within New Orleans, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (19 samples), and a Gulf Coast transect extending from Sulphur, Louisiana, to DeFuniak Springs, Florida, in 2007 (38 samples). Samples were collected from the top 40 cm of soil and were screened for the presence of total Bacillus species and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), specifically using multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using an assay with a sensitivity of ~170 equivalent colony-forming units (CFU) g-1 field moist soil, the prevalence rate of Bacillus sp./B. anthracis in the north-south transect and the 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina sample set were 20/5% and 26/26%, respectively. Prevalence in the 2007 Gulf Coast sample set using an assay with a sensitivity of ~4 CFU g-1 of soil was 63/0%. Individual transect-set data indicate a positive relation between occurrences of species and soil moisture or soil constituents (i.e., Zn and Cu content). The 2005 New Orleans post-Katrina data indicated that B. anthracis is readily detectable in Gulf Coast soils following flood events. The data also indicated that occurrence, as it relates to soil chemistry, may be confounded by flood-induced dissemination of germinated cells and the mixing of soil constituents for short temporal periods following an event.

  15. Rapid focused sequencing: a multiplexed assay for simultaneous detection and strain typing of Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosemary S Turingan

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The intentional release of Bacillus anthracis in the United States in 2001 has heightened concern about the use of pathogenic microorganisms in bioterrorism attacks. Many of the deadliest bacteria, including the Class A Select Agents Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis, are highly infectious via the pulmonary route when released in aerosolized form. Hence, rapid, sensitive, and reliable methods for detection of these biothreats and characterization of their potential impact on the exposed population are of critical importance to initiate and support rapid military, public health, and clinical responses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed microfluidic multiplexed PCR and sequencing assays based on the simultaneous interrogation of three pathogens per assay and ten loci per pathogen. Microfluidic separation of amplified fluorescently labeled fragments generated characteristic electrophoretic signatures for identification of each agent. The three sets of primers allowed significant strain typing and discrimination from non-pathogenic closely-related species and environmental background strains based on amplicon sizes alone. Furthermore, sequencing of the 10 amplicons per pathogen, termed "Rapid Focused Sequencing," allowed an even greater degree of strain discrimination and, in some cases, can be used to determine virulence. Both amplification and sequencing assays were performed in microfluidic biochips developed for fast thermal cycling and requiring 7 µL per reaction. The 30-plex sequencing assay resulted in genotypic resolution of 84 representative strains belonging to each of the three biothreat species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The microfluidic multiplexed assays allowed identification and strain differentiation of the biothreat agents Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis and clear discrimination from closely-related species and several environmental

  16. [Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) site in Bacillus anthracis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhiqi; Wang, Dongshu; Feng, Erling; Wang, Bingxiang; Hui, Yiming; Han, Shaobo; Jiao, Lei; Liu, Xiankai; Wang, Hengliang

    2014-11-04

    To investigate the polymorphism of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) in Bacillu santhracis and the application to molecular typing based on the polymorphism of CRISPR in B. anthracis. We downloaded the whole genome sequence of 6 B. anthracis strains and extracted the CRISPR sites. We designed the primers of CRISPR sites and amplified the CRISPR fragments in 193 B. anthracis strains by PCR and sequenced these fragments. In order to reveal the polymorphism of CRISPR in B. anthracis, wealigned all the extracted sequences and sequenced results by local blasting. At the same time, we also analyzed the CRISPR sites in B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. We did not find any polymorphism of CRISPR in B. anthracis. The molecular typing approach based on CRISPR polymorphism is not suitable for B. anthracis, but it is possible for us to distinguish B. anthracis from B. cereus and B. thuringiensis.

  17. The human-bacterial pathogen protein interaction networks of Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis.

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    Matthew D Dyer

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis are bacterial pathogens that can cause anthrax, lethal acute pneumonic disease, and bubonic plague, respectively, and are listed as NIAID Category A priority pathogens for possible use as biological weapons. However, the interactions between human proteins and proteins in these bacteria remain poorly characterized leading to an incomplete understanding of their pathogenesis and mechanisms of immune evasion.In this study, we used a high-throughput yeast two-hybrid assay to identify physical interactions between human proteins and proteins from each of these three pathogens. From more than 250,000 screens performed, we identified 3,073 human-B. anthracis, 1,383 human-F. tularensis, and 4,059 human-Y. pestis protein-protein interactions including interactions involving 304 B. anthracis, 52 F. tularensis, and 330 Y. pestis proteins that are uncharacterized. Computational analysis revealed that pathogen proteins preferentially interact with human proteins that are hubs and bottlenecks in the human PPI network. In addition, we computed modules of human-pathogen PPIs that are conserved amongst the three networks. Functionally, such conserved modules reveal commonalities between how the different pathogens interact with crucial host pathways involved in inflammation and immunity.These data constitute the first extensive protein interaction networks constructed for bacterial pathogens and their human hosts. This study provides novel insights into host-pathogen interactions.

  18. Genotyping of Bacillus anthracis strains based on automated capillary 25-loci Multiple Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeats Analysis

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    Ciervo Alessandra

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The genome of Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is highly monomorphic which makes differentiation between strains difficult. A Multiple Locus Variable-number tandem repeats (VNTR Analysis (MLVA assay based on 20 markers was previously described. It has considerable discrimination power, reproducibility, and low cost, especially since the markers proposed can be typed by agarose-gel electrophoresis. However in an emergency situation, faster genotyping and access to representative databases is necessary. Results Genotyping of B. anthracis reference strains and isolates from France and Italy was done using a 25 loci MLVA assay combining 21 previously described loci and 4 new ones. DNA was amplified in 4 multiplex PCR reactions and the length of the resulting 25 amplicons was estimated by automated capillary electrophoresis. The results were reproducible and the data were consistent with other gel based methods once differences in mobility patterns were taken into account. Some alleles previously unresolved by agarose gel electrophoresis could be resolved by capillary electrophoresis, thus further increasing the assay resolution. One particular locus, Bams30, is the result of a recombination between a 27 bp tandem repeat and a 9 bp tandem repeat. The analysis of the array illustrates the evolution process of tandem repeats. Conclusion In a crisis situation of suspected bioterrorism, standardization, speed and accuracy, together with the availability of reference typing data are important issues, as illustrated by the 2001 anthrax letters event. In this report we describe an upgrade of the previously published MLVA method for genotyping of B. anthracis and apply the method to the typing of French and Italian B. anthracis strain collections. The increased number of markers studied compared to reports using only 8 loci greatly improves the discrimination power of the technique. An Italian strain belonging to the

  19. Physical Sequestration of Bacillus anthracis in the Pulmonary Capillaries in Terminal Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouvion, Gregory; Corre, Jean-Philippe; Khun, Huot; Moya-Nilges, Marie; Roux, Pascal; Latroche, Claire; Tournier, Jean-Nicolas; Huerre, Michel; Chrétien, Fabrice; Goossens, Pierre L

    2016-07-15

    The lung is the terminal target of Bacillus anthracis before death, whatever the route of infection (cutaneous, inhalational, or digestive). During a cutaneous infection in absence of toxins, we observed encapsulated bacteria colonizing the alveolar capillary network, bacteria and hemorrhages in alveolar and bronchiolar spaces, and hypoxic foci in the lung (endothelial cells) and brain (neurons and neuropil). Circulating encapsulated bacteria were as chains of approximately 13 µm in length. Bacteria of such size were immediately trapped within the lung capillary network, but bacteria of shorter length were not. Controlling lung-targeted pathology would be beneficial for anthrax treatment. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Bacillus anthracis ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal Article Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics and Lagrangian particle deposition models were developed to compare the deposition of aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores in the respiratory airways of a human with that of the rabbit, a species commonly used in the study of anthrax disease. The respiratory airway geometries for each species were derived from computed tomography (CT) or µCT images. Both models encompassed airways that extended from the external nose to the lung with a total of 272 outlets in the human model and 2878 outlets in the rabbit model. All simulations of spore deposition were conducted under transient, inhalation-exhalation breathing conditions using average species-specific minute volumes. Four different exposure scenarios were modeled in the rabbit based upon experimental inhalation studies. For comparison, human simulations were conducted at the highest exposure concentration used during the rabbit experimental exposures. Results demonstrated that regional spore deposition patterns were sensitive to airway geometry and ventilation profiles. Despite the complex airway geometries in the rabbit nose, higher spore deposition efficiency was predicted in the upper conducting airways of the human at the same air concentration of anthrax spores. This greater deposition of spores in the upper airways in the human resulted in lower penetration and deposition in the tracheobronchial airways and the deep lung than that predict

  1. Inhibiting Inosine Hydrolase and Alanine Racemase to Enhance the Germination of Bacillus anthracis Sterne Spores: Potential Spore Decontamination Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-06-19

    decontamination strategies>> Maryline DEFEZ 1𔃼, Melissa HUNTER3J Susan WELKOS :~J Christopher COTE3 1 University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France. 1...inosine hydrolase and alanine racemase to enhance the germination of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores potential spore decontamination strategies 5a...8217 • Accidentally in Humans • Natural reservoir is soil • Anthrax Disease Cycle: - animals infected by soilborne spores in food and water or bites from certain

  2. Decontamination of Soil Contaminated with Bacillus anthracis ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Technical Brief This technical summary will provide decontamination personnel rapid access to information on which decontamination approaches are most effective for soils contaminated with B anthracis.

  3. Identification of the immunogenic spore and vegetative proteins of Bacillus anthracis vaccine strain A16R.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiankai Liu

    Full Text Available Immunoproteomics was used to screen the immunogenic spore and vegetative proteins of Bacillus anthracis vaccine strain A16R. The spore and vegetative proteins were separated by 2D gel electrophoresis and transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes, and then western blotting was performed with rabbit immune serum against B.anthracis live spores. Immunogenic spots were cut and digested by trypsin. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed to identify the proteins. As a result, 11 and 45 immunogenic proteins were identified in the spores and vegetative cells, respectively; 26 of which have not been reported previously. To verify their immunogenicity, 12 of the identified proteins were selected to be expressed, and the immune sera from the mice vaccinated by the 12 expressed proteins, except BA0887, had a specific western blot band with the A16R whole cellular lytic proteins. Some of these immunogenic proteins might be used as novel vaccine candidates themselves or for enhancing the protective efficacy of a protective-antigen-based vaccine.

  4. Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin disrupts TCR signaling in CD1d-restricted NKT cells leading to functional anergy.

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    Sunil K Joshi

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Exogenous CD1d-binding glycolipid (alpha-Galactosylceramide, alpha-GC stimulates TCR signaling and activation of type-1 natural killer-like T (NKT cells. Activated NKT cells play a central role in the regulation of adaptive and protective immune responses against pathogens and tumors. In the present study, we tested the effect of Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT on NKT cells both in vivo and in vitro. LT is a binary toxin known to suppress host immune responses during anthrax disease and intoxicates cells by protective antigen (PA-mediated intracellular delivery of lethal factor (LF, a potent metalloprotease. We observed that NKT cells expressed anthrax toxin receptors (CMG-2 and TEM-8 and bound more PA than other immune cell types. A sub-lethal dose of LT administered in vivo in C57BL/6 mice decreased expression of the activation receptor NKG2D by NKT cells but not by NK cells. The in vivo administration of LT led to decreased TCR-induced cytokine secretion but did not affect TCR expression. Further analysis revealed LT-dependent inhibition of TCR-stimulated MAP kinase signaling in NKT cells attributable to LT cleavage of the MAP kinase kinase MEK-2. We propose that Bacillus anthracis-derived LT causes a novel form of functional anergy in NKT cells and therefore has potential for contributing to immune evasion by the pathogen.

  5. Distribution and molecular evolution of bacillus anthracis genotypes in Namibia.

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    Wolfgang Beyer

    Full Text Available The recent development of genetic markers for Bacillus anthracis has made it possible to monitor the spread and distribution of this pathogen during and between anthrax outbreaks. In Namibia, anthrax outbreaks occur annually in the Etosha National Park (ENP and on private game and livestock farms. We genotyped 384 B. anthracis isolates collected between 1983-2010 to identify the possible epidemiological correlations of anthrax outbreaks within and outside the ENP and to analyze genetic relationships between isolates from domestic and wild animals. The isolates came from 20 animal species and from the environment and were genotyped using a 31-marker multi-locus-VNTR-analysis (MLVA and, in part, by twelve single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers and four single nucleotide repeat (SNR markers. A total of 37 genotypes (GT were identified by MLVA, belonging to four SNP-groups. All GTs belonged to the A-branch in the cluster- and SNP-analyses. Thirteen GTs were found only outside the ENP, 18 only within the ENP and 6 both inside and outside. Genetic distances between isolates increased with increasing time between isolations. However, genetic distance between isolates at the beginning and end of the study period was relatively small, indicating that while the majority of GTs were only found sporadically, three genetically close GTs, accounting for more than four fifths of all the ENP isolates, appeared dominant throughout the study period. Genetic distances among isolates were significantly greater for isolates from different host species, but this effect was small, suggesting that while species-specific ecological factors may affect exposure processes, transmission cycles in different host species are still highly interrelated. The MLVA data were further used to establish a model of the probable evolution of GTs within the endemic region of the ENP. SNR-analysis was helpful in correlating an isolate with its source but did not elucidate

  6. In vitro evaluation of the effect of linezolid and levofloxacin on Bacillus anthracis toxin production, spore formation and cell growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Head, Breanne M; Alfa, Michelle; Sitar, Daniel S; Rubinstein, Ethan; Meyers, Adrienne F A

    2017-02-01

    Owing to its ability to form spores and toxins, Bacillus anthracis is considered a bioterror agent. Although current therapeutic strategies can be effective, treatment does not prevent sporulation and toxin production. To quantify the combined effect of a protein synthesis inhibitor and a bactericidal agent on B. anthracis toxin production, sporulation and cell growth. Susceptibility and synergy titrations were conducted on B. anthracis Sterne and 03-0191 strains using linezolid and levofloxacin. The effect of antibiotic exposure on cell viability was evaluated using a continuous medium replacement model. In vitro static models were used to study the effect of linezolid and levofloxacin on sporulation and toxin production. Spores were quantified using the heat shock method. Toxin was quantified via commercial ELISA. Synergy titrations indicated that the combination was synergistic or indifferent; however, in all models antagonism was observed. In the spore model, linezolid resulted in the lowest sporulation rates, while combination therapy resulted in the highest. In the toxin model, linezolid prevented toxin production altogether. This study advances our understanding of the effects of combination therapy on B. anthracis infection. Used alone, linezolid therapy abolishes toxin production and reduces sporulation. These results suggest that studies using a step-wise approach using linezolid initially to stop sporulation and toxin production followed by levofloxacin to rapidly kill vegetative B. anthracis can be recommended. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Microevolution of Anthrax from a Young Ancestor (M.A.Y.A. Suggests a Soil-Borne Life Cycle of Bacillus anthracis.

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    Peter Braun

    Full Text Available During an anthrax outbreak at the Pollino National Park (Basilicata, Italy in 2004, diseased cattle were buried and from these anthrax-foci Bacillus anthracis endospores still diffuse to the surface resulting in local accumulations. Recent data suggest that B. anthracis multiplies in soil outside the animal-host body. This notion is supported by the frequent isolation of B. anthracis from soil lacking one or both virulence plasmids. Such strains represent an evolutionary dead end, as they are likely no longer able to successfully infect new hosts. This loss of virulence plasmids is explained most simply by postulating a soil-borne life cycle of the pathogen. To test this hypothesis we investigated possible microevolution at two natural anthrax foci from the 2004 outbreak. If valid, then genotypes of strains isolated from near the surface at these foci should be on a different evolutionary trajectory from those below residing in deeper-laying horizons close to the carcass. Thus, the genetic diversity of B. anthracis isolates was compared conducting Progressive Hierarchical Resolving Assays using Nucleic Acids (PHRANA and next generation Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS. PHRANA was not discriminatory enough to resolve the fine genetic relationships between the isolates. Conversely, WGS of nine isolates from near-surface and nine from near-carcass revealed five isolate specific SNPs, four of which were found only in different near-surface isolates. In support of our hypothesis, one surface-isolate lacked plasmid pXO1 and also harbored one of the unique SNPs. Taken together, our results suggest a limited soil-borne life cycle of B. anthracis.

  8. Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and Burkholderia pseudomallei by Use of Laser Light Scattering Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugrysheva, Julia V; Lascols, Christine; Sue, David; Weigel, Linda M

    2016-06-01

    Rapid methods to determine antimicrobial susceptibility would assist in the timely distribution of effective treatment or postexposure prophylaxis in the aftermath of the release of bacterial biothreat agents such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, or Burkholderia pseudomallei Conventional susceptibility tests require 16 to 48 h of incubation, depending on the bacterial species. We evaluated a method that is based on laser light scattering technology that measures cell density in real time. We determined that it has the ability to rapidly differentiate between growth (resistant) and no growth (susceptible) of several bacterial threat agents in the presence of clinically relevant antimicrobials. Results were available in 10 h of incubation. Use of laser scattering technology decreased the time required to determine antimicrobial susceptibility by 50% to 75% for B. anthracis, Y. pestis, and B. pseudomallei compared to conventional methods. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  9. Differences in Susceptibility of Inbred Mice to Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-04-26

    dilutions of the mixture were prepared and injected into A/J and CBA/J mice via the tail vein, as described by Ezzell et al. (9). Five mice per strain were...xylazine (Rompun, Miles Laboratories, Shawnee, Kansas) in 50 pl, and were dissected iwnmediately. Gross pathological changes were noted, heart blood and...anthracis; a histopathological study of skin lesions produced by B. anthracis in susceptible and resistant animal species. J. Infect. Dis. 80:1-13. 9. Ezzell

  10. Modeling the Ecological Niche of Bacillus anthracis to Map Anthrax Risk in Kyrgyzstan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackburn, Jason K; Matakarimov, Saitbek; Kozhokeeva, Sabira; Tagaeva, Zhyldyz; Bell, Lindsay K; Kracalik, Ian T; Zhunushov, Asankadyr

    2017-03-01

    AbstractAnthrax, caused by the environmental bacterium Bacillus anthracis , is an important zoonosis nearly worldwide. In Central Asia, anthrax represents a major veterinary and public health concern. In the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, ongoing anthrax outbreaks have been reported in humans associated with handling infected livestock and contaminated animal by-products such as meat or hides. The current anthrax situation has prompted calls for improved insights into the epidemiology, ecology, and spatial distribution of the disease in Kyrgyzstan to better inform control and surveillance. Disease control for both humans and livestock relies on annual livestock vaccination ahead of outbreaks. Toward this, we used a historic database of livestock anthrax reported from 1932 to 2006 mapped at high resolution to develop an ecological niche model-based prediction of B. anthracis across Kyrgyzstan and identified spatial clusters of livestock anthrax using a cluster morphology statistic. We also defined the seasonality of outbreaks in livestock. Cattle were the most frequently reported across the time period, with the greatest number of cases in late summer months. Our niche models defined four areas as suitable to support pathogen persistence, the plateaus near Talas and Bishkek, the valleys of western Kyrgyzstan along the Fergana Valley, and the low-lying areas along the shore of Lake Isyk-Kul. These areas should be considered "at risk" for livestock anthrax and subsequent human cases. Areas defined by the niche models can be used to prioritize anthrax surveillance and inform efforts to target livestock vaccination campaigns.

  11. Immunoassay for Capsular Antigen of Bacillus anthracis Enables Rapid Diagnosis in a Rabbit Model of Inhalational Anthrax.

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    Marcellene A Gates-Hollingsworth

    Full Text Available Inhalational anthrax is a serious biothreat. Effective antibiotic treatment of inhalational anthrax requires early diagnosis; the further the disease has progressed, the less the likelihood for cure. Current means for diagnosis such as blood culture require several days to a result and require advanced laboratory infrastructure. An alternative approach to diagnosis is detection of a Bacillus anthracis antigen that is shed into blood and can be detected by rapid immunoassay. The goal of the study was to evaluate detection of poly-γ-D-glutamic acid (PGA, the capsular antigen of B. anthracis, as a biomarker surrogate for blood culture in a rabbit model of inhalational anthrax. The mean time to a positive blood culture was 26 ± 5.7 h (mean ± standard deviation, whereas the mean time to a positive ELISA was 22 ± 4.2 h; P = 0.005 in comparison with blood culture. A lateral flow immunoassay was constructed for detection of PGA in plasma at concentrations of less than 1 ng PGA/ml. Use of the lateral flow immunoassay for detection of PGA in the rabbit model found that antigen was detected somewhat earlier than the earliest time point at which the blood culture became positive. The low cost, ease of use, and rapid time to result of the lateral flow immunoassay format make an immunoassay for PGA a viable surrogate for blood culture for detection of infection in individuals who have a likelihood of exposure to B. anthracis.

  12. Smallpox and pan-Orthodox Virus Detection by Real-Time 3’-Minor Groove Binder TaqMan Assays Oil the Roche LightCycler and the Cepheid Smart Cycler Platforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-11-08

    Bacillus anthracis BA0068 Ames Sterne SPS 97.13.213 Bacillus cereus Bacillus coagulans Bacillus licheniformis Bacillus macerans Bacillus ...megaterium Bacillus polymyxa Bacillus sphaericus Bacillus stearothermophilus Bacillus subtilis subsp. niger Bacillus thuringiensis Bacillus popilliae...varicella- zoster virus, and Bacillus anthracis DNA by LightCycler polymerase chain reaction after autoclaving:

  13. Esterase activity as a novel parameter of spore germination in Bacillus anthracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferencko, Linda; Cote, Mindy A.; Rotman, Boris

    2004-01-01

    Spores of Bacillus anthracis were shown to produce esterase activity about 4 min after exposure to conventional germinants such as combinations of amino acids and purine ribosides. Neither amino acids nor ribosides alone induce germination and esterase activity. Expression of esterase activity was chloramphenicol resistant, and correlated with loss of spore refractivity, a traditional parameter of early germination. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that esterase activity could be used as a novel parameter for quantifying early events during spore germination. To test this hypothesis, we measured expression of esterase activity under a variety of germinating conditions. Using diacetyl fluorescein as fluorogenic substrate of esterases, we demonstrated that esterase activity was invariably induced whenever spores were triggered by known germinants. Moreover, D-alanine, an inhibitor of L-alanine-mediated germination, was found to significantly inhibit expression of esterase activity. In terms of molecular mechanisms, esterase expression could represent activation of proteases at the onset of spore germination

  14. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of dihydrodipicolinate synthase from Bacillus anthracis in the presence of pyruvate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voss, Jarrod E.; Scally, Stephen W.; Taylor, Nicole L.; Dogovski, Con; Alderton, Malcolm R.; Hutton, Craig A.; Gerrard, Juliet A.; Parker, Michael W.; Dobson, Renwick C. J.; Perugini, Matthew A.

    2009-01-01

    Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) catalyses an important step in lysine biosynthesis. Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis to 2.15 Å resolution of DHDPS from B. anthracis soaked with the substrate pyruvate are reported. Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) catalyses the first committed step in the lysine-biosynthesis pathway in bacteria, plants and some fungi. In this study, the expression of DHDPS from Bacillus anthracis (Ba-DHDPS) and the purification of the recombinant enzyme in the absence and presence of the substrate pyruvate are described. It is shown that DHDPS from B. anthracis purified in the presence of pyruvate yields greater amounts of recombinant enzyme with more than 20-fold greater specific activity compared with the enzyme purified in the absence of substrate. It was therefore sought to crystallize Ba-DHDPS in the presence of the substrate. Pyruvate was soaked into crystals of Ba-DHDPS prepared in 0.2 M sodium fluoride, 20%(w/v) PEG 3350 and 0.1 M bis-tris propane pH 8.0. Preliminary X-ray diffraction data of the recombinant enzyme soaked with pyruvate at a resolution of 2.15 Å are presented. The pending crystal structure of the pyruvate-bound form of Ba-DHDPS will provide insight into the function and stability of this essential bacterial enzyme

  15. Toxin-independent virulence of Bacillus anthracis in rabbits.

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    Haim Levy

    Full Text Available The accepted paradigm states that anthrax is both an invasive and toxinogenic disease and that the toxins play a major role in pathogenicity. In the guinea pig (GP model we have previously shown that deletion of all three toxin components results in a relatively moderate attenuation in virulence, indicating that B. anthracis possesses an additional toxin-independent virulence mechanism. To characterize this toxin-independent mechanism in anthrax disease, we developed a new rabbit model by intravenous injection (IV of B. anthracis encapsulated vegetative cells, artificially creating bacteremia. Using this model we were able to demonstrate that also in rabbits, B. anthracis mutants lacking the toxins are capable of killing the host within 24 hours. This virulent trait depends on the activity of AtxA in the presence of pXO2, as, in the absence of the toxin genes, deletion of either component abolishes virulence. Furthermore, this IV virulence depends mainly on AtxA rather than the whole pXO1. A similar pattern was shown in the GP model using subcutaneous (SC administration of spores of the mutant strains, demonstrating the generality of the phenomenon. The virulent strains showed higher bacteremia levels and more efficient tissue dissemination; however our interpretation is that tissue dissemination per se is not the main determinant of virulence whose exact nature requires further elucidation.

  16. Bacillus Collagen Like Protein of Anthracis: Immunological and Functional Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-09-21

    factors such as heat, radiation, desiccation, pH extremes, and toxic chemicals (87). Cultivation of B. anthracis can be accomplished on non...obtained from the Naval Medical Research Center. B. anthracis was induced to sporulate on Leighton-Doi Medium (LD) (75). The broth was inoculated with an...heated at 65°C for 30 minutes, diluted, and plated on trypticase soy agar ( TSA ) to obtain viable counts. Since heat treatment kills the vegetative

  17. False Negative Rates of a Macrofoam-Swab Sampling Method with Low Surface Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates via Real-Time PCR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Amidan, Brett G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sydor, Michael A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Deatherage Kaiser, Brooke L [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-05-01

    Surface sampling for Bacillus anthracis spores has traditionally relied on detection via bacterial cultivation methods. Although effective, this approach does not provide the level of organism specificity that can be gained through molecular techniques. False negative rates (FNR) and limits of detection (LOD) were determined for two B. anthracis surrogates with modified rapid viability-polymerase chain reaction (mRV-PCR) following macrofoam-swab sampling. This study was conducted in parallel with a previously reported study that analyzed spores using a plate-culture method. B. anthracis Sterne (BAS) or B. atrophaeus Nakamura (BG) spores were deposited onto four surface materials (glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile, and plastic) at nine target concentrations (2 to 500 spores/coupon; 0.078 to 19.375 colony-forming units [CFU] per cm²). Mean FNR values for mRV-PCR analysis ranged from 0 to 0.917 for BAS and 0 to 0.875 for BG and increased as spore concentration decreased (over the concentrations investigated) for each surface material. FNRs based on mRV-PCR data were not statistically different for BAS and BG, but were significantly lower for glass than for vinyl tile. FNRs also tended to be lower for the mRV-PCR method compared to the culture method. The mRV-PCR LOD₉₅ was lowest for glass (0.429 CFU/cm² with BAS and 0.341 CFU/cm² with BG) and highest for vinyl tile (0.919 CFU/cm² with BAS and 0.917 CFU/cm² with BG). These mRV-PCR LOD₉₅ values were lower than the culture values (BAS: 0.678 to 1.023 CFU/cm² and BG: 0.820 to 1.489 CFU/cm²). The FNR and LOD₉₅ values reported in this work provide guidance for environmental sampling of Bacillus spores at low concentrations.

  18. False Negative Rates of a Macrofoam-Swab Sampling Method with Low Surface Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates via Real-Time PCR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Amidan, Brett G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sydor, Michael A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kaiser, Brooke L.D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-06-01

    Surface sampling for Bacillus anthracis spores has traditionally relied on detection via bacterial cultivation methods. Although effective, this approach does not provide the level of organism specificity that can be gained through molecular techniques. False negative rates (FNR) and limits of detection (LOD) were determined for two B. anthracis surrogates with modified rapid viability-polymerase chain reaction (mRV-PCR) following macrofoam-swab sampling. This study was conducted in parallel with a previously reported study that analyzed spores using a plate-culture method. B. anthracis Sterne (BAS) or B. atrophaeus Nakamura (BG) spores were deposited onto four surface materials (glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile, and plastic) at nine target concentrations (2 to 500 spores/coupon; 0.078 to 19.375 colony-forming units [CFU] per cm2). Mean FNR values for mRV-PCR analysis ranged from 0 to 0.917 for BAS and 0 to 0.875 for BG and increased as spore concentration decreased (over the concentrations investigated) for each surface material. FNRs based on mRV-PCR data were not statistically different for BAS and BG, but were significantly lower for glass than for vinyl tile. FNRs also tended to be lower for the mRV-PCR method compared to the culture method. The mRV-PCR LOD95 was lowest for glass (0.429 CFU/cm2 with BAS and 0.341 CFU/cm2 with BG) and highest for vinyl tile (0.919 CFU/cm2 with BAS and 0.917 CFU/cm2 with BG). These mRV-PCR LOD95 values were lower than the culture values (BAS: 0.678 to 1.023 CFU/cm2 and BG: 0.820 to 1.489 CFU/cm2). The FNR and LOD95 values reported in this work provide guidance for environmental sampling of Bacillus spores at low concentrations.

  19. Bacillus anthracis infections – new possibilities of treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorota Żakowska

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available [b]Introduction and objective[/b]. [i]Bacillus anthracis[/i] is one of biological agents which may be used in bioterrorism attacks. The aim of this study a review of the new treatment possibilities of anthrax, with particular emphasis on the treatment of pulmonary anthrax. [b]Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge[/b]. Pulmonary anthrax, as the most dangerous clinical form of the disease, is also extremely difficult to treat. Recently, considerable progress in finding new drugs and suitable therapy for anthrax has been achieved, for example, new antibiotics worth to mentioning, levofloxacin, daptomycin, gatifloxacin and dalbavancin. However, alternative therapeutic options should also be considered, among them the antimicrobial peptides, characterized by lack of inducible mechanisms of pathogen resistance. Very promising research considers bacteriophages lytic enzymes against selected bacteria species, including antibiotic-resistant strains. [b]Results[/b]. Interesting results were obtained using monoclonal antibodies: raxibacumab, cAb29 or cocktails of antibodies. The application of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides to boost the immune response elicited by Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed and CMG2 protein complexes, also produced satisfying therapy results. Furthermore, the IFN-α and IFN-β, PA-dominant negative mutant, human inter-alpha inhibitor proteins and LF inhibitors in combination with ciprofloxacin, also showed very promising results. [b]Conclusions[/b]. Recently, progress has been achieved in inhalation anthrax treatment. The most promising new possibilities include: new antibiotics, peptides and bacteriophages enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, antigen PA mutants, and inter alpha inhibitors applications. In the case of the possibility of bioterrorist attacks, the examination of inhalation anthrax treatment should be intensively continued.

  20. Proteomic signatures differentiating Bacillus anthracis Sterne sporulation on soil relative to laboratory media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wunschel, D S; Hutchison, J R; Deatherage Kaiser, B L; Merkley, E D; Hess, B M; Lin, A; Warner, M G

    2017-12-18

    The process of sporulation is vital for the stability and infectious cycle of Bacillus anthracis. The spore is the infectious form of the organism and therefore relevant to biodefense. While the morphological and molecular events occurring during sporulation have been well studied, the influence of growth medium and temperature on the proteins expressed in sporulated cultures is not well understood. Understanding the features of B. anthracis sporulation specific to natural vs. laboratory production will address an important question in microbial forensics. In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap, a system for sporulation on two types of agar-immobilized soils was used for comparison to cultures sporulated on two common types of solid laboratory media, and one liquid sporulation medium. The total number of proteins identified as well as their identity differed between samples generated in each medium and growth temperature, demonstrating that sporulation environment significantly impacts the protein content of the spore. In addition, a subset of proteins common in all of the soil-cultivated samples was distinct from the expression profiles in laboratory medium (and vice versa). These differences included proteins involved in thiamine and phosphate metabolism in the sporulated cultures produced on soils with a notable increase in expression of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters annotated to be for phosphate and antimicrobial peptides. A distinct set of ABC transporters for amino acids, sugars and oligopeptides were found in cultures produced on laboratory media as well as increases in carbon and amino acid metabolism-related proteins. These protein expression changes indicate that the sporulation environment impacts the protein profiles in specific ways that are reflected in the metabolic and membrane transporter proteins present in sporulated cultures.

  1. A Study on molecular characterization of Razi Bacillus anthracis Sterne 34F2 substrain in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tadayon, K.

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Anthrax, a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, has affected humans since ancient times. For genomic characterization of Razi B. anthracis Sterne 34F2 substrain, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP genotyping method developed by Van Erth, variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR-8 analysis proposed by Keim, and multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA-3 introduced by Levy were employed. In the SNPs typing system, where the nucleotide content of the genome at 13 evolutionary canonical loci was collectively analyzed, the originally South African 34F2 substrain was categorized in the A.Br.001/002 subgroup. In the VNTR-8 analysis, fragments with lengths of 314, 229, 162, 580, 532, 158, and 137 bp were identified at the following loci: vrrA, vrrB1, vrrB2, vrrC1, vrrC2, CG3, and pxO1, respectively. In addition, application of Levy's MLVA-3 genotyping method revealed that the genome of this strain carried 941, 451, and 864 bp fragments at AA03, AJ03, and AA07 loci, respectively. The present findings are undoubtedly helpful in meeting the requirements set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE and World Health Organization (WHO for anthrax vaccine manufacturers including Razi Institute. However, further similar studies are required to promote the current epidemiological knowledge of anthrax in Iran.

  2. Cloning and Expression of Fusion Genes of Domain A-1 Protective Antigen of Bacillus Anthracis and Shigella Enterotoxin B Subunit (Stxb In E. Coil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AH ahmadi

    2015-02-01

    Conclusion: The findings of the current study revealed that this antigen can be raised as an anti-cancer and recombinant vaccine candidate against types of Shigella, Escherichia coli and Bacillus anthracis which can be due to such factors as identification of antigen(PA by antibody PA20, its apoptosis induction properties, property of immunogenicity, adjuvant and delivery of STxB protein and high expression levels of Gb3 in human cancer cells.

  3. Failure of Sterne- and Pasteur-like strains of Bacillus anthracis to replicate and survive in the urban bluebottle blow fly Calliphora vicina under laboratory conditions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Britta von Terzi

    Full Text Available This study aimed to elucidate the bacteriological events occurring within the gut of Calliphora vicina, selected as the European representative of blow flies held responsible for the spread of anthrax during epidemics in certain parts of the world. Green-fluorescent-protein-carrying derivatives of Bacillus anthracis were used. These lacked either one of the virulence plasmids pXO1 and pXO2 and were infected, or not infected, with a worm intestine phage (Wip4 known to influence the phenotype and survival of the pathogen. Blood meals were prepared for the flies by inoculation of sheep blood with germinated and, in case of pXO2+ strains, encapsulated cells of the four B. anthracis strains. After being fed for 4 h an initial 10 flies were externally disinfected with peracetic acid to ensure subsequent quantitation representing ingested B. anthracis only. Following neutralization, they were crushed in sterile saline. Over each of the ensuing 7 to 10 days, 10 flies were removed and processed the same way. In the absence of Wip4, strains showed steady declines to undetectable in the total B. anthracis counts, within 7-9 days. With the phage infected strains, the falls in viable counts were significantly more rapid than in their uninfected counterparts. Spores were detectable in flies for longer periods than vegetative bacteria. In line with the findings in both biting and non-biting flies of early workers our results indicate that B. anthracis does not multiply in the guts of blow flies and survival is limited to a matter of days.

  4. Identification of Proteins in the Exosporium of Bacillus Anthracis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Redmond, Caroline; Baillie, Leslie W. J; Hibbs, Stephen; Moir, Arthur J. G; Moir, Anne

    2004-01-01

    .... The protein profiles of SDS-PAGE-separated exosporium extracts were similar for all three. This suggests that avirulent variants lacking either or both plasmids are realistic models for studying the exosporium from spores of B. anthracis...

  5. Germination of Bacillus cereus spores : the role of germination receptors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hornstra, L.M.

    2007-01-01

    The Bacillus cereus sensu lato group forms a highly homogeneous subdivision of the genus Bacillus and comprises several species that are relevant for humans. Notorious is Bacillus anthracis, the cause of the often-lethal disease anthrax, while the insect pathogen Bacillus

  6. Ultrasensitive DNA sequence detection using nanoscale ZnO sensor arrays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Nitin; Dorfman, Adam; Hahm, Jong-in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 160 Fenske Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2006-06-28

    We report that engineered nanoscale zinc oxide structures can be effectively used for the identification of the biothreat agent, Bacillus anthracis by successfully discriminating its DNA sequence from other genetically related species. We explore both covalent and non-covalent linking schemes in order to couple probe DNA strands to the zinc oxide nanostructures. Hybridization reactions are performed with various concentrations of target DNA strands whose sequence is unique to Bacillus anthracis. The use of zinc oxide nanomaterials greatly enhances the fluorescence signal collected after carrying out duplex formation reaction. Specifically, the covalent strategy allows detection of the target species at sample concentrations at a level as low as a few femtomolar as compared to the detection sensitivity in the tens of nanomolar range when using the non-covalent scheme. The presence of the underlying zinc oxide nanomaterials is critical in achieving increased fluorescence detection of hybridized DNA and, therefore, accomplishing rapid and extremely sensitive identification of the biothreat agent. We also demonstrate the easy integration potential of nanoscale zinc oxide into high density arrays by using various types of zinc oxide sensor prototypes in the DNA sequence detection. When combined with conventional automatic sample handling apparatus and computerized fluorescence detection equipment, our approach can greatly promote the use of zinc oxide nanomaterials as signal enhancing platforms for rapid, multiplexed, high-throughput, highly sensitive, DNA sensor arrays.

  7. Ultrasensitive DNA sequence detection using nanoscale ZnO sensor arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Nitin; Dorfman, Adam; Hahm, Jong-in

    2006-01-01

    We report that engineered nanoscale zinc oxide structures can be effectively used for the identification of the biothreat agent, Bacillus anthracis by successfully discriminating its DNA sequence from other genetically related species. We explore both covalent and non-covalent linking schemes in order to couple probe DNA strands to the zinc oxide nanostructures. Hybridization reactions are performed with various concentrations of target DNA strands whose sequence is unique to Bacillus anthracis. The use of zinc oxide nanomaterials greatly enhances the fluorescence signal collected after carrying out duplex formation reaction. Specifically, the covalent strategy allows detection of the target species at sample concentrations at a level as low as a few femtomolar as compared to the detection sensitivity in the tens of nanomolar range when using the non-covalent scheme. The presence of the underlying zinc oxide nanomaterials is critical in achieving increased fluorescence detection of hybridized DNA and, therefore, accomplishing rapid and extremely sensitive identification of the biothreat agent. We also demonstrate the easy integration potential of nanoscale zinc oxide into high density arrays by using various types of zinc oxide sensor prototypes in the DNA sequence detection. When combined with conventional automatic sample handling apparatus and computerized fluorescence detection equipment, our approach can greatly promote the use of zinc oxide nanomaterials as signal enhancing platforms for rapid, multiplexed, high-throughput, highly sensitive, DNA sensor arrays

  8. The regulated synthesis of a Bacillus anthracis spore coat protein that affects spore surface properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronson, A; Goodman, B; Smith, Z

    2014-05-01

    Examine the regulation of a spore coat protein and the effects on spore properties. A c. 23 kDa band in coat/exosporial extracts of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores varied in amount depending upon the conditions of sporulation. It was identified by MALDI as a likely orthologue of ExsB of Bacillus cereus. Little if any was present in an exosporial preparation with a location to the inner coat/cortex region established by spore fractionation and immunogold labelling of electron micrograph sections. Because of its predominant location in the inner coat, it has been renamed Cotγ. It was relatively deficient in spores produced at 37°C and when acidic fermentation products were produced a difference attributable to transcriptional regulation. The deficiency or absence of Cotγ resulted in a less robust exosporium positioned more closely to the coat. These spores were less hydrophobic and germinated somewhat more rapidly. Hydrophobicity and appearance were rescued in the deletion strain by introduction of the cotγ gene. The deficiency or lack of a protein largely found in the inner coat altered spore hydrophobicity and surface appearance. The regulated synthesis of Cotγ may be a paradigm for other spore coat proteins with unknown functions that modulate spore properties in response to environmental conditions. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  9. Bacillus anthracis Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Interacts with and Modifies Elongation Factor Tu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schnicker, Nicholas J. [Department; Razzaghi, Mortezaali [Department; Guha Thakurta, Sanjukta [Department; Chakravarthy, Srinivas [Biophysics; Dey, Mishtu [Department

    2017-10-17

    Prolyl hydroxylation is a very common post-translational modification and plays many roles in eukaryotes such as collagen stabilization, hypoxia sensing, and controlling protein transcription and translation. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that prokaryotes contain prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) homologous to the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) enzymes that act on elongation factor Tu (EFTu) and are likely involved in the regulation of bacterial translation. Recent biochemical and structural studies with a PHD from Pseudomonas putida (PPHD) determined that it forms a complex with EFTu and hydroxylates a prolyl residue of EFTu. Moreover, while animal, plant, and viral P4Hs act on peptidyl proline, most prokaryotic P4Hs have been known to target free l-proline; the exceptions include PPHD and a P4H from Bacillus anthracis (BaP4H) that modifies collagen-like proline-rich peptides. Here we use biophysical and mass spectrometric methods to demonstrate that BaP4H recognizes full-length BaEFTu and a BaEFTu 9-mer peptide for site-specific proline hydroxylation. Using size-exclusion chromatography coupled small-angle X-ray scattering (SEC–SAXS) and binding studies, we determined that BaP4H forms a 1:1 heterodimeric complex with BaEFTu. The SEC–SAXS studies reveal dissociation of BaP4H dimeric subunits upon interaction with BaEFTu. While BaP4H is unusual within bacteria in that it is structurally and functionally similar to the animal PHDs and collagen P4Hs, respectively, this work provides further evidence of its promiscuous substrate recognition. It is possible that the enzyme might have evolved to hydroxylate a universally conserved protein in prokaryotes, similar to the PHDs, and implies a functional role in B. anthracis.

  10. Structures of an alanine racemase from Bacillus anthracis (BA0252) in the presence and absence of (R)-1-aminoethylphosphonic acid (l-Ala-P)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Au, Kinfai; Ren, Jingshan; Walter, Thomas S.; Harlos, Karl; Nettleship, Joanne E.; Owens, Raymond J.; Stuart, David I.; Esnouf, Robert M.

    2008-01-01

    Structures of BA0252, an alanine racemase from B. anthracis, in the presence and absence of the inhibitor (R)-1-aminoethylphosphonic acid (l-Ala-P) and determined by X-ray crystallography to resolutions of 2.1 and 1.47 Å, respectively, are described. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has been targeted by the Oxford Protein Production Facility to validate high-throughput protocols within the Structural Proteomics in Europe project. As part of this work, the structures of an alanine racemase (BA0252) in the presence and absence of the inhibitor (R)-1-aminoethylphosphonic acid (l-Ala-P) have determined by X-ray crystallo@@graphy to resolutions of 2.1 and 1.47 Å, respectively. Difficulties in crystallizing this protein were overcome by the use of reductive methylation. Alanine racemase has attracted much interest as a possible target for anti-anthrax drugs: not only is d-alanine a vital component of the bacterial cell wall, but recent studies also indicate that alanine racemase, which is accessible in the exosporium, plays a key role in inhibition of germination in B. anthracis. These structures confirm the binding mode of l-Ala-P but suggest an unexpected mechanism of inhibition of alanine racemase by this compound and could provide a basis for the design of improved alanine racemase inhibitors with potential as anti-anthrax therapies

  11. Label-Free Detection of Bacillus anthracis Spore Uptake in Macrophage Cells Using Analytical Optical Force Measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hebert, Colin G; Hart, Sean; Leski, Tomasz A; Terray, Alex; Lu, Qin

    2017-10-03

    Understanding the interaction between macrophage cells and Bacillus anthracis spores is of significant importance with respect to both anthrax disease progression, spore detection for biodefense, as well as understanding cell clearance in general. While most detection systems rely on specific molecules, such as nucleic acids or proteins and fluorescent labels to identify the target(s) of interest, label-free methods probe changes in intrinsic properties, such as size, refractive index, and morphology, for correlation with a particular biological event. Optical chromatography is a label free technique that uses the balance between optical and fluidic drag forces within a microfluidic channel to determine the optical force on cells or particles. Here we show an increase in the optical force experienced by RAW264.7 macrophage cells upon the uptake of both microparticles and B. anthracis Sterne 34F2 spores. In the case of spores, the exposure was detected in as little as 1 h without the use of antibodies or fluorescent labels of any kind. An increase in the optical force was also seen in macrophage cells treated with cytochalasin D, both with and without a subsequent exposure to spores, indicating that a portion of the increase in the optical force arises independent of phagocytosis. These results demonstrate the capability of optical chromatography to detect subtle biological differences in a rapid and sensitive manner and suggest future potential in a range of applications, including the detection of biological threat agents for biodefense and pathogens for the prevention of sepsis and other diseases.

  12. Experimental Design for a Macrofoam-Swab Study Relating the Recovery Efficiency and False Negative Rate to Low Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates on Four Surface Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2014-12-05

    This report describes the experimental design for a laboratory study to quantify the recovery efficiencies and false negative rates of a validated, macrofoam-swab sampling method for low concentrations of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus (BG) spores on four surface materials (stainless steel, glass, vinyl tile, plastic light cover panel). Two analytical methods (culture and polymerase chain reaction) will be used. Only one previous study has investigated how the false negative rate depends on test factors. The surrogates BAS and BG have not been tested together in the same study previously. Hence, this study will provide for completing gaps in the available information on the performance of macrofoam-swab sampling at low concentrations.

  13. Experimental Design for a Macrofoam Swab Study Relating the Recovery Efficiency and False Negative Rate to Low Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates on Four Surface Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piepel, Gregory F.; Hutchison, Janine R.

    2014-04-16

    This report describes the experimental design for a laboratory study to quantify the recovery efficiencies and false negative rates of a validated, macrofoam swab sampling method for low concentrations of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus (BG) spores on four surface materials (stainless steel, glass, vinyl tile, plastic light cover panel). Two analytical methods (plating/counting and polymerase chain reaction) will be used. Only one previous study has investigated false negative as a function of affecting test factors. The surrogates BAS and BG have not been tested together in the same study previously. Hence, this study will provide for completing gaps in the available information on the performance of macrofoam swab sampling at low concentrations.

  14. Development and field testing of a mobile chlorine dioxide generation system for the decontamination of buildings contaminated with Bacillus anthracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, Joseph P.; Blair Martin, G.

    2009-01-01

    The numerous buildings that became contaminated with Bacillus anthracis (the bacterium causing the disease anthrax) in 2001, and more recent B. anthracis - related events, point to the need to have effective decontamination technologies for buildings contaminated with biological threat agents. The U.S. Government developed a portable chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) generation system to decontaminate buildings contaminated with B. anthracis spores, and this so-called mobile decontamination trailer (MDT) prototype was tested through a series of three field trials. The first test of the MDT was conducted at Fort McClellan in Anniston, AL. during October 2004. Four test attempts occurred over two weekends; however, a number of system problems resulted in termination of the activity prior to any ClO 2 introduction into the test building. After making several design enhancements and equipment changes, the MDT was subjected to a second test. During this test, extensive leak checks were made using argon and nitrogen in lieu of chlorine gas; each subsystem was checked for functionality, and the MDT was operated for 24 h. This second test demonstrated the MDT flow and control systems functioned satisfactorily, and thus it was decided to proceed to a third, more challenging field trial. In the last field test, ClO 2 was generated and routed directly to the scrubber in a 12-h continuous run. Measurement of ClO 2 levels at the generator outlet showed that the desired production rate was not achieved. Additionally, only one of the two scrubbers performed adequately with regard to maintaining ClO 2 emissions below the limit. Numerous lessons were learned in the field trials of this ClO 2 decontamination technology.

  15. Differentiation of strains from the Bacillus cereus group by RFLP-PFGE genomic fingerprinting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otlewska, Anna; Oltuszak-Walczak, Elzbieta; Walczak, Piotr

    2013-11-01

    Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus weihenstephanensis, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus cereus belong to the B. cereus group. The last three species are characterized by different phenotype features and pathogenicity spectrum, but it has been shown that these species are genetically closely related. The macrorestriction analysis of the genomic DNA with the NotI enzyme was used to generate polymorphism of restriction profiles for 39 food-borne isolates (B. cereus, B. mycoides) and seven reference strains (B. mycoides, B. thuringiensis, B. weihenstephanensis, and B. cereus). The PFGE method was applied to differentiate the examined strains of the B. cereus group. On the basis of the unweighted pair group method with the arithmetic mean method and Dice coefficient, the strains were divided into five clusters (types A-E), and the most numerous group was group A (25 strains). A total of 21 distinct pulsotypes were observed. The RFLP-PFGE analysis was successfully used for the differentiation and characterization of B. cereus and B. mycoides strains isolated from different food products. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Characterization of the sortase repertoire in Bacillus anthracis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willy Aucher

    Full Text Available LPXTG proteins, present in most if not all Gram-positive bacteria, are known to be anchored by sortases to the bacterial peptidoglycan. More than one sortase gene is often encoded in a bacterial species, and each sortase is supposed to specifically anchor given LPXTG proteins, depending of the sequence of the C-terminal cell wall sorting signal (cwss, bearing an LPXTG motif or another recognition sequence. B. anthracis possesses three sortase genes. B. anthracis sortase deleted mutant strains are not affected in their virulence. To determine the sortase repertoires, we developed a genetic screen using the property of the gamma phage to lyse bacteria only when its receptor, GamR, an LPXTG protein, is exposed at the surface. We identified 10 proteins that contain a cell wall sorting signal and are covalently anchored to the peptidoglycan. Some chimeric proteins yielded phage lysis in all sortase mutant strains, suggesting that cwss proteins remained surface accessible in absence of their anchoring sortase, probably as a consequence of membrane localization of yet uncleaved precursor proteins. For definite assignment of the sortase repertoires, we consequently relied on a complementary test, using a biochemical approach, namely immunoblot experiments. The sortase anchoring nine of these proteins has thus been determined. The absence of virulence defect of the sortase mutants could be a consequence of the membrane localization of the cwss proteins.

  17. Intranasal immunization with protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis induces a long-term immunological memory response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, Sun-Je; Kang, Seok-Seong; Park, Sung-Moo; Yang, Jae Seung; Song, Man Ki; Yun, Cheol-Heui; Han, Seung Hyun

    2015-10-01

    Although intranasal vaccination has been shown to be effective for the protection against inhalational anthrax, establishment of long-term immunity has yet to be achieved. Here, we investigated whether intranasal immunization with recombinant protective antigen (rPA) of Bacillus anthracis induces immunological memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments. Intranasal immunization with rPA plus cholera toxin (CT) sustained PA-specific antibody responses for 6 months in lung, nasal washes, and vaginal washes as well as serum. A significant induction of PA-specific memory B cells was observed in spleen, cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) and lung after booster immunization. Furthermore, intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT remarkably generated effector memory CD4(+) T cells in the lung. PA-specific CD4(+) T cells preferentially increased the expression of Th1- and Th17-type cytokines in lung, but not in spleen or CLNs. Collectively, the intranasal immunization with rPA plus CT promoted immunologic memory responses in the mucosal and systemic compartments, providing long-term immunity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Comparison of French and Worldwide Bacillus anthracis Strains Favors a Recent, Post-Columbian Origin of the Predominant North-American Clade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergnaud, Gilles; Girault, Guillaume; Thierry, Simon; Pourcel, Christine; Madani, Nora; Blouin, Yann

    2016-01-01

    Bacillus anthracis, the highly dangerous zoonotic bacterial pathogen species is currently composed of three genetic groups, called A, B and C. Group A is represented worldwide whereas group B is present essentially in Western Europe and Southern Africa. Only three strains from group C have been reported. This knowledge is derived from the genotyping of more than 2000 strains collected worldwide. Strains from both group A and group B are present in France. Previous investigations showed that the majority of sporadic French strains belong to the so-called A.Br.011/009 group A clade and define a very remarkable polytomy with six branches. Here we explore the significance of this polytomy by comparing the French B. anthracis lineages to worldwide lineages. We take advantage of whole genome sequence data previously determined for 122 French strains and 45 strains of various origins. A total of 6690 SNPs was identified among the available dataset and used to draw the phylogeny. The phylogeny of the French B group strains which belongs to B.Br.CNEVA indicates an expansion from the south-east part of France (the Alps) towards the south-west (Massif-Central and Pyrenees). The relatively small group A strains belonging to A.Br.001/002 results from at least two independent introductions. Strikingly, the data clearly demonstrates that the currently predominant B. anthracis lineage in North America, called WNA for Western North American, is derived from one branch of the A.Br.011/009 polytomy predominant in France. The present work extends the range of observed substitution rate heterogeneity within B. anthracis, in agreement with its ecology and in contrast with some other pathogens. The population structure of the six branches A.Br.011/009 polytomy identified in France, diversity of branch length, and comparison with the WNA lineage, suggests that WNA is of post-Columbian and west European origin, with France as a likely source. Furthermore, it is tempting to speculate that

  19. First detection of Bacillus anthracis in feces of free-ranging raptors from central Argentina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saggese, Miguel D; Noseda, Ramón P; Uhart, Marcela M; Deem, Sharon L; Ferreyra, Hebe; Romano, Marcelo C; Ferreyra-Armas, María C; Hugh-Jones, Martin

    2007-01-01

    Prevalence of anthrax spores in feces of raptors was determined from samples collected in November-December 2000 and April-May 2001 in an agricultural region of Santa Fé province, Argentina. Feces were tested from 48 birds of six raptor species. One of 14 chimango caracaras (Milvago chimango) and one of eight road-side hawks (Buteo magnirostris) tested positive. The prevalence of Bacillus anthracis spores in feces for the six species was 4% (n=48). The prevalence was 7% (n=14) for chimango caracaras, 13% for road-side hawks (n=8), and 0% for the remaining species (Burrowing owl [Speotyto cunicularia] [n=17], Swainson's hawk [Buteo swainsoni] [n=3], Aplomado falcon [Falco femoralis] [n=2], and American kestrel [Falco sparverius] [n=4]). Grouped by their feeding habits, prevalence for scavenger species was not significantly different than for predators (7% vs. 3%, P>0.999). This study provides evidence that in central Argentina scavenger and non-scavenger raptors may have a role in the epidemiology of anthrax. Long-term studies to determine the extent of this potential involvement in the epidemiology of anthrax in central Argentina are required.

  20. The differential effects of heat-shocking on the viability of spores from Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Clostridium sporogenes after treatment with peracetic acid- and glutaraldehyde-based disinfectants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    March, Jordon K; Pratt, Michael D; Lowe, Chinn-Woan; Cohen, Marissa N; Satterfield, Benjamin A; Schaalje, Bruce; O'Neill, Kim L; Robison, Richard A

    2015-10-01

    This study investigated (1) the susceptibility of Bacillus anthracis (Ames strain), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 19659), and Clostridium sporogenes (ATCC 3584) spores to commercially available peracetic acid (PAA)- and glutaraldehyde (GA)-based disinfectants, (2) the effects that heat-shocking spores after treatment with these disinfectants has on spore recovery, and (3) the timing of heat-shocking after disinfectant treatment that promotes the optimal recovery of spores deposited on carriers. Suspension tests were used to obtain inactivation kinetics for the disinfectants against three spore types. The effects of heat-shocking spores after disinfectant treatment were also determined. Generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate 6-log reduction times for each spore type, disinfectant, and heat treatment combination. Reduction times were compared statistically using the delta method. Carrier tests were performed according to AOAC Official Method 966.04 and a modified version that employed immediate heat-shocking after disinfectant treatment. Carrier test results were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. PAA-based disinfectants had significantly shorter 6-log reduction times than the GA-based disinfectant. Heat-shocking B. anthracis spores after PAA treatment resulted in significantly shorter 6-log reduction times. Conversely, heat-shocking B. subtilis spores after PAA treatment resulted in significantly longer 6-log reduction times. Significant interactions were also observed between spore type, disinfectant, and heat treatment combinations. Immediately heat-shocking spore carriers after disinfectant treatment produced greater spore recovery. Sporicidal activities of disinfectants were not consistent across spore species. The effects of heat-shocking spores after disinfectant treatment were dependent on both disinfectant and spore species. Caution must be used when extrapolating sporicidal data of disinfectants from one spore species to another. Heat

  1. Identification of Novel Raft Marker Protein, FlotP in Bacillus anthracis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somani, Vikas K; Aggarwal, Somya; Singh, Damini; Prasad, Tulika; Bhatnagar, Rakesh

    2016-01-01

    Lipid rafts are dynamic, nanoscale assemblies of specific proteins and lipids, distributed heterogeneously on eukaryotic membrane. Flotillin-1, a conserved eukaryotic raft marker protein (RMP) harbor SPFH (Stomatin, Prohibitin, Flotillin, and HflK/C) and oligomerization domains to regulate various cellular processes through its interactions with other signaling or transport proteins. Rafts were thought to be absent in prokaryotes hitherto, but recent report of its presence and significance in physiology of Bacillus subtilis prompted us to investigate the same in pathogenic bacteria (PB) also. In prokaryotes, proteins of SPFH2a subfamily show highest identity to SPFH domain of Flotillin-1. Moreover, bacterial genome organization revealed that Flotillin homolog harboring SPFH2a domain exists in an operon with an upstream gene containing NFeD domain. Here, presence of RMP in PB was initially investigated in silico by analyzing the presence of SPFH2a, oligomerization domains in the concerned gene and NfeD domain in the adjacent upstream gene. After investigating 300 PB, four were found to harbor RMP. Among them, domains of Bas0525 (FlotP) of Bacillus anthracis (BA) showed highest identity with characteristic domains of RMP. Considering the global threat of BA as the bioterror agent, it was selected as a model for further in vitro characterization of rafts in PB. In silico and in vitro analysis showed significant similarity of FlotP with numerous attributes of Flotillin-1. Its punctate distribution on membrane with exclusive localization in detergent resistant membrane fraction; strongly favors presence of raft with RMP FlotP in BA. Furthermore, significant effect of Zaragozic acid (ZA), a raft associated lipid biosynthesis inhibitor, on several patho-physiological attributes of BA such as growth, morphology, membrane rigidity etc., were also observed. Specifically, a considerable decrease in membrane rigidity, strongly recommended presence of an unknown raft associated

  2. Cloning, expression, and characterization of recombinant nitric oxide synthase-like protein from Bacillus anthracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Midha, Shuchi; Mishra, Rajeev; Aziz, M.A.; Sharma, Meenakshi; Mishra, Ashish; Khandelwal, Puneet; Bhatnagar, Rakesh

    2005-01-01

    Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is amongst a family of evolutionarily conserved enzymes, involved in a multi-turnover process that results in NO as a product. The significant role of NO in various pathological and physiological processes has created an interest in this enzyme from several perspectives. This study describes for the first time, cloning and expression of a NOS-like protein, baNOS, from Bacillus anthracis, a pathogenic bacterium responsible for causing anthrax. baNOS was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble and catalytically active enzyme. Homology models generated for baNOS indicated that the key structural features that are involved in the substrate and active site interaction have been highly conserved. Further, the behavior of baNOS in terms of heme-substrate interactions and heme-transitions was studied in detail. The optical perturbation spectra of the heme domain demonstrated that the ligands perturb the heme site in a ligand specific manner. baNOS forms a five-coordinate, high-spin complex with L-arginine analogs and a six-coordinate low-spin complex with inhibitor imidazole. Studies indicated that the binding of L-arginine, N ω -hydroxy-L-arginine, and imidazole produces various spectroscopic species that closely correspond to the equivalent complexes of mammalian NOS. The values of spectral binding constants further corroborated these results. The overall conservation of the key structural features and the correlation of heme-substrate interactions in baNOS and mammalian NOS, thus, point towards an interesting phenomenon of convergent evolution. Importantly, the NO generated by NOS of mammalian macrophages plays a potent role in antimicrobicidal activity. Because of the existence of high structural and behavioral similarity between mammalian NOS and baNOS, we propose that NO produced by B. anthracis may also have a pivotal pathophysiological role in anthrax infection. Therefore, this first report of characterization of a NOS-like protein

  3. Comparative genome analysis of Bacillus cereus group genomes withBacillus subtilis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anderson, Iain; Sorokin, Alexei; Kapatral, Vinayak; Reznik, Gary; Bhattacharya, Anamitra; Mikhailova, Natalia; Burd, Henry; Joukov, Victor; Kaznadzey, Denis; Walunas, Theresa; D' Souza, Mark; Larsen, Niels; Pusch,Gordon; Liolios, Konstantinos; Grechkin, Yuri; Lapidus, Alla; Goltsman,Eugene; Chu, Lien; Fonstein, Michael; Ehrlich, S. Dusko; Overbeek, Ross; Kyrpides, Nikos; Ivanova, Natalia

    2005-09-14

    Genome features of the Bacillus cereus group genomes (representative strains of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus thuringiensis sub spp israelensis) were analyzed and compared with the Bacillus subtilis genome. A core set of 1,381 protein families among the four Bacillus genomes, with an additional set of 933 families common to the B. cereus group, was identified. Differences in signal transduction pathways, membrane transporters, cell surface structures, cell wall, and S-layer proteins suggesting differences in their phenotype were identified. The B. cereus group has signal transduction systems including a tyrosine kinase related to two-component system histidine kinases from B. subtilis. A model for regulation of the stress responsive sigma factor sigmaB in the B. cereus group different from the well studied regulation in B. subtilis has been proposed. Despite a high degree of chromosomal synteny among these genomes, significant differences in cell wall and spore coat proteins that contribute to the survival and adaptation in specific hosts has been identified.

  4. Regulation of expression of a select group of Bacillus anthracis spore coat proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronson, Arthur

    2018-04-01

    The spore coat of Bacilli is a relatively complex structure comprised of about 70 species of proteins in 2 or 3 layers. While some are involved in assembly or protection, the regulation of many are not well defined so lacZ transcriptional fusions were constructed to six Bacillus anthracis spore coat genes in order to gain insight into their possible functions. The genes were selected on the basis of the location of the encoded proteins within the coat and distribution among spore forming species. Conditions tested were temperature and media either as solid or liquid. The most extensive differences were for the relatively well expressed fusions to the cotH and cotM genes, which were greatest at 30°C on plates of a nutrient rich medium. The cotJ operon was moderately expressed under all conditions although somewhat higher on enriched plates at 30°C. Cot S was low under all conditions except for a substantial increase in biofilm medium. Cot∝ and cotF were essentially invariant with a somewhat greater expression in the more enriched medium. The capacity of a subset of coat genes to respond to various conditions reflects a flexibility in spore coat structure that may be necessary for adaptation to environmental challenges. This could account, at least in part, for the complexity of this structure.

  5. Rugged single domain antibody detection elements for Bacillus anthracis spores and vegetative cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott A Walper

    Full Text Available Significant efforts to develop both laboratory and field-based detection assays for an array of potential biological threats started well before the anthrax attacks of 2001 and have continued with renewed urgency following. While numerous assays and methods have been explored that are suitable for laboratory utilization, detection in the field is often complicated by requirements for functionality in austere environments, where limited cold-chain facilities exist. In an effort to overcome these assay limitations for Bacillus anthracis, one of the most recognizable threats, a series of single domain antibodies (sdAbs were isolated from a phage display library prepared from immunized llamas. Characterization of target specificity, affinity, and thermal stability was conducted for six sdAb families isolated from rounds of selection against the bacterial spore. The protein target for all six sdAb families was determined to be the S-layer protein EA1, which is present in both vegetative cells and bacterial spores. All of the sdAbs examined exhibited a high degree of specificity for the target bacterium and its spore, with affinities in the nanomolar range, and the ability to refold into functional antigen-binding molecules following several rounds of thermal denaturation and refolding. This research demonstrates the capabilities of these sdAbs and their potential for integration into current and developing assays and biosensors.

  6. The identification of a tetracycline resistance gene tet(M), on a Tn916-like transposon, in the Bacillus cereus group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agersø, Yvonne; Jensen, Lars Bogø; Givskov, Michael Christian

    2002-01-01

    In order to investigate whether resistance genes present in bacteria in manure could transfer to indigenous soil bacteria, resistant isolates belonging to the Bacillus cereus group (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus thuringiensis) were isolated from farm soil (72 isolates) and manure...

  7. The central nervous system as target of Bacillus anthracis toxin independent virulence in rabbits and guinea pigs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haim Levy

    Full Text Available Infection of the central nervous system is considered a complication of Anthrax and was reported in humans and non-human primates. Previously we have reported that Bacillus anthracis possesses a toxin-independent virulent trait that, like the toxins, is regulated by the major virulence regulator, AtxA, in the presence of pXO2. This toxin-independent lethal trait is exhibited in rabbits and Guinea pigs following significant bacteremia and organ dissemination. Various findings, including meningitis seen in humans and primates, suggested that the CNS is a possible target for this AtxA-mediated activity. In order to penetrate into the brain tissue, the bacteria have to overcome the barriers isolating the CNS from the blood stream. Taking a systematic genetic approach, we compared intracranial (IC inoculation and IV/SC inoculation for the outcome of the infection in rabbits/GP, respectively. The outstanding difference between the two models is exhibited by the encapsulated strain VollumΔpXO1, which is lethal when injected IC, but asymptomatic when inoculated IV/SC. The findings demonstrate that there is an apparent bottleneck in the ability of mutants to penetrate into the brain. Any mutant carrying either pXO1 or pXO2 will kill the host upon IC injection, but only those carrying AtxA either on pXO1 or in the chromosome in the background of pXO2 can penetrate into the brain following peripheral inoculation. The findings were corroborated by histological examination by H&E staining and immunofluorescence of rabbits' brains following IV and IC inoculations. These findings may have major implications on future research both on B. anthracis pathogenicity and on vaccine development.

  8. Systematic Evaluation of Aggressive Air Sampling for Bacillus ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Report The primary objectives of this project were to evaluate the Aggressive Air Sampling (AAS) method compared to currently used surface sampling methods and to determine if AAS is a viable option for sampling Bacillus anthracis spores.

  9. Differential Binding of Co(II) and Zn(II) to Metallo-beta-Lactamase Bla2 from Bacillus anthracis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hawk, M.; Breece, R; Hajdin, C; Bender, K; Hu, Z; Costello, A; Bennett, B; Tierney, D; Crowder, M

    2009-01-01

    In an effort to probe the structure, mechanism, and biochemical properties of metallo-{beta}-lactamase Bla2 from Bacillus anthracis, the enzyme was overexpressed, purified, and characterized. Metal analyses demonstrated that recombinant Bla2 tightly binds 1 equiv of Zn(II). Steady-state kinetic studies showed that mono-Zn(II) Bla2 (1Zn-Bla2) is active, while di-Zn(II) Bla2 (ZnZn-Bla2) was unstable. Catalytically, 1Zn-Bla2 behaves like the related enzymes CcrA and L1. In contrast, di-Co(II) Bla2 (CoCo-Bla2) is substantially more active than the mono-Co(II) analogue. Rapid kinetics and UV-vis, 1H NMR, EPR, and EXAFS spectroscopic studies show that Co(II) binding to Bla2 is distributed, while EXAFS shows that Zn(II) binding is sequential. To our knowledge, this is the first documented example of a Zn enzyme that binds Co(II) and Zn(II) via distinct mechanisms, underscoring the need to demonstrate transferability when extrapolating results on Co(II)-substituted proteins to the native Zn(II)-containing forms.

  10. Bacillus halodurans RecA-DNA binding and RecAmediated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract. In Escherichia coli, RecA protein catalyzes DNA pairing and strand exchange activities essential for genetic recombination. This is critical for normal cellular function under conditions that lead to altered. DNA metabolism and DNA damage. The RecA proteins of E. coli and Bacillus halodurans both can bind to DNA ...

  11. Primary and secondary oxidative stress in Bacillus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mols, Maarten; Abee, Tjakko

    Coping with oxidative stress originating from oxidizing compounds or reactive oxygen species (ROS), associated with the exposure to agents that cause environmental stresses, is one of the prerequisites for an aerobic lifestyle of Bacillus spp. such as B. subtilis, B. cereus and B. anthracis. This

  12. Primary and secondary oxidative stress in Bacillus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mols, J.M.; Abee, T.

    2011-01-01

    Coping with oxidative stress originating from oxidizing compounds or reactive oxygen species (ROS), associated with the exposure to agents that cause environmental stresses, is one of the prerequisites for an aerobic lifestyle of Bacillus spp. such as B. subtilis, B. cereus and B. anthracis. This

  13. Studies on DNA repair in Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Tadashi; Kada, Tsuneo

    1977-01-01

    An enzyme which enhances the priming activity of γ-irradiated DNA for type I DNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.7) was identified and partially purified from extracts of Bacillus subtilis cells. The enzyme preferentially degraded γ-irradiated DNA into acid-soluble materials. DNA preparations treated with heat, ultraviolet light, pancreatic DNAase (EC 3.1.4.5) or micrococcal DNAase (EC 3.1.4.7) were not susceptible to the enzyme. However, sonication rendered DNA susceptible to the enzyme to some extent. From these results, it is supposed that this enzyme may function by 'cleaning' damaged terminals produced by γ-irradiation to serve as effective primer of sites for repair synthesis by the type I DNA polymerase

  14. Inactivation of Vegetative Cells, but Not Spores, of Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, and B. subtilis on Stainless Steel Surfaces Coated with an Antimicrobial Silver- and Zinc-Containing Zeolite Formulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galeano, Belinda; Korff, Emily; Nicholson, Wayne L.

    2003-01-01

    Stainless steel surfaces coated with paints containing a silver- and zinc-containing zeolite (AgION antimicrobial) were assayed in comparison to uncoated stainless steel for antimicrobial activity against vegetative cells and spores of three Bacillus species, namely, B. anthracis Sterne, B. cereus T, and B. subtilis 168. Under the test conditions (25°C and 80% relative humidity), the zeolite coating produced approximately 3 log10 inactivation of vegetative cells within a 5- to 24-h period, but viability of spores of the three species was not significantly affected. PMID:12839825

  15. Bacillus anthracis Co-Opts Nitric Oxide and Host Serum Albumin for Pathogenicity in Hypoxic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen eSt John

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis is a dangerous pathogen of humans and many animal species. Its virulence has been mainly attributed to the production of Lethal and Edema toxins as well as the antiphagocytic capsule. Recent data indicate that the nitric oxide (NO synthase (baNOS plays an important pathogenic role at the early stage of disease by protecting bacteria from the host reactive species and S-nytrosylating the mitochondrial proteins in macrophages. In this study we for the first time present evidence that bacteria-derived NO participates in the generation of highly reactive oxidizing species which could be abolished by the NOS inhibitor L-NAME, free thiols, and superoxide dismutase but not catalase. The formation of toxicants is likely a result of the simultaneous formation of NO and superoxide leading to a labile peroxynitrite and its stable decomposition product, nitrogen dioxide. The toxicity of bacteria could be potentiated in the presence of bovine serum albumin. This effect is consistent with the property of serum albumin to serves as a trap of a volatile NO accelerating its reactions. Our data suggest that during infection in the hypoxic environment of pre-mortal host the accumulated NO is expected to have a broad toxic impact on host cell functions.

  16. Immunological correlates for protection against intranasal challenge of Bacillus anthracis spores conferred by a protective antigen-based vaccine in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Shay; Kobiler, David; Levy, Haim; Marcus, Hadar; Pass, Avi; Rothschild, Nili; Altboum, Zeev

    2006-01-01

    Correlates between immunological parameters and protection against Bacillus anthracis infection in animals vaccinated with protective antigen (PA)-based vaccines could provide surrogate markers to evaluate the putative protective efficiency of immunization in humans. In previous studies we demonstrated that neutralizing antibody levels serve as correlates for protection in guinea pigs (S. Reuveny et al., Infect. Immun. 69:2888-2893, 2001; H. Marcus et al., Infect. Immun. 72:3471-3477, 2004). In this study we evaluated similar correlates for protection by active and passive immunization of New Zealand White rabbits. Full immunization and partial immunization were achieved by single and multiple injections of standard and diluted doses of a PA-based vaccine. Passive immunization was carried out by injection of immune sera from rabbits vaccinated with PA-based vaccine prior to challenge with B. anthracis spores. Immunized rabbits were challenged by intranasal spore instillation with one of two virulent strains (strains Vollum and ATCC 6605). The immune competence was estimated by measuring the level of total anti-PA antibodies, the neutralizing antibody titers, and the conferred protective immunity. The results indicate that total anti-PA antibody titers greater than 1 x 10(5) conferred protection, whereas lower titers (between 10(4) and 10(5)) provided partial protection but failed to predict protection. Neutralizing antibody titers between 500 and 800 provided partial protection, while titers higher than 1,000 conferred protection. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that regardless of the immunization regimen or the time of challenge, neutralizing antibody titers are better predictors of protection than total anti-PA titers.

  17. [Development and comparative evaluation of up-converting phosphor technology based lateral flow assay for rapid detection of Yersinia pestis, Bacillus anthracis spore and Brucella spp].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chunfeng; Zhang, Pingping; Wang, Xiaoying; Liu, Xiao; Zhao, Yong; Sun, Chongyun; Wang, Chengbin; Yang, Ruifu; Zhou, Lei

    2015-01-01

    To develop an up-converting phosphor technology based lateral flow (UPT-LF) assay for rapid and quantitative detection of Yersinia pestis, Bacillus anthracis spore and Brucella spp.and make the comparison with BioThreat Alert (BTA) test strips (Tetracore Inc., USA). Using up-converting phosphor nano-particles (UCP-NPs) as the bio-marker, three double-antibody-sandwich model based UPT-LF strips including Plague-UPT-LF, Anthrax-UPT-LF, Brucella-UPT-LF were prepared and its sensitivity, accuracy, linearity and specificity were determined by detecting 10(10), 10(9), 10(8), 10(7), 10(6), 10(5) and 0 CFU/ml series of concentrations of Y.pestis, B.anthracis, Brucella standards and other 27 kinds of 10(9) CFU/ml series of contrations of bacteria strains.Furthermore, the speed, sensitivity and accuracy of bacteria standards and simulated sample detection were compared between UPT-LF and BTA system. The detection limit of Plague-UPT-LF, Anthrax-UPT-LF and Brucella-LF was 10(5) CFU/ml. The CV of series of bacteria concentrations was ≤ 15%, and the r between lg (T/C-cut-off) and lg (concentration) was 0.996,0.998 and 0.999 (F values were 1 647.57, 743.51 and 1 822.17. All the P values were Brucella-LF were excellent, while that of Anthrax-UPT-LF was a little bit regretful because of non-specific reaction with two isolates of B. subtilis and one B.cereus. On-site evaluation showed the detection time of UPT-LF for all Y.pestis, B.anthracis spore and Brucella spp.was 33, 36 and 37 min, while BTA was 115, 115 and 111 min, which revealed the higher detection speed and sensitivity of UPT-LF comparing with BTA. The negative rate of two methods for blank standard was both 5/5, the sensitivity of UPT-LF for Y.pestis,B.anthracis spore and Brucella spp. was all 10(5) CFU/ml, then BTA was 10(6), 10(6) and 10(5) CFU/ml, respectively. The detection rate of UPT-LF for all three bacteria analog positive samples was 16/16, while BTA for B.anthracis was 7/16 only. The good performance

  18. [Survival of Bacillus anthracis spores in various tannery baths].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendrycka, M; Mierzejewski, J

    2000-01-01

    The influence of tannery baths: liming, deliming, bating, pickling, tanning, retannage on the survival and on the germination dynamism of B. anthracis spores (Sterne strain) was investigated. The periods and the conditions of this influence were established according to technological process of cow hide tannage. Practically after every bath some part of the spores remained vital. The most effective killing of spores occurred after pickling, liming and deliming. Inversely, the most viable spores remained after bating and retannage process. The lack of correlation that was observed between survival and germination of spores after retannage bath can be explained by different mechanism of spores germination inhibition and their killing.

  19. Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D

    2008-11-25

    o-Succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered bi uni uni bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first half-reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the "F" form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered bi uni uni bi iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogues with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogues tested as none were active except 4-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in k(cat)/K(m). On the basis of an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase's kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analogue of OSB-AMP, 5'-O-{N-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-oxobutyl}adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase

  20. Biochemical and Structural Analysis of an Eis Family Aminoglycoside Acetyltransferase from Bacillus anthracis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, Keith D.; Biswas, Tapan; Chang, Changsoo; Wu, Ruiying; Chen, Wenjing; Janes, Brian K.; Chalupska, Dominika; Gornicki, Piotr; Hanna, Philip C.; Tsodikov, Oleg V.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Garneau-Tsodikova, Sylvie

    2015-05-26

    Proteins from the enhanced intracellular survival (Eis) family are versatile acetyltransferases that acetylate amines at multiple positions of several aminoglycosides (AGs). Their upregulation confers drug resistance. Homologues of Eis are present in diverse bacteria, including many pathogens. Eis from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Eis_Mtb) has been well characterized. In this study, we explored the AG specificity and catalytic efficiency of the Eis family protein from Bacillus anthracis (Eis_Ban). Kinetic analysis of specificity and catalytic efficiency of acetylation of six AGs indicates that Eis_Ban displays significant differences from Eis_Mtb in both substrate binding and catalytic efficiency. The number of acetylated amines was also different for several AGs, indicating a distinct regiospecificity of Eis_Ban. Furthermore, most recently identified inhibitors of Eis_Mtb did not inhibit Eis_Ban, underscoring the differences between these two enzymes. To explain these differences, we determined an Eis_Ban crystal structure. The comparison of the crystal structures of Eis_Ban and Eis_Mtb demonstrates that critical residues lining their respective substrate binding pockets differ substantially, explaining their distinct specificities. Our results suggest that acetyltransferases of the Eis family evolved divergently to garner distinct specificities while conserving catalytic efficiency, possibly to counter distinct chemical challenges. The unique specificity features of these enzymes can be utilized as tools for developing AGs with novel modifications and help guide specific AG treatments to avoid Eis-mediated resistance.

  1. Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis spores by a combination of biocides and heating under high-temperature short-time pasteurization conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Sa; Labuza, Theodore P; Diez-Gonzalez, Francisco

    2008-06-01

    The milk supply is considered a primary route for a bioterrorism attack with Bacillus anthracis spores because typical high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization conditions cannot inactivate spores. In the event of intentional contamination, an effective method to inactivate the spores in milk under HTST processing conditions is needed. This study was undertaken to identify combinations and concentrations of biocides that can inactivate B. anthracis spores at temperatures in the HTST range in less than 1 min. Hydrogen peroxide (HP), sodium hypochlorite (SH), and peroxyacetic acid (PA) were evaluated for their efficacy in inactivating spores of strains 7702, ANR-1, and 9131 in milk at 72, 80, and 85 degrees C using a sealed capillary tube technique. Strains ANR-1 and 9131 were more resistant to all of the biocide treatments than strain 7702. Addition of 1,260 ppm SH to milk reduced the number of viable spores of each strain by 6 log CFU/ml in less than 90 and 60 s at 72 and 80 degrees C, respectively. After neutralization, 1,260 ppm SH reduced the time necessary to inactivate 6 log CFU/ml (TTI6-log) at 80 degrees C to less than 20 s. Treatment of milk with 7,000 ppm HP resulted in a similar level of inactivation in 60 s. Combined treatment with 1,260 ppm SH and 1,800 ppm HP inactivated spores of all strains in less than 20 s at 80 degrees C. Mixing 15 ppm PA with milk containing 1,260 ppm SH resulted in TTI6-log of 25 and 12 s at 72 and 80 degrees C, respectively. TTI6-log of less than 20 s were also achieved at 80 degrees C by using two combinations of biocides: 250 ppm SH, 700 ppm HP, and 150 ppm PA; and 420 ppm SH (pH 7), 1,100 ppm HP, and 15 ppm PA. These results indicated that different combinations of biocides could consistently result in 6-log reductions in the number of B. anthracis spores in less than 1 min at temperatures in the HTST range. This information could be useful for developing more effective thermal treatment strategies which could be

  2. Measurements of DNA Damage and Repair in Bacillus anthracis Sterne Spores by UV Radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-18

    tightly into chromosomal structure, which serves to protect the DNA. The DNA is coiled several times and wrapped tightly around proteins. The wrapping...helps the DNA keep its chromatin structure. When DNA is to be replicated, enzymes unwind the chromosomal DNA. Therefore, DNA is not specifically used...2 See Appendix for Plasmid Information sheet. 30 the ice crystals disappeared . The tube was gently mixed by hand

  3. Green-Tea and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate are Bactericidal against Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-13

    strategies against B. anthracis (3). 60 After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. Although containing little 61 caloric value, teas...Civilian B. 2002. Anthrax as a biological weapon, 2002: updated 270 recommendations for management . JAMA 287:2236-52. 271 4. Cabrera C, Artacho R...Sharma A, Gupta S, Sarethy IP, Dang S, Gabrani R. 2012. Green tea extract: possible mechanism 285 and antibacterial activity on skin pathogens. Food

  4. Evaluation of sampling methods for Bacillus spore-contaminated HVAC filters

    OpenAIRE

    Calfee, M. Worth; Rose, Laura J.; Tufts, Jenia; Morse, Stephen; Clayton, Matt; Touati, Abderrahmane; Griffin-Gatchalian, Nicole; Slone, Christina; McSweeney, Neal

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to compare an extraction-based sampling method to two vacuum-based sampling methods (vacuum sock and 37 mm cassette filter) with regards to their ability to recover Bacillus atrophaeus spores (surrogate for Bacillus anthracis) from pleated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters that are typically found in commercial and residential buildings. Electrostatic and mechanical HVAC filters were tested, both without and after loading with dust to 50...

  5. Identification and Pathogenic Potential of Clinical Bacillus and Paenibacillus Isolates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Celandroni

    Full Text Available The soil-related Bacillus and Paenibacillus species have increasingly been implicated in various human diseases. Nevertheless, their identification still poses problems in the clinical microbiology laboratory and, with the exception of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus, little is known on their pathogenicity for humans. In this study, we evaluated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS in the identification of clinical isolates of these genera and conducted genotypic and phenotypic analyses to highlight specific virulence properties. Seventy-five clinical isolates were subjected to biochemical and MALDI-TOF MS identification. 16S rDNA sequencing and supplemental tests were used to solve any discrepancies or failures in the identification results. MALDI-TOF MS significantly outperformed classical biochemical testing for correct species identification and no misidentification was obtained. One third of the collected strains belonged to the B. cereus species, but also Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus subtilis were isolated at high rate. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that all the B. cereus, B. licheniformis, B. simplex, B. mycoides, Paenibacillus glucanolyticus and Paenibacillus lautus isolates are resistant to penicillin. The evaluation of toxin/enzyme secretion, toxin-encoding genes, motility, and biofilm formation revealed that B. cereus displays the highest virulence potential. However, although generally considered nonpathogenic, most of the other species were shown to swim, swarm, produce biofilms, and secrete proteases that can have a role in bacterial virulence. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS appears useful for fast and accurate identification of Bacillus and Paenibacillus strains whose virulence properties make them of increasing clinical relevance.

  6. Bacillus anthracis in China and its relationship to worldwide lineages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schupp James M

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The global pattern of distribution of 1033 B. anthracis isolates has previously been defined by a set of 12 conserved canonical single nucleotide polymorphisms (canSNP. These studies reinforced the presence of three major lineages and 12 sub-lineages and sub-groups of this anthrax-causing pathogen. Isolates that form the A lineage (unlike the B and C lineages have become widely dispersed throughout the world and form the basis for the geographical disposition of "modern" anthrax. An archival collection of 191 different B. anthracis isolates from China provides a glimpse into the possible role of Chinese trade and commerce in the spread of certain sub-lineages of this pathogen. Canonical single nucleotide polymorphism (canSNP and multiple locus VNTR analysis (MLVA typing has been used to examine this archival collection of isolates. Results The canSNP study indicates that there are 5 different sub-lineages/sub-groups in China out of 12 previously described world-wide canSNP genotypes. Three of these canSNP genotypes were only found in the western-most province of China, Xinjiang. These genotypes were A.Br.008/009, a sub-group that is spread across most of Europe and Asia; A.Br.Aust 94, a sub-lineage that is present in Europe and India, and A.Br.Vollum, a lineage that is also present in Europe. The remaining two canSNP genotypes are spread across the whole of China and belong to sub-group A.Br.001/002 and the A.Br.Ames sub-lineage, two closely related genotypes. MLVA typing adds resolution to the isolates in each canSNP genotype and diversity indices for the A.Br.008/009 and A.Br.001/002 sub-groups suggest that these represent older and established clades in China. Conclusion B. anthracis isolates were recovered from three canSNP sub-groups (A.Br.008/009, A.Br.Aust94, and A.Br.Vollum in the western most portion of the large Chinese province of Xinjiang. The city of Kashi in this province appears to have served as a crossroads

  7. Bacillus anthracis o-succinylbenzoyl-CoA synthetase: reaction kinetics and a novel inhibitor mimicking its reaction intermediate †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Yang; Suk, Dae-Hwan; Cai, Feng; Crich, David; Mesecar, Andrew D.

    2009-01-01

    O-succinylbenzoyl-CoA (OSB-CoA) synthetase (EC 6.2.1.26) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of o-succinylbenzoate (OSB) and CoA to form OSB-CoA, the fourth step of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus anthracis. Gene knockout studies have highlighted this enzyme as a potential target for the discovery of new antibiotics. Here we report the first studies on the kinetic mechanism of B. anthracis OSB-CoA synthetase, classifying it as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi ping-pong mechanism. Through a series of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic studies in conjunction with direct-binding studies, it is demonstrated that CoA, the last substrate to bind, strongly activates the first half-reaction after the first round of turnover. The activation of the first-half reaction is most likely achieved by CoA stabilizing conformations of the enzyme in the ‘F’ form, which slowly isomerize back to the E form. Thus, the kinetic mechanism of OSB-CoA synthetase may be more accurately described as an ordered Bi Uni Uni Bi Iso ping-pong mechanism. The substrate specificity of OSB-CoA synthetase was probed using a series of OSB analogs with alterations in the carboxylate groups. OSB-CoA shows a strong preference for OSB over all of the analogs tested as none were active except 4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyric acid which exhibited a 100-fold decrease in kcat/Km. Based on an understanding of OSB-CoA synthetase’s kinetic mechanism and substrate specificity, a reaction intermediate analog of OSB-AMP, 5’-O-(N-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-oxobutyl) adenosine sulfonamide (TFMP-butyl-AMS), was designed and synthesized. This inhibitor was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor to CoA and a mixed-type inhibitor to ATP and OSB with low micromolar inhibition constants. Collectively, these results should serve as an important forerunner to more detailed and extensive inhibitor design studies aimed at developing lead compounds against the OSB-CoA synthetase class of

  8. Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis Spores by a Combination of Biocides and Heating under High-Temperature Short-Time Pasteurization Conditions ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Sa; Labuza, Theodore P.; Diez-Gonzalez, Francisco

    2008-01-01

    The milk supply is considered a primary route for a bioterrorism attack with Bacillus anthracis spores because typical high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization conditions cannot inactivate spores. In the event of intentional contamination, an effective method to inactivate the spores in milk under HTST processing conditions is needed. This study was undertaken to identify combinations and concentrations of biocides that can inactivate B. anthracis spores at temperatures in the HTST range in less than 1 min. Hydrogen peroxide (HP), sodium hypochlorite (SH), and peroxyacetic acid (PA) were evaluated for their efficacy in inactivating spores of strains 7702, ANR-1, and 9131 in milk at 72, 80, and 85°C using a sealed capillary tube technique. Strains ANR-1 and 9131 were more resistant to all of the biocide treatments than strain 7702. Addition of 1,260 ppm SH to milk reduced the number of viable spores of each strain by 6 log CFU/ml in less than 90 and 60 s at 72 and 80°C, respectively. After neutralization, 1,260 ppm SH reduced the time necessary to inactivate 6 log CFU/ml (TTI6-log) at 80°C to less than 20 s. Treatment of milk with 7,000 ppm HP resulted in a similar level of inactivation in 60 s. Combined treatment with 1,260 ppm SH and 1,800 ppm HP inactivated spores of all strains in less than 20 s at 80°C. Mixing 15 ppm PA with milk containing 1,260 ppm SH resulted in TTI6-log of 25 and 12 s at 72 and 80°C, respectively. TTI6-log of less than 20 s were also achieved at 80°C by using two combinations of biocides: 250 ppm SH, 700 ppm HP, and 150 ppm PA; and 420 ppm SH (pH 7), 1,100 ppm HP, and 15 ppm PA. These results indicated that different combinations of biocides could consistently result in 6-log reductions in the number of B. anthracis spores in less than 1 min at temperatures in the HTST range. This information could be useful for developing more effective thermal treatment strategies which could be used in HTST milk plants to process

  9. Gene activation of heavy ion treated bacillus subtilis 168 endospores during germination involved DNA-repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moeller, R.; Berger, T.; Reitz, G.; Okayasu, Ryuichi

    2006-01-01

    This research project is aimed at correlating radiation effects induced DNA damage in Bacillus subtilis endospores with the linear energy transfer (LET) of the used radiation by investigating survival and gene activation after irradiation with high-LET particles. During the stationary growth phase Bacillus subtilis change their metabolic active state from the vegetative cells to the metabolic inactive but even more resistant endospores. If spores find optimal conditions, they could germinate and switch to the vegetative growth. With these outgrowth spores can and/or must repair the induced formed DNA damage. During germination spores lose their most resistance. In more detail, DNA repair and mutation induction events investigated will include the survivability, behaviour against specific antibiotics and their germination. DNA repair pattern will be detected during germination by using DNA microarrays, which contain the whole genome of Bacillus subtilis 168. (author)

  10. Draft Genome Sequences from a Novel Clade of Bacillus cereus Sensu Lato Strains, Isolated from the International Space Station

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venkateswaran, Kasthuri; Checinska Sielaff, Aleksandra; Ratnayake, Shashikala; Pope, Robert K; Blank, Thomas E; Stepanov, Victor G; Fox, George E; van Tongeren, Sandra P; Torres, Clinton; Allen, Jonathan; Jaing, Crystal; Pierson, Duane; Perry, Jay; Koren, Sergey; Phillippy, Adam; Klubnik, Joy; Treangen, Todd J; Rosovitz, M J; Bergman, Nicholas H

    2017-01-01

    The draft genome sequences of six Bacillus strains, isolated from the International Space Station and belonging to the Bacillus anthracis-B. cereus-B. thuringiensis group, are presented here. These strains were isolated from the Japanese Experiment Module (one strain), U.S. Harmony Node 2 (three

  11. ORF Alignment: NC_005945 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005945 gi|49185498 >1kwfA 3 362 53 435 1e-84 ... ref|YP_019314.1| chitosanase [Bac...illus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_845032.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... ... ... Ames] ref|YP_028750.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Sterne] ref|NP_656550.1| Glyco_... ... gb|AAP26518.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... Ames] gb|AAT31789.1| chitosanase [...Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT54801.1| chitosanase ... [Bacillus anthraci

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_003995 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003995 gi|21400565 >1kwfA 3 362 53 435 1e-84 ... ref|YP_019314.1| chitosanase [Bac...illus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_845032.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... ... ... Ames] ref|YP_028750.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Sterne] ref|NP_656550.1| Glyco_... ... gb|AAP26518.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... Ames] gb|AAT31789.1| chitosanase [...Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT54801.1| chitosanase ... [Bacillus anthraci

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_003997 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003997 gi|30262655 >1kwfA 3 362 53 435 1e-84 ... ref|YP_019314.1| chitosanase [Bac...illus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_845032.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... ... ... Ames] ref|YP_028750.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Sterne] ref|NP_656550.1| Glyco_... ... gb|AAP26518.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... Ames] gb|AAT31789.1| chitosanase [...Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT54801.1| chitosanase ... [Bacillus anthraci

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_007530 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_007530 gi|47527965 >1kwfA 3 362 53 435 1e-84 ... ref|YP_019314.1| chitosanase [Bac...illus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_845032.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... ... ... Ames] ref|YP_028750.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Sterne] ref|NP_656550.1| Glyco_... ... gb|AAP26518.1| chitosanase [Bacillus anthracis str. ... Ames] gb|AAT31789.1| chitosanase [...Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT54801.1| chitosanase ... [Bacillus anthraci

  15. DNA repair in ultraviolet-irradiated spores of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, T.C.V.

    1976-01-01

    It has been shown previously by others that at least two independent repair mechanisms are present in Bacillus subtilis for removing ''spore photoproduct'' from DNA of ultraviolet (254 nm)-irradiated spores after germination. One of these, designated as ''spore repair,'' is shown in this study to restore ''spore photoproduct'' to two thymine residues, leaving the DNA backbone intact at the end of the process in vivo. The circumstances under which this repair can occur and some characteristics of its energy requirements have been clarified. The second repair process is identified as excision repair, which can excise both ''spore photoproduct'' from DNA of irradiated spores and cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimers from DNA of irradiated vegetative cells. In this study it is shown that the gene hcr 1 affects an enzyme activity for the incision step initiating this repair, while the gene hcr 42 affects a step subsequent to incision in the mechanism. In addition a third, independent repair system, termed ''germinative excision repair,'' is discovered and shown to be specific for excising only cyclobutane-type pyrimidine dimers but not ''spore photoproduct.'' This repair system is responsible for the observed high ultraviolet-resistance and temporary capacity for host cell reactivation on recently germinated spores of Bacillus subtilis HCR - strains

  16. Pathology of wild-type and toxin-independent Bacillus anthracis meningitis in rabbits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Assa Sittner

    Full Text Available Hemorrhagic meningitis is considered a complication of anthrax and was reported in about 50% of deadly cases in humans and non-human primates (NHP. Recently we demonstrated in Guinea pigs and rabbits that 100% of the B. anthracis-infected animals presented histopathology of meningitis at the time of death, some without any sign of hemorrhage. A similar pathology was observed in animals that succumbed following infection with the toxin deficient mutant, thus indicating that anthrax meningitis is a toxin-independent phenomenon. In this manuscript we describe a histopathological study of the B. anthracis infection of the central nervous system (CNS. Though we could find sporadic growth of the bacteria around blood vessels in the cortex, we report that the main infiltration route is the choroid plexus. We found massive destruction of entire sections of the choroid plexus coupled with massive aggregation of bacilli in the ventricles, in close proximity to the parenchyma. The choroid plexus also contained significant amounts of intravascular bacterial aggregates, often enclosed in what appear to be fibrin-like clots. The high concentration of these aggregates in areas of significant tissue destruction combined with the fact that capsular B. anthracis bacteria have a low tendency to adhere to endothelial cells, might suggest that these clots are used as an adherence mechanism by the bacteria. The major histopathological finding is meningitis. We find massive bacterial growth in the meninges without evidence of encephalitis, even when the bacteria emerge from a parenchymal blood vessel. Erythrocytes were present within the meningeal space but no clear vasculitis could be detected. Histology of the brain stem indicates meningitis, edema and hemorrhages that might explain death from suffocation due to direct damage to the respiratory center. All of these processes are toxin-independent, since they were observed following infection with either the wild

  17. Observations on the migration of bacillus spores outside a contaminated facility during a decontamination efficacy study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestri, Erin E.; Perkins, Sarah; Lordo, Robert; Kovacik, William; Nichols, Tonya L.; Bowling, Charlena Yoder; Griffin, Dale W.; Schaefer, Frank W.

    2015-01-01

    The potential for an intentional wide-area or indoor release of Bacillus anthracis spores remains a concern, but the fate and transport of B. anthracis spores in indoor and outdoor environments are not well understood. Some studies have examined the possibility of spore transport within ventilation systems and in buildings and transport into a building following an outdoor release. Little research exists regarding the potential for spores to migrate to the outside of a building following an indoor release.

  18. Computational fluid dynamics modeling of Bacillus anthracis spore deposition in rabbit and human respiratory airways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kabilan, S.; Suffield, S. R.; Recknagle, K. P.; Jacob, R. E.; Einstein, D. R.; Kuprat, A. P.; Carson, J. P.; Colby, S. M.; Saunders, J. H.; Hines, S. A.; Teeguarden, J. G.; Straub, T. M.; Moe, M.; Taft, S. C.; Corley, R. A.

    2016-09-01

    Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics and Lagrangian particle deposition models were developed to compare the deposition of aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores in the respiratory airways of a human with that of the rabbit, a species commonly used in the study of anthrax disease. The respiratory airway geometries for each species were derived respectively from computed tomography (CT) and µCT images. Both models encompassed airways that extended from the external nose to the lung with a total of 272 outlets in the human model and 2878 outlets in the rabbit model. All simulations of spore deposition were conducted under transient, inhalation–exhalation breathing conditions using average species-specific minute volumes. Two different exposure scenarios were modeled in the rabbit based upon experimental inhalation studies. For comparison, human simulations were conducted at the highest exposure concentration used during the rabbit experimental exposures. Results demonstrated that regional spore deposition patterns were sensitive to airway geometry and ventilation profiles. Due to the complex airway geometries in the rabbit nose, higher spore deposition efficiency was predicted in the nasal sinus compared to the human at the same air concentration of anthrax spores. In contrast, higher spore deposition was predicted in the lower conducting airways of the human compared to the rabbit lung due to differences in airway branching pattern. This information can be used to refine published and ongoing biokinetic models of inhalation anthrax spore exposures, which currently estimate deposited spore concentrations based solely upon exposure concentrations and inhaled doses that do not factor in species-specific anatomy and physiology for deposition.

  19. Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Bacillus anthracis Spore Deposition in Rabbit and Human Respiratory Airways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kabilan, Senthil; Suffield, Sarah R.; Recknagle, Kurtis P.; Jacob, Rick E.; Einstein, Daniel R.; Kuprat, Andrew P.; Carson, James P.; Colby, Sean M.; Saunders, James H.; Hines, Stephanie; Teeguarden, Justin G.; Straub, Tim M.; Moe, M.; Taft, Sarah; Corley, Richard A.

    2016-09-30

    Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics and Lagrangian particle deposition models were developed to compare the deposition of aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores in the respiratory airways of a human with that of the rabbit, a species commonly used in the study of anthrax disease. The respiratory airway geometries for each species were derived from computed tomography (CT) or µCT images. Both models encompassed airways that extended from the external nose to the lung with a total of 272 outlets in the human model and 2878 outlets in the rabbit model. All simulations of spore deposition were conducted under transient, inhalation-exhalation breathing conditions using average species-specific minute volumes. The highest exposure concentration was modeled in the rabbit based upon prior acute inhalation studies. For comparison, human simulation was also conducted at the same concentration. Results demonstrated that regional spore deposition patterns were sensitive to airway geometry and ventilation profiles. Due to the complex airway geometries in the rabbit nose, higher spore deposition efficiency was predicted in the upper conducting airways compared to the human at the same air concentration of anthrax spores. As a result, higher particle deposition was predicted in the conducting airways and deep lung of the human compared to the rabbit lung due to differences in airway branching pattern. This information can be used to refine published and ongoing biokinetic models of inhalation anthrax spore exposures, which currently estimate deposited spore concentrations based solely upon exposure concentrations and inhaled doses that do not factor in species-specific anatomy and physiology.

  20. Whole-Genome Sequences of 94 Environmental Isolates of Bacillus cereus Sensu Lato

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldgarden, Michael; Kolter, Roberto; Mahillon, Jacques

    2013-01-01

    Bacillus cereus sensu lato is a species complex that includes the anthrax pathogen Bacillus anthracis and other bacterial species of medical, industrial, and ecological importance. Their phenotypes of interest are typically linked to large plasmids that are closely related to the anthrax plasmids pXO1 and pXO2. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of 94 isolates of B. cereus sensu lato, which were chosen for their plasmid content and environmental origins. PMID:24092776

  1. Micro-Etched Platforms for Thermal Inactivation of Bacillus Anthracis and Bacillus Thuringiensis Spores

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-03-01

    slips was first coated with a detergent wash. Commercially available Ivory soap shavings were diluted with sterile Millipore® water in a...environments. This removed controllable variability between the Bacillus species and increased the confidence in continued use of such surrogacy

  2. Bacillus velezensis is not a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Bacillus methylotrophicus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum and 'Bacillus oryzicola' are later heterotypic synonyms of Bacillus velezensis based on phylogenomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunlap, Christopher A; Kim, Soo-Jin; Kwon, Soon-Wo; Rooney, Alejandro P

    2016-03-01

    Bacillus velezensis was previously reported to be a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens , based primarily on DNA-DNA relatedness values. We have sequenced a draft genome of B. velezensis NRRL B-41580 T . Comparative genomics and DNA-DNA relatedness calculations show that it is not a synonym of B. amyloliquefaciens. It was instead synonymous with Bacillus methylotrophicus. ' Bacillus oryzicola ' is a recently described species that was isolated as an endophyte of rice ( Oryza sativa ). The strain was demonstrated to have plant-pathogen antagonist activity in greenhouse assays, and the 16S rRNA gene was reported to have 99.7 % sequence similarity with Bacillus siamensis and B. methylotrophicus , which are both known for their plant pathogen antagonism. To better understand the phylogenetics of these closely related strains, we sequenced the genome of ' B . oryzicola ' KACC 18228. Comparative genomic analysis showed only minor differences between this strain and the genomes of B. velezensis NRRL B-41580 T , B. methylotrophicus KACC 13015 T and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 T . The pairwise in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values calculated in comparisons between the strains were all greater than 84 %, which is well above the standard species threshold of 70 %. The results of morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the strains share phenotype and genotype coherence. Therefore, we propose that B. methylotrophicus KACC 13015 T , B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 T , and ' B. oryzicola' KACC 18228 should be reclassified as later heterotypic synonyms of B. velezensis NRRL B-41580 T , since the valid publication date of B. velezensis precedes the other three strains.

  3. Genetic evidence for the involvement of the S-layer protein gene sap and the sporulation genes spo0A, spo0B, and spo0F in Phage AP50c infection of Bacillus anthracis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plaut, Roger D; Beaber, John W; Zemansky, Jason; Kaur, Ajinder P; George, Matroner; Biswas, Biswajit; Henry, Matthew; Bishop-Lilly, Kimberly A; Mokashi, Vishwesh; Hannah, Ryan M; Pope, Robert K; Read, Timothy D; Stibitz, Scott; Calendar, Richard; Sozhamannan, Shanmuga

    2014-03-01

    In order to better characterize the Bacillus anthracis typing phage AP50c, we designed a genetic screen to identify its bacterial receptor. Insertions of the transposon mariner or targeted deletions of the structural gene for the S-layer protein Sap and the sporulation genes spo0A, spo0B, and spo0F in B. anthracis Sterne resulted in phage resistance with concomitant defects in phage adsorption and infectivity. Electron microscopy of bacteria incubated with AP50c revealed phage particles associated with the surface of bacilli of the Sterne strain but not with the surfaces of Δsap, Δspo0A, Δspo0B, or Δspo0F mutants. The amount of Sap in the S layer of each of the spo0 mutant strains was substantially reduced compared to that of the parent strain, and incubation of AP50c with purified recombinant Sap led to a substantial reduction in phage activity. Phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequences of B. cereus sensu lato strains revealed several closely related B. cereus and B. thuringiensis strains that carry sap genes with very high similarities to the sap gene of B. anthracis. Complementation of the Δsap mutant in trans with the wild-type B. anthracis sap or the sap gene from either of two different B. cereus strains that are sensitive to AP50c infection restored phage sensitivity, and electron microscopy confirmed attachment of phage particles to the surface of each of the complemented strains. Based on these data, we postulate that Sap is involved in AP50c infectivity, most likely acting as the phage receptor, and that the spo0 genes may regulate synthesis of Sap and/or formation of the S layer.

  4. Comparative sequence analyses on the 16S rRNA (rDNA) of Bacillus acidocaldarius, Bacillus acidoterrestris, and Bacillus cycloheptanicus and proposal for creation of a new genus, Alicyclobacillus gen. nov

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisotzkey, J. D.; Jurtshuk, P. Jr; Fox, G. E.; Deinhard, G.; Poralla, K.

    1992-01-01

    Comparative 16S rRNA (rDNA) sequence analyses performed on the thermophilic Bacillus species Bacillus acidocaldarius, Bacillus acidoterrestris, and Bacillus cycloheptanicus revealed that these organisms are sufficiently different from the traditional Bacillus species to warrant reclassification in a new genus, Alicyclobacillus gen. nov. An analysis of 16S rRNA sequences established that these three thermoacidophiles cluster in a group that differs markedly from both the obligately thermophilic organisms Bacillus stearothermophilus and the facultatively thermophilic organism Bacillus coagulans, as well as many other common mesophilic and thermophilic Bacillus species. The thermoacidophilic Bacillus species B. acidocaldarius, B. acidoterrestris, and B. cycloheptanicus also are unique in that they possess omega-alicylic fatty acid as the major natural membranous lipid component, which is a rare phenotype that has not been found in any other Bacillus species characterized to date. This phenotype, along with the 16S rRNA sequence data, suggests that these thermoacidophiles are biochemically and genetically unique and supports the proposal that they should be reclassified in the new genus Alicyclobacillus.

  5. DNA repair and its relation to recombination-deficient and other mutations in Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganesan, A.T.

    1975-01-01

    DNA repair processes operating in Bacillus subtilis are similar to other transformable bacterial systems. Radiation-sensitive, recombination-deficient mutants are blocked in distinct steps leading to recombination. DNA polymerase I is essential for the repair of x-ray-induced damage to DNA but not for recombination

  6. Naturally acquired antibodies to Bacillus anthracis protective antigen in vultures of southern Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. C.B. Turnbull

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available TURNBULLP, P.C.B. DIEKMANNM,M., KILIAN, J.W., VERSFELDW, W.,DE VOS, V., ARNTZENL, L.,WOLTER, K., BARTELS, P. & KOTZE, A. 2008.N aturally acquired antibodies to Bacillusa nthracisp rotective antigeni n vultureso f southern Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, T5:95-102 Sera from 19 wild caught vultures in northern Namibia and 15 (12 wild caught and three captive bred but with minimal histories in North West Province, South Africa, were examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbenats say( ELISAf or antibodiesto the Bacillus anthracis toxin protective antigen (PA. As assessed from the baseline established with a control group of ten captive reared vultures with well-documented histories, elevated titres were found in 12 of the 19 (63% wild caught Namibian birds as compared with none of the 15 South African ones. There was a highly significant difference between the Namibian group as a hole and the other groups (P 0.05. Numbers in the Namibian group were too small to determine any significances in species-, sex- or age-related differences within the raw data showing elevated titres in four out of six Cape Vultures, Gyps coprotheress, six out of ten Whitebacked Vultures, Gyps africanus, and one out of three Lappet-faced Vultures, Aegypiust racheliotus, or in five of six males versus three of seven females, and ten of 15 adults versus one of four juveniles. The results are in line with the available data on the incidence of anthrax in northern Namibia and South Africa and the likely contact of the vultures tested with anthrax carcasses. lt is not known whether elevated titre indicates infection per se in vultures or absorption of incompletely digested epitopes of the toxin or both. The results are discussed in relation to distances travelled by vultures as determined by new tracking techniques, how serology can reveal anthrax activity in an area and the issue of the role of vultures in transmission of anthrax.

  7. ORF Alignment: NC_003995 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003995 gi|21402596 >1m65A 4 232 339 570 1e-51 ... ref|YP_021441.1| php domain prot...ein [Bacillus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_846998.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthr...acis ... str. Ames] ref|YP_030695.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Sterne] r.... A2012] ... gb|AAP28484.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Ames] gb|AAT33916.1| PHP... domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT56746.1| PHP ... dom

  8. ORF Alignment: NC_005945 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005945 gi|49187443 >1m65A 4 232 339 570 1e-51 ... ref|YP_021441.1| php domain prot...ein [Bacillus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_846998.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthr...acis ... str. Ames] ref|YP_030695.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Sterne] r.... A2012] ... gb|AAP28484.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Ames] gb|AAT33916.1| PHP... domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT56746.1| PHP ... dom

  9. ORF Alignment: NC_003997 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003997 gi|30264621 >1m65A 4 232 339 570 1e-51 ... ref|YP_021441.1| php domain prot...ein [Bacillus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_846998.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthr...acis ... str. Ames] ref|YP_030695.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Sterne] r.... A2012] ... gb|AAP28484.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Ames] gb|AAT33916.1| PHP... domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT56746.1| PHP ... dom

  10. Structure of the Bacillus anthracis dTDP- L -rhamnose-biosynthetic enzyme glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RfbA)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baumgartner, Jackson; Lee, Jesi; Halavaty, Andrei S.; Minasov, George; Anderson, Wayne F.; Kuhn, Misty L. (NWU); (SFSU)

    2017-10-30

    L-Rhamnose is a ubiquitous bacterial cell-wall component. The biosynthetic pathway for its precursor dTDP-L-rhamnose is not present in humans, which makes the enzymes of the pathway potential drug targets. In this study, the three-dimensional structure of the first protein of this pathway, glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RfbA), fromBacillus anthraciswas determined. In other organisms this enzyme is referred to as RmlA. RfbA was co-crystallized with the products of the enzymatic reaction, dTDP-α-D-glucose and pyrophosphate, and its structure was determined at 2.3 Å resolution. This is the first reported thymidylyltransferase structure from a Gram-positive bacterium. RfbA shares overall structural characteristics with known RmlA homologs. However, RfbA exhibits a shorter sequence at its C-terminus, which results in the absence of three α-helices involved in allosteric site formation. Consequently, RfbA was observed to exhibit a quaternary structure that is unique among currently reported glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase bacterial homologs. These structural analyses suggest that RfbA may not be allosterically regulated in some organisms and is structurally distinct from other RmlA homologs.

  11. DNA Repair and Genome Maintenance in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenhart, Justin S.; Schroeder, Jeremy W.; Walsh, Brian W.

    2012-01-01

    Summary: From microbes to multicellular eukaryotic organisms, all cells contain pathways responsible for genome maintenance. DNA replication allows for the faithful duplication of the genome, whereas DNA repair pathways preserve DNA integrity in response to damage originating from endogenous and exogenous sources. The basic pathways important for DNA replication and repair are often conserved throughout biology. In bacteria, high-fidelity repair is balanced with low-fidelity repair and mutagenesis. Such a balance is important for maintaining viability while providing an opportunity for the advantageous selection of mutations when faced with a changing environment. Over the last decade, studies of DNA repair pathways in bacteria have demonstrated considerable differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Here we review and discuss the DNA repair, genome maintenance, and DNA damage checkpoint pathways of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We present their molecular mechanisms and compare the functions and regulation of several pathways with known information on other organisms. We also discuss DNA repair during different growth phases and the developmental program of sporulation. In summary, we present a review of the function, regulation, and molecular mechanisms of DNA repair and mutagenesis in Gram-positive bacteria, with a strong emphasis on B. subtilis. PMID:22933559

  12. Rapid Methods for the Laboratory Identification of Pathogenic Microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-09-01

    coli Hemophilus influenzae Bacillus anthracis Bacillus circulans Bacillus coagulans Bacillus cereus T Candida albicans Cryptococcus neoformans Legionel...reveree aide If neceeeary and Identify by block number) Lectins: Rapid Identification, Bacillus anthracisjCryptococcus " neoformans. Neisseria...field-type kit for the rapid identification of Bacillus anthracis. We have shown that certain lectins will selectively interact with B. anthracis

  13. Bacillus velezensis is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Ting; Lee, Fwu-Ling; Tai, Chun-Ju; Kuo, Hsiao-Ping

    2008-03-01

    Strain BCRC 14193, isolated from soil, shared more than 99 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BCRC 11601(T) and Bacillus velezensis BCRC 17467(T). This strain was previously identified as B. amyloliquefaciens, based on DNA-DNA hybridization, but its DNA relatedness value with B. velezensis BCRC 17467(T) was 89 %. To investigate the relatedness of strain BCRC 14193, B. amyloliquefaciens and B. velezensis, the partial sequence of the gene encoding the subunit B protein of DNA gyrase (gyrB) was determined. B. velezensis BCRC 17467(T) shared high gyrB gene sequence similarity with B. amyloliquefaciens BCRC 14193 (98.4 %) and all of the B. amyloliquefaciens strains available (95.5-95.6 %). DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed high relatedness values between B. velezensis BCRC 17467(T) and B. amyloliquefaciens BCRC 11601(T) (74 %) and the B. amyloliquefaciens reference strains (74-89 %). Based on these data and the lack of phenotypic distinctive characteristics, we propose Bacillus velezensis as a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

  14. Rapid filtration separation-based sample preparation method for Bacillus spores in powdery and environmental matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isabel, Sandra; Boissinot, Maurice; Charlebois, Isabelle; Fauvel, Chantal M; Shi, Lu-E; Lévesque, Julie-Christine; Paquin, Amélie T; Bastien, Martine; Stewart, Gale; Leblanc, Eric; Sato, Sachiko; Bergeron, Michel G

    2012-03-01

    Authorities frequently need to analyze suspicious powders and other samples for biothreat agents in order to assess environmental safety. Numerous nucleic acid detection technologies have been developed to detect and identify biowarfare agents in a timely fashion. The extraction of microbial nucleic acids from a wide variety of powdery and environmental samples to obtain a quality level adequate for these technologies still remains a technical challenge. We aimed to develop a rapid and versatile method of separating bacteria from these samples and then extracting their microbial DNA. Bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii was used as a simulant of Bacillus anthracis. We studied the effects of a broad variety of powdery and environmental samples on PCR detection and the steps required to alleviate their interference. With a benchmark DNA extraction procedure, 17 of the 23 samples investigated interfered with bacterial lysis and/or PCR-based detection. Therefore, we developed the dual-filter method for applied recovery of microbial particles from environmental and powdery samples (DARE). The DARE procedure allows the separation of bacteria from contaminating matrices that interfere with PCR detection. This procedure required only 2 min, while the DNA extraction process lasted 7 min, for a total of sample preparation procedure allowed the recovery of cleaned bacterial spores and relieved detection interference caused by a wide variety of samples. Our procedure was easily completed in a laboratory facility and is amenable to field application and automation.

  15. Construction and characterization of stable, constitutively expressed, chromosomal green and red fluorescent transcriptional fusions in the select agents, Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei, and Burkholderia pseudomallei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Shengchang; Bangar, Hansraj; Saldanha, Roland; Pemberton, Adin; Aronow, Bruce; Dean, Gary E; Lamkin, Thomas J; Hassett, Daniel J

    2014-10-01

    Here, we constructed stable, chromosomal, constitutively expressed, green and red fluorescent protein (GFP and RFP) as reporters in the select agents, Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Using bioinformatic approaches and other experimental analyses, we identified P0253 and P1 as potent promoters that drive the optimal expression of fluorescent reporters in single copy in B. anthracis and Burkholderia spp. as well as their surrogate strains, respectively. In comparison, Y. pestis and its surrogate strain need two chromosomal copies of cysZK promoter (P2cysZK) for optimal fluorescence. The P0253-, P2cysZK-, and P1-driven GFP and RFP fusions were first cloned into the vectors pRP1028, pUC18R6KT-mini-Tn7T-Km, pmini-Tn7-gat, or their derivatives. The resultant constructs were delivered into the respective surrogates and subsequently into the select agent strains. The chromosomal GFP- and RFP-tagged strains exhibited bright fluorescence at an exposure time of less than 200 msec and displayed the same virulence traits as their wild-type parental strains. The utility of the tagged strains was proven by the macrophage infection assays and lactate dehydrogenase release analysis. Such strains will be extremely useful in high-throughput screens for novel compounds that could either kill these organisms, or interfere with critical virulence processes in these important bioweapon agents and during infection of alveolar macrophages. © 2014 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. BLACK-BACKED JACKAL EXPOSURE TO RABIES VIRUS, CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS, AND BACILLUS ANTHRACIS IN ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK, NAMIBIA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellan, Steve E.; Cizauskas, Carrie A.; Miyen, Jacobeth; Ebersohn, Karen; Küsters, Martina; Prager, Katie; Van Vuuren, Moritz; Sabeta, Claude; Getz, Wayne M.

    2017-01-01

    Canine distemper virus (CDV) and rabies virus (RABV) occur worldwide in wild carnivore and domestic dog populations and pose threats to wildlife conservation and public health. In Etosha National Park (ENP), Namibia, anthrax is endemic and generates carcasses frequently fed on by an unusually dense population of black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). Using serology and phylogenetic analyses (on samples obtained from February, 2009 to July, 2010), and historical mortality records (1975–2011), we assessed jackal exposure to Bacillus anthracis (BA; the causal bacterial agent of anthrax), CDV, and RABV. Seroprevalence to all three pathogens was relatively high with 95% (n = 86), 73% (n = 86), and 9% (n = 81) of jackals exhibiting antibodies to BA, CDV, and RABV, respectively. Exposure to BA, as assessed with an anti-Protective Antigen ELISA test, increased significantly with age and all animals >1 yr old tested positive. Seroprevalence of exposure to CDV also increased significantly with age, with similar age-specific trends during both years of the study. No significant effect of age was found on RABV seroprevalence. Three of the seven animals exhibiting immunity to RABV were monitored for more than one year after sampling and did not succumb to the disease. Mortality records revealed that rabid animals are destroyed nearly every year inside the ENP tourist camps. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that jackal RABV in ENP is part of the same transmission cycle as other dog-jackal RABV cycles in Namibia. PMID:22493112

  17. Crystal structure of B acillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity: AtxA multimerization, phosphorylation and activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammerstrom, Troy G.; Lori, Horton B.; Swick, Michelle C.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Koehler, Theresa M.

    2014-12-30

    The Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthetic operon. AtxA activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and CO2/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the CO2/bicarbonate signal, AtxA activity and homomultimerization. AtxA activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. We show that AtxA crystallizes as a dimer. Distinct folds associated with predicted DNA-binding domains (HTH1 and HTH2) and phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system-regulated domains (PRD1 and PRD2) are apparent. We tested AtxA variants containing single and double phosphomimetic (HisAsp) and phosphoablative (HisAla) amino acid changes for activity in B.anthracis cultures and for protein-protein interactions in cell lysates. Reduced activity of AtxA H199A, lack of multimerization and activity of AtxAH379D variants, and predicted structural changes associated with phosphorylation support a model for control of AtxA function. We propose that (i) in the AtxA dimer, phosphorylation of H199 in PRD1 affects HTH2 positioning, influencing DNA-binding; and (ii) phosphorylation of H379 in PRD2 disrupts dimer formation. The AtxA structure is the first reported high-resolution full-length structure of a PRD-containing regulator, and can serve as a model for proteins of this family, especially those that link virulence to bacterial metabolism.

  18. Development of Protective Immunity in New Zealand White Rabbits Challenged with Bacillus anthracis Spores and Treated with Antibiotics and Obiltoxaximab, a Monoclonal Antibody against Protective Antigen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning, Lisa N; Carpenter, Sarah; Stark, Gregory V; Serbina, Natalya V

    2018-02-01

    The recommended management of inhalational anthrax, a high-priority bioterrorist threat, includes antibiotics and antitoxins. Obiltoxaximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against anthrax protective antigen (PA), is licensed under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Animal Rule for the treatment of inhalational anthrax. Because of spore latency, disease reemergence after treatment cessation is a concern, and there is a need to understand the development of endogenous protective immune responses following antitoxin-containing anthrax treatment regimens. Here, acquired protective immunity was examined in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits challenged with a targeted lethal dose of Bacillus anthracis spores and treated with antibiotics, obiltoxaximab, or a combination of both. Survivors of the primary challenge were rechallenged 9 months later and monitored for survival. Survival rates after primary and rechallenge for controls and animals treated with obiltoxaximab, levofloxacin, or a combination of both were 0, 65, 100, and 95%, and 0, 100, 95, and 89%, respectively. All surviving immune animals had circulating antibodies to PA and serum toxin-neutralizing titers prior to rechallenge. Following rechallenge, systemic bacteremia and toxemia were not detected in most animals, and the levels of circulating anti-PA IgG titers increased starting at 5 days postrechallenge. We conclude that treatment with obiltoxaximab, alone or combined with antibiotics, significantly improves the survival of rabbits that received a lethal inhalation B. anthracis spore challenge dose and does not interfere with the development of immunity. Survivors of primary challenge are protected against reexposure, have rare incidents of systemic bacteremia and toxemia, and have evidence of an anamnestic response. Copyright © 2018 Henning et al.

  19. Real-time PCR for the Early Detection and Quantification of Coxiella burnetii as an Alternative to the Murine Bioassay

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    type B (2 strains) Morganella morganii Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Bacillus subtilis (4 strains) Clostridium botulinum type B Murine DNA Streptococcus...host and is both time consuming and hazardous. Antibiotic treatment can significantly diminish or even prevent illness when administered within a narrow...strains) Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans Salmonella enterica Bacillus anthracis (12 strains) Budvicia aquatica Haemophilus influenzae (2 strains

  20. Effect of UV-irradiation on DNA-membrane complex of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chefranova, O.A.; Gaziev, A.I.

    1979-01-01

    The UV radiation effect on DNA membrane complex of Bacillus subtilis has been studied. Increase of DNA content in the DNA membrane complex in two strains of 168 and recA - and its decrease in the polA - strain are shown. The above effect in the first two stamms is suppressed with caffeine and correlates with the change in protein content in the DNA membrane complex, determined by a radioactive label, but not lipids in other words, fixation of DNA and membrane goes through proteins. Capability of DNA content increase in the DNA membrane complex after UV irradiation and subsequent bacteria incubation in a total medium correlates with the relative sensitivity of stamm UV sensitivity. It is suggested, that the reparation synthesis goes in cells on the membrane and that binding of DNA and the membrane is necessary for the normal DNA reparation process

  1. ATPase activity measurement of DNA replicative helicase from Bacillus stearothermophilus by malachite green method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Mu; Wang, Ganggang

    2016-09-15

    The DnaB helicase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (DnaBBst) was a model protein for studying the bacterial DNA replication. In this work, a non-radioactive method for measuring ATPase activity of DnaBBst helicase was described. The working parameters and conditions were optimized. Furthermore, this method was applied to investigate effects of DnaG primase, ssDNA and helicase loader protein (DnaI) on ATPase activity of DnaBBst. Our results showed this method was sensitive and efficient. Moreover, it is suitable for the investigation of functional interaction between DnaB and related factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. In Bacillus subtilis, the SatA (Formerly YyaR) Acetyltransferase Detoxifies Streptothricin via Lysine Acetylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burckhardt, Rachel M; Escalante-Semerena, Jorge C

    2017-11-01

    Soil is a complex niche, where survival of microorganisms is at risk due to the presence of antimicrobial agents. Many microbes chemically modify cytotoxic compounds to block their deleterious effects. Streptothricin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic produced by streptomycetes that affects Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria alike. Here we identify the SatA (for s treptothricin a ce t yltransferase A , formerly YyaR) enzyme of Bacillus subtilis as the mechanism used by this soil bacterium to detoxify streptothricin. B. subtilis strains lacking satA were susceptible to streptothricin. Ectopic expression of satA + restored streptothricin resistance to B. subtilis satA ( Bs SatA) strains. Purified Bs SatA acetylated streptothricin in vitro at the expense of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). A single acetyl moiety transferred onto streptothricin by SatA blocked the toxic effects of the antibiotic. SatA bound streptothricin with high affinity ( K d [dissociation constant] = 1 μM), and did not bind acetyl-CoA in the absence of streptothricin. Expression of B. subtilis satA + in Salmonella enterica conferred streptothricin resistance, indicating that SatA was necessary and sufficient to detoxify streptothricin. Using this heterologous system, we showed that the SatA homologue from Bacillus anthracis also had streptothricin acetyltransferase activity. Our data highlight the physiological relevance of lysine acetylation for the survival of B. subtilis in the soil. IMPORTANCE Experimental support is provided for the functional assignment of gene products of the soil-dwelling bacilli Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis This study focuses on one enzyme that is necessary and sufficient to block the cytotoxic effects of a common soil antibiotic. The enzyme alluded to is a member of a family of proteins that are broadly distributed in all domains of life but poorly studied in B. subtilis and B. anthracis The initial characterization of the enzyme provides insights into its

  3. Lethal effects of 32P decay on transfecting activity of Bacillus subtillis phage phie DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loveday, K.S.

    1979-01-01

    Disintegration of 32 P present in the DNA of Bacillus subtilis phage phie (a phage containing double-strand DNA) results in the loss of viability of intact phage as well as transfecting activity of isolated DNA. Only 1/12 of the 32 P disintegrations per phage DNA equivalent inactivities the intact phage while nearly every disintegration inactivates the transfecting DNA. This result provides evidence for a single-strand intermediate in the transfection of B. subtilis by phie DNA

  4. A New FRET-Based Sensitive DNA Sensor for Medical Diagnostics using PNA Probe and Water-Soluble Blue Light Emitting Polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi Mathur

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available A reliable, fast, and low-cost biosensor for medical diagnostics using DNA sequence detection has been developed and tested for the detection of the bacterium “Bacillus anthracis.” In this sensor, Poly [9,9-di (6,6′- N, N′ trimethylammonium hexylfluorenyl-2, 7-diyl-alt-co- (1,4-phenylene] dibromide salt (PFP has been taken as cationic conjugated polymer (CCP and PNA attached with fluorescein dye (PNAC∗ as a probe. The basic principle of this sensor is that when a PNAC∗ probe is hybridized with a single strand DNA (ssDNA having complementary sequence, Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET may take place from PFP to the PNAC∗/DNA complex. If the FRET is efficient, the photoluminescence from the PFP will be highly quenched and that from PNAC∗ will be enhanced. On the other hand, if the DNA sequence is noncomplementary to PNA, FRET will not occur.

  5. ORF Alignment: NC_007530 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_007530 gi|47530092 >1m65A 4 232 339 570 1e-51 ... ref|YP_021441.1| php domain protein [Bacillus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ... ref|NP_846998.1| PHP...acis ... str. Ames] ref|YP_030695.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Sterne] r.... A2012] ... gb|AAP28484.1| PHP domain protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. Ames] gb|AAT33916.1| PHP... domain protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] gb|AAT56746.1| PHP ... dom

  6. Bacterial spores as possible contaminants of biomedical materials and devices. [Bacillus anthracis, clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens, C. tetani

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grecz, N; Kang, T

    1973-01-01

    Destruction of spores on biomedical devices in drugs, and biologicals is essential for prevention of infection of patients with pathogenic sporeformers. Of particular concern are Clostridium tetani, C. perfringens, C. botulinum, Bacillus anthracis and other sporeforming pathogens. Spores are ubiquitous in nature and contamination of biomedical devices varies depending on manufacturing process, handling, raw materials and other variables. In the last 20 years the number of cases per year of specific notifiable diseases in the United States was as follows: tetanus, 120 to 500 cases, botulism, 7 to 47 cases, and anthrax, 2 to 10 cases. Gas gangrene is caused by a mixed flora consisting predominantly of sporeformers. C botulinum, which usually acts as saprophytic agent of food poisoning, may also initiate pathogenic processes; there are nine cases on record in the United States of botulism wound infections almost half of which ended in death. The spores of these organisms are distinguished by high radiation resistance and their erradication often requires severe radiation treatments. Representative bacterial spores in various suspending media show D/sub 10/ values (dose necessary to destroy 90 percent of a given population) ranging from approximately 0.1 to 0.4 Mrad. Some viruses show D/sub 10/ values up to greater than 1 Mrad. The D/sub 10/-values of spores vary depending on physical, chemical and biological factors. This variability is important in evaluation and selection of biological indicator organisms. Radiation sterilization of biomedical devices and biomedical materials must provide safety from infectious microorganisms including radiation resistant spores and viruses.

  7. Comparison of Two Suspension Arrays for Simultaneous Detection of Five Biothreat Bacterial in Powder Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Yang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We have developed novel Bio-Plex assays for simultaneous detection of Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Brucella spp., Francisella tularensis, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Universal primers were used to amplify highly conserved region located within the 16S rRNA amplicon, followed by hybridized to pathogen-specific probes for identification of these five organisms. The other assay is based on multiplex PCR to simultaneously amplify five species-specific pathogen identification-targeted regions unique to individual pathogen. Both of the two arrays are validated to be flexible and sensitive for simultaneous detection of bioterrorism bacteria. However, universal primer PCR-based array could not identify Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and Brucella spp. at the species level because of the high conservation of 16S rDNA of the same genus. The two suspension arrays can be utilized to detect Bacillus anthracis sterne spore and Yersinia pestis EV76 from mimic “write powder” samples, they also proved that the suspension array system will be valuable tools for diagnosis of bacterial biothreat agents in environmental samples.

  8. Ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for detection of DNA from Bacillus subtilis by coupling target-induced strand displacement and nicking endonuclease signal amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yuhua; Xu, Xueqin; Liu, Qionghua; Wang, Ling; Lin, Zhenyu; Chen, Guonan

    2014-09-02

    A simple, ultrasensitive, and specific electrochemical biosensor was designed to determine the given DNA sequence of Bacillus subtilis by coupling target-induced strand displacement and nicking endonuclease signal amplification. The target DNA (TD, the DNA sequence from the hypervarient region of 16S rDNA of Bacillus subtilis) could be detected by the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in a range from 0.1 fM to 20 fM with the detection limit down to 0.08 fM at the 3s(blank) level. This electrochemical biosensor exhibits high distinction ability to single-base mismatch, double-bases mismatch, and noncomplementary DNA sequence, which may be expected to detect single-base mismatch and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Moreover, the applicability of the designed biosensor for detecting the given DNA sequence from Bacillus subtilis was investigated. The result obtained by electrochemical method is approximately consistent with that by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detecting system (QPCR) with SYBR Green.

  9. Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis from the wool industry highlights polymorphisms of lineage A.Br.Vollum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derzelle, Sylviane; Aguilar-Bultet, Lisandra; Frey, Joachim

    2016-12-01

    With the advent of affordable next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, major progress has been made in the understanding of the population structure and evolution of the B. anthracis species. Here we report the use of whole genome sequencing and computer-based comparative analyses to characterize six strains belonging to the A.Br.Vollum lineage. These strains were isolated in Switzerland, in 1981, during iterative cases of anthrax involving workers in a textile plant processing cashmere wool from the Indian subcontinent. We took advantage of the hundreds of currently available B. anthracis genomes in public databases, to investigate the genetic diversity existing within the A.Br.Vollum lineage and to position the six Swiss isolates into the worldwide B. anthracis phylogeny. Thirty additional genomes related to the A.Br.Vollum group were identified by whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, including two strains forming a new evolutionary branch at the basis of the A.Br.Vollum lineage. This new phylogenetic lineage (termed A.Br.H9401) splits off the branch leading to the A.Br.Vollum group soon after its divergence to the other lineages of the major A clade (i.e. 6 SNPs). The available dataset of A.Br.Vollum genomes were resolved into 2 distinct groups. Isolates from the Swiss wool processing facility clustered together with two strains from Pakistan and one strain of unknown origin isolated from yarn. They were clearly differentiated (69 SNPs) from the twenty-five other A.Br.Vollum strains located on the branch leading to the terminal reference strain A0488 of the lineage. Novel analytic assays specific to these new subgroups were developed for the purpose of rapid molecular epidemiology. Whole genome SNP surveys greatly expand upon our knowledge on the sub-structure of the A.Br.Vollum lineage. Possible origin and route of spread of this lineage worldwide are discussed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

  10. Recovery Efficiency, False Negative Rate, and Limit of Detection Performance of a Validated Macrofoam-Swab Sampling Method with Low Surface Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kaiser, Brooke L. D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Amidan, Brett G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sydor, Michael A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Barrett, Christopher A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-06-16

    The performance of a macrofoam-swab sampling method was evaluated using Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus Nakamura (BG) spores applied at nine low target amounts (2-500 spores) to positive-control plates and test coupons (2 in × 2 in) of four surface materials (glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile, and plastic). Test results from cultured samples were used to evaluate the effects of surrogate, surface concentration, and surface material on recovery efficiency (RE), false negative rate (FNR), and limit of detection. For RE, surrogate and surface material had statistically significant effects, but concentration did not. Mean REs were the lowest for vinyl tile (50.8% with BAS, 40.2% with BG) and the highest for glass (92.8% with BAS, 71.4% with BG). FNR values ranged from 0 to 0.833 for BAS and 0 to 0.806 for BG, with values increasing as concentration decreased in the range tested (0.078 to 19.375 CFU/cm2, where CFU denotes ‘colony forming units’). Surface material also had a statistically significant effect. A FNR-concentration curve was fit for each combination of surrogate and surface material. For both surrogates, the FNR curves tended to be the lowest for glass and highest for vinyl title. The FNR curves for BG tended to be higher than for BAS at lower concentrations, especially for glass. Results using a modified Rapid Viability-Polymerase Chain Reaction (mRV-PCR) analysis method were also obtained. The mRV-PCR results and comparisons to the culture results are discussed in a separate report.

  11. Recovery Efficiency, False Negative Rate, and Limit of Detection Performance of a Validated Macrofoam-Swab Sampling Method with Low Surface Concentrations of Two Bacillus anthracis Surrogates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piepel, Gregory F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hutchison, Janine R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Deatherage Kaiser, Brooke L [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Amidan, Brett G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sydor, Michael A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Barrett, Christopher A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-03-31

    The performance of a macrofoam-swab sampling method was evaluated using Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BAS) and Bacillus atrophaeus Nakamura (BG) spores applied at nine low target amounts (2-500 spores) to positive-control plates and test coupons (2 in. × 2 in.) of four surface materials (glass, stainless steel, vinyl tile, and plastic). Test results from cultured samples were used to evaluate the effects of surrogate, surface concentration, and surface material on recovery efficiency (RE), false negative rate (FNR), and limit of detection. For RE, surrogate and surface material had statistically significant effects, but concentration did not. Mean REs were the lowest for vinyl tile (50.8% with BAS, 40.2% with BG) and the highest for glass (92.8% with BAS, 71.4% with BG). FNR values ranged from 0 to 0.833 for BAS and 0 to 0.806 for BG, with values increasing as concentration decreased in the range tested (0.078 to 19.375 CFU/cm2, where CFU denotes ‘colony forming units’). Surface material also had a statistically significant effect. A FNR-concentration curve was fit for each combination of surrogate and surface material. For both surrogates, the FNR curves tended to be the lowest for glass and highest for vinyl title. The FNR curves for BG tended to be higher than for BAS at lower concentrations, especially for glass. Results using a modified Rapid Viability-Polymerase Chain Reaction (mRV-PCR) analysis method were also obtained. The mRV-PCR results and comparisons to the culture results will be discussed in a subsequent report.

  12. CD4+ T cells targeting dominant and cryptic epitopes from Bacillus anthracis Lethal Factor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie eAscough

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Anthrax is an endemic infection in many countries, particularly in the developing world. The causative agent, Bacillus anthracis, mediates disease through the secretion of binary exotoxins. Until recently, research into adaptive immunity targeting this bacterial pathogen has largely focused on the humoral response to these toxins. There is, however, growing recognition that cellular immune responses involving IFNγ producing CD4+ T cells also contribute significantly to a protective memory response. An established concept in adaptive immunity to infection is that during infection of host cells, new microbial epitopes may be revealed, leading to immune recognition of so called ‘cryptic’ or ‘subdominant’ epitopes. We analysed the response to both cryptic and immunodominant T cell epitopes derived from the toxin component lethal factor and presented by a range of HLA-DR alleles. Using IFNγ-ELISPOT assays we characterised epitopes that elicited a response following immunisation with synthetic peptide and the whole protein and tested their capacities to bind purified HLA-DR molecules in vitro. We found that DR1 transgenics demonstrated T cell responses to a greater number of domain III cryptic epitopes than other HLA-DR transgenics, and that this pattern was repeated with the immunodominant epitopes, a greater proportion of these epitopes induced a T cell response when presented within the context of the whole protein. Immunodominant epitopes LF457-476 and LF467-487 were found to induce a T cell response to the peptide, as well as to the whole native LF protein in DR1 and DR15, but not in DR4 trangenics. The analysis of Domain I revealed the presence of several unique cryptic epitopes all of which showed a strong to moderate relative binding affinity to HLA-DR4 molecules. However, none of the cryptic epitopes from either domain III or I displayed notably high binding affinities across all HLA-DR alleles assayed. These responses were

  13. Obiltoxaximab Prevents Disseminated Bacillus anthracis Infection and Improves Survival during Pre- and Postexposure Prophylaxis in Animal Models of Inhalational Anthrax

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Brent J.; Shadiack, Annette M.; Carpenter, Sarah; Sanford, Daniel; Henning, Lisa N.; Gonzales, Nestor; O'Connor, Edward; Casey, Leslie S.

    2016-01-01

    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 indication are presented here. New Zealand White rabbits and cynomolgus macaques received obiltoxaximab as a single intramuscular or intravenous dose of 2 to 16 mg/kg of body weight at various times relative to Bacillus anthracis aerosol spore challenge. The primary endpoint was survival, and effect of treatment timing was explored. In rabbits, obiltoxaximab administration 9 h postchallenge singly or combined with a 5-day levofloxacin regimen protected 89% to 100% of animals compared to 33% with levofloxacin monotherapy. In cynomolgus macaques, a single intramuscular dose of 16 mg/kg obiltoxaximab led to 100% survival when given 1 to 3 days preexposure and 83% to 100% survival when given 18 to 24 h postexposure and prior to systemic bacteremia onset. Obiltoxaximab administration after bacteremia onset resulted in lower (25% to 50%) survival rates reflective of treatment setting. Prophylactic administration of obiltoxaximab before spore challenge or to spore-challenged animals before systemic bacterial dissemination is efficacious in promoting survival, ameliorating toxemia, and inhibiting bacterial spread to the periphery. PMID:27431219

  14. DNA repair and the evolution of transformation in Bacillus subtilis. 3. Sex with damaged DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoelzer, M.A.; Michod, R.E.

    1991-01-01

    Natural genetic transformation in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis provides an experimental system for studying the evolutionary function of sexual recombination. The repair hypothesis proposes that during transformation the exogenous DNA taken up by cells is used as template for recombinational repair of damages in the recipient cell's genome. Earlier results demonstrated that the population density of transformed cells (i.e., sexual cells) increases, relative to nontransformed cells (primarily asexual cells), with increasing dosage of ultraviolet irradiation, provided that the cells are transformed with undamaged homologous DNA after they have become damaged. In nature, however, donor DNA for transformation is likely to come from cells that are as damaged as the recipient cells. In order to better simulate the effects of transformation in natural populations we conducted similar experiments as those just described using damaged donor DNA. The authors document in this report that transformants continue to increase in relative density even if they are transformed with damaged donor DNA. These results suggest that sites of transformation are often damaged sites in the recipient cell's genome

  15. Use of DNA Microarrays to Identify Diagnostic Signature Transcriptional Profiles for Host Responses to Infectious Agents

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Ellner, J. J; Connell, N. D; Gallagher, G; Raveche, E

    2005-01-01

    Infections by agents of bioterrorism, especially bacterial agents such as Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis present their initial symptoms in a way that does not reveal their identity or permit rapid diagnosis...

  16. Passive vaccination with a human monoclonal antibody: generation of antibodies and studies for efficacy in Bacillus anthracis infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    vor dem Esche, Ulrich; Huber, Maria; Zgaga-Griesz, Andrea; Grunow, Roland; Beyer, Wolfgang; Hahn, Ulrike; Bessler, Wolfgang G

    2011-07-01

    A major difficulty in creating human monoclonal antibodies is the lack of a suitable myeloma cell line to be used for fusion experiments. In order to create fully human monoclonal antibodies for passive immunization, the human mouse heteromyeloma cell line CB-F7 was evaluated. Using this cell line, we generated human monoclonal antibodies against Bacillus anthracis toxin components. Antibodies against protective antigen (PA) and against lethal factor (LF) were obtained using peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from persons vaccinated with the UK anthrax vaccine. PBL were fused with the cell line CB-F7. We obtained several clones producing PA specific Ig and one clone (hLF1-SAN) producing a monoclonal antibody (hLF1) directed against LF. The LF binding antibody was able to neutralize Anthrax toxin activity in an in vitro neutralization assay, and preliminary in vivo studies in mice also indicated a trend towards protection. We mapped the epitope of the antibody binding to LF by dot blot analysis and ELIFA using 80 synthetic LF peptides of 20 amino acid lengths with an overlapping range of 10 amino acids. Our results suggest the binding of the monoclonal antibody to the peptide regions 121-150 or 451-470 of LF. The Fab-fragment of the antibody hLF1 was cloned in Escherichia coli and could be useful as part of a fully human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Anthrax infections. In general, our studies show the applicability of the CB-F7 line to create fully human monoclonal antibodies for vaccination. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  17. The restoration of DNA-membrane complex of Bacillus subtilis after γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chefranova, O.A.; Gaziev, A.I.

    1979-01-01

    It is shown that structural damages arising in DNA-membrane complexes (DMA) of Bacillus subtillis after γ-irradiation are reversible in the postradiation period. The ability of bacteria to restore radiation damage of DMA correlates with their radiosensitivity. DMA restoration process is supposed to depend on the products of PoIA and rec A genes

  18. Synthesis of a Bacillus subtilis small, acid-soluble spore protein in Escherichia coli causes cell DNA to assume some characteristics of spore DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Setlow, B.; Hand, A.R.; Setlow, P.

    1991-01-01

    Small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) of the alpha/beta-type are associated with DNA in spores of Bacillus subtilis. Induction of synthesis of alpha/beta-type SASP in Escherichia coli resulted in rapid cessation of DNA synthesis, followed by a halt in RNA and then protein accumulation, although significant mRNA and protein synthesis continued. There was a significant loss in viability associated with SASP synthesis in E. coli: recA+ cells became extremely long filaments, whereas recA mutant cells became less filamentous. The nucleoids of cells with alpha/beta-type SASP were extremely condensed, as viewed in both light and electron microscopes, and immunoelectron microscopy showed that the alpha/beta-type SASP were associated with the cell DNA. Induction of alpha/beta-type SASP synthesis in E. coli increased the negative superhelical density of plasmid DNA by approximately 20%; UV irradiation of E. coli with alpha/beta-type SASP gave reduced yields of thymine dimers but significant amounts of the spore photoproduct. These changes in E. coli DNA topology and photochemistry due to alpha/beta-type SASP are similar to the effects of alpha/beta-type SASP on the DNA in Bacillus spores, further suggesting that alpha/beta-type SASP are a major factor determining DNA properties in bacterial spores

  19. Bacillus Strains Most Closely Related to Bacillus nealsonii Are Not Effectively Circumscribed within the Taxonomic Species Definition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Kealy Peak

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus strains with >99.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity were characterized with DNA:DNA hybridization, cellular fatty acid (CFA analysis, and testing of 100 phenotypic traits. When paired with the most closely related type strain, percent DNA:DNA similarities (% S for six Bacillus strains were all far below the recommended 70% threshold value for species circumscription with Bacillus nealsonii. An apparent genomic group of four Bacillus strain pairings with 94%–70% S was contradicted by the failure of the strains to cluster in CFA- and phenotype-based dendrograms as well as by their differentiation with 9–13 species level discriminators such as nitrate reduction, temperature range, and acid production from carbohydrates. The novel Bacillus strains were monophyletic and very closely related based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. Coherent genomic groups were not however supported by similarly organized phenotypic clusters. Therefore, the strains were not effectively circumscribed within the taxonomic species definition.

  20. Real-Time PCR Diagnostics for Detecting and Identifying Potential Bioweapons

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-11-18

    pestis Bacillus cereus Salmonella enteritidis Yersinia pestis Bacillus thurigiensis Serratia odorifera Yersinia pestis Bacillus coagulans Shigella...10fg NTC 100pg-opt 10pg-opt 1pg-opt 100fg-opt 10fg-opt NTC-opt USAMRIID Specificity Organism Organism Organism Acineobacter baumanni Bacillus subtilis...var niger Staphylococcus saprophyticus Bacillus anthracis BA0068 Bacillus bronchiseptica Staphylococcus epidermidis Bacillus anthracis Clostridium

  1. Effects of gamma- and UV-radiation on DNA synthesis in permeable cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trofimenko, A.F.; Vorob'eva, A.M.; Gaziev, A.I.

    1981-01-01

    It was shown that the most of the DNA synthesis is repaired in permeable cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus not affected by injurious agents. γ-irradiation stimulates the reparative synthesis and degradation of DNA whereas UV-radiation decreases the activity of these processes. The reason for such an unusual response of thermophiles to irradiation lies perhaps in high temperatures at which the cells exist

  2. Composite sampling of a Bacillus anthracis surrogate with cellulose sponge surface samplers from a nonporous surface.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenia A M Tufts

    Full Text Available A series of experiments was conducted to explore the utility of composite-based collection of surface samples for the detection of a Bacillus anthracis surrogate using cellulose sponge samplers on a nonporous stainless steel surface. Two composite-based collection approaches were evaluated over a surface area of 3716 cm2 (four separate 929 cm2 areas, larger than the 645 cm2 prescribed by the standard Centers for Disease Control (CDC and Prevention cellulose sponge sampling protocol for use on nonporous surfaces. The CDC method was also compared to a modified protocol where only one surface of the sponge sampler was used for each of the four areas composited. Differences in collection efficiency compared to positive controls and the potential for contaminant transfer for each protocol were assessed. The impact of the loss of wetting buffer from the sponge sampler onto additional surface areas sampled was evaluated. Statistical tests of the results using ANOVA indicate that the collection of composite samples using the modified sampling protocol is comparable to the collection of composite samples using the standard CDC protocol (p  =  0.261. Most of the surface-bound spores are collected on the first sampling pass, suggesting that multiple passes with the sponge sampler over the same surface may be unnecessary. The effect of moisture loss from the sponge sampler on collection efficiency was not significant (p  =  0.720 for both methods. Contaminant transfer occurs with both sampling protocols, but the magnitude of transfer is significantly greater when using the standard protocol than when the modified protocol is used (p<0.001. The results of this study suggest that composite surface sampling, by either method presented here, could successfully be used to increase the surface area sampled per sponge sampler, resulting in reduced sampling times in the field and decreased laboratory processing cost and turn-around times.

  3. An unstable donor-recipient DNA complex in transformation of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popowski, J.; Venema, G.

    1978-01-01

    In re-extracted DNA obtained shortly after uptake of transforming DNA by Bacillus subtilis, increased amounts of donor DNA radioactivity banding at the position of donor-recipient DNA complex (DRC) are observed in CsCl gradients, if the cells are irradiated with high doses of UV prior to reextraction of the DNA. Qualitatively, the same phenomenon is observed if lysates of transforming cells are irradiated. UV-irradiation of lysates of competent cells to which single-stranded DNA is added after lysis, does not result in linkage of this DNA to the chromosomal DNA. Two observations argue in favour of the formation of a specific labile complex between donor and resident DNA during transformation. Firstly, heterologous donor DNA from Escherichia coli, although being processed to single-stranded DNA in competent B. subtilis, does not seem to be linked to the recipient chromosome upon UV-irradiation, and secondly, the labile complex of donor and recipient DNA can be stabilized by means of treatment of the lysates of transforming cells with 4, 5 1 , 8-trimethylpsoralen in conjuction with long-wave-ultra violet light irradiation. This indicates that basepairing is involved in the formation of the complex. On the basis of these results we assume that the unstable complex of donor and recipient DNA is an early intermediate in genetic recombination during transformation. (orig.) [de

  4. In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Omadacycline Against Two Biothreat Pathogens: Bacillus Anthracis and Yersinia Pestis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-27

    visually at 18-24 hours (B. anthracis) or 42-48 hours (Y. pestis) and also by absorbance at 600 nm (SpectroMax M2, Molecular Devices). Thirty...certain uncomplicated infections; warns about disabling side effects that can occur together. May 12, 2016. Accessed August 29, 2016. Flamm RK, Rhomberg... odontology in the management of bioterrorism. In Evidence-Based Forensic Dentistry. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013. pp. 149-152. Rotz LD

  5. Multiple regulatory systems coordinate DNA replication with cell growth in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Heath; Koh, Alan

    2014-10-01

    In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s) that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes.

  6. Surface-Layer (S-Layer) Proteins Sap and EA1 Govern the Binding of the S-Layer-Associated Protein BslO at the Cell Septa of Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Valerie J.; Kern, Justin W.; Theriot, Julie A.; Schneewind, Olaf

    2012-01-01

    The Gram-positive pathogen Bacillus anthracis contains 24 genes whose products harbor the structurally conserved surface-layer (S-layer) homology (SLH) domain. Proteins endowed with the SLH domain associate with the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (SCWP) following secretion. Two such proteins, Sap and EA1, have the unique ability to self-assemble into a paracrystalline layer on the surface of bacilli and form S layers. Other SLH domain proteins can also be found within the S layer and have been designated Bacillus S-layer-associated protein (BSLs). While both S-layer proteins and BSLs bind the same SCWP, their deposition on the cell surface is not random. For example, BslO is targeted to septal peptidoglycan zones, where it catalyzes the separation of daughter cells. Here we show that an insertional lesion in the sap structural gene results in elongated chains of bacilli, as observed with a bslO mutant. The chain length of the sap mutant can be reduced by the addition of purified BslO in the culture medium. This complementation in trans can be explained by an increased deposition of BslO onto the surface of sap mutant bacilli that extends beyond chain septa. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed that the Sap S layer does not overlap the EA1 S layer and slowly yields to the EA1 S layer in a growth-phase-dependent manner. Although present all over bacilli, Sap S-layer patches are not observed at septa. Thus, we propose that the dynamic Sap/EA1 S-layer coverage of the envelope restricts the deposition of BslO to the SCWP at septal rings. PMID:22609927

  7. Sporulation and germination gene expression analysis of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores in skim milk under heat and different intervention techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    To investigate how B. anthracis Stene spores survive in milk under heat (80 degree C, 10 minutes), pasteurization (72 degree C, 15 seconds) and pasteurization plus microfiltration, the expression levels of genes that related to sporulation and germination were tested using real-time PCR assays. Tw...

  8. Reclassification of Bacillus axarquiensis Ruiz-Garcia et al. 2005 and Bacillus malacitensis Ruiz-Garcia et al. 2005 as later heterotypic synonyms of Bacillus mojavensis Roberts et al. 1994.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Ting; Lee, Fwu-Ling; Tai, Chun-Ju; Yokota, Akira; Kuo, Hsiao-Ping

    2007-07-01

    The Bacillus subtilis group encompasses the taxa Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. atrophaeus, B. mojavensis, B. vallismortis, B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii, B. sonorensis, B. velezensis, B. axarquiensis and B. malacitensis. In this study, the taxonomic relatedness between the species B. axarquiensis, B. malacitensis and B. mojavensis was investigated. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the gene for DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB) confirmed the very high similarities between these three type strains and a reference strain of B. mojavensis (>99 and >97 %, respectively). DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed high relatedness values between the type strains of B. axarquiensis, B. malacitensis and B. mojavensis and between these strains and a reference strain of B. mojavensis (83-98 %). Based on these molecular taxonomic data and the lack of phenotypic distinctive characteristics, Bacillus axarquiensis and Bacillus malacitensis should be reclassified as later heterotypic synonyms of Bacillus mojavensis.

  9. Paradoxical DNA repair and peroxide resistance gene conservation in Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason Gioia

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Bacillus spores are notoriously resistant to unfavorable conditions such as UV radiation, gamma-radiation, H2O2, desiccation, chemical disinfection, or starvation. Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 survives standard decontamination procedures of the Jet Propulsion Lab spacecraft assembly facility, and both spores and vegetative cells of this strain exhibit elevated resistance to UV radiation and H2O2 compared to other Bacillus species. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The genome of B. pumilus SAFR-032 was sequenced and annotated. Lists of genes relevant to DNA repair and the oxidative stress response were generated and compared to B. subtilis and B. licheniformis. Differences in conservation of genes, gene order, and protein sequences are highlighted because they potentially explain the extreme resistance phenotype of B. pumilus. The B. pumilus genome includes genes not found in B. subtilis or B. licheniformis and conserved genes with sequence divergence, but paradoxically lacks several genes that function in UV or H2O2 resistance in other Bacillus species. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies several candidate genes for further research into UV and H2O2 resistance. These findings will help explain the resistance of B. pumilus and are applicable to understanding sterilization survival strategies of microbes.

  10. DNA synthesis in toluene-treated bacteriophage-infected minicells of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amann, E.; Reeve, J.N.

    1978-01-01

    Bateriophage (phi29, SPP1, or SP01)-infected, toluene-treated minicells of Bacillus subtilis are capable of limited amounts of non-replicative DNA synthesis as measured by incorporation of [ 3 H]dTTP into a trichloroacetic acid-precipitable form. The [ 3 H]dTTP is covalently incorporated into small DNA fragments which result from the degradation of a small percentage of the infecting phage genomes (molecular weights in the range of 2.10 5 ). Short exposure of the DNA molecules containing the incorporated [ 3 H]dTMP to Escherichia coli exonuclease III results in over 90% of the [ 3 H]dTMP being converted to a trichloroacetic acid-soluble form. The synthesis is totally dependent on host-cell enzymes and is not inhibited by the addition of chloramphenicol, rifampicin, nalidixic acid and mitomycin C and only slightly (approx. 20%) inhibited by the addition of 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil. (Auth.)

  11. ORF Alignment: NC_005945 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005945 gi|49184136 >1dlwA 1 115 7 124 8e-22 ... ref|YP_017820.1| protozoan/cyanoba...cterial globin family protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ref|NP_843684.1| ... protozoa...n/cyanobacterial globin family protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Ames] ref|YP_027388.1| ... protozoa...racis str. ... A2012] gb|AAP25170.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globin ... family protein [Bacil...lus anthracis str. Ames] ... gb|AAT30295.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globi

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_007530 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_007530 gi|47526471 >1dlwA 1 115 7 124 8e-22 ... ref|YP_017820.1| protozoan/cyanoba...cterial globin family protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ref|NP_843684.1| ... protozoa...n/cyanobacterial globin family protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Ames] ref|YP_027388.1| ... protozoa...racis str. ... A2012] gb|AAP25170.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globin ... family protein [Bacil...lus anthracis str. Ames] ... gb|AAT30295.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globi

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_003997 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003997 gi|30261307 >1dlwA 1 115 7 124 8e-22 ... ref|YP_017820.1| protozoan/cyanoba...cterial globin family protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ref|NP_843684.1| ... protozoa...n/cyanobacterial globin family protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Ames] ref|YP_027388.1| ... protozoa...racis str. ... A2012] gb|AAP25170.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globin ... family protein [Bacil...lus anthracis str. Ames] ... gb|AAT30295.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globi

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_003995 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003995 gi|21399119 >1dlwA 1 115 7 124 8e-22 ... ref|YP_017820.1| protozoan/cyanoba...cterial globin family protein [Bacillus anthracis ... str. 'Ames Ancestor'] ref|NP_843684.1| ... protozoa...n/cyanobacterial globin family protein [Bacillus ... anthracis str. Ames] ref|YP_027388.1| ... protozoa...racis str. ... A2012] gb|AAP25170.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globin ... family protein [Bacil...lus anthracis str. Ames] ... gb|AAT30295.1| protozoan/cyanobacterial globi

  15. Multiple regulatory systems coordinate DNA replication with cell growth in Bacillus subtilis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heath Murray

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes.

  16. Multiple Regulatory Systems Coordinate DNA Replication with Cell Growth in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Heath; Koh, Alan

    2014-01-01

    In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s) that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes. PMID:25340815

  17. Mapping of Proteomic Composition on the Surfaces of Bacillus spores by Atomic Force Microscopy-based Immunolabeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plomp, M; Malkin, A J

    2008-06-02

    Atomic force microscopy provides a unique capability to image high-resolution architecture and structural dynamics of pathogens (e.g. viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores) at near molecular resolution in native conditions. Further development of atomic force microscopy in order to enable the correlation of pathogen protein surface structures with specific gene products is essential to understand the mechanisms of the pathogen life cycle. We have applied an AFM-based immunolabeling technique for the proteomic mapping of macromolecular structures through the visualization of the binding of antibodies, conjugated with nanogold particles, to specific epitopes on Bacillus spore surfaces. This information is generated while simultaneously acquiring the surface morphology of the pathogen. The immunospecificity of this labeling method was established through the utilization of specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies that target spore coat and exosporium epitopes of Bacillus atrophaeus and Bacillus anthracis spores.

  18. A method for the determination of bacterial spore DNA content based on isotopic labelling, spore germination and diphenylamine assay; ploidy of spores of several Bacillus species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hauser, P.M.; Karamata, D.

    1992-01-01

    A reliable method for measuring the spore DNA content, based on radioactive DNA labelling, spore germination in absence of DNA replication and diphenylamine assay, was developed. The accuracy of the method, within 10 - 15%, is adequate for determining the number of chromosomes per spore, provided that the genome size is known. B subtilis spores were shown to be invariably monogenomic, while those of larger bacilli Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis, often, if not invariably, contain two genomes. Attempts to modify the spore DNA content of B subtilis by altering the richness of the sporulation medium, the sporulation conditions (liquid or solid medium), or by mutation, were apparently unsuccessful. An increase of spore size with medium richness, not accompanied by an increase in DNA content, was observed. The implication of the apparently species-specific spore ploidy and the influence of the sporulation conditions on spore size and shape are discussed

  19. Bacillus subtilis DNA polymerases, PolC and DnaE, are required for both leading and lagging strand synthesis in SPP1 origin-dependent DNA replication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seco, Elena M.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Firmicutes have two distinct replicative DNA polymerases, the PolC leading strand polymerase, and PolC and DnaE synthesizing the lagging strand. We have reconstituted in vitro Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 θ-type DNA replication, which initiates unidirectionally at oriL. With this system we show that DnaE is not only restricted to lagging strand synthesis as previously suggested. DnaG primase and DnaE polymerase are required for initiation of DNA replication on both strands. DnaE and DnaG synthesize in concert a hybrid RNA/DNA ‘initiation primer’ on both leading and lagging strands at the SPP1 oriL region, as it does the eukaryotic Pol α complex. DnaE, as a RNA-primed DNA polymerase, extends this initial primer in a reaction modulated by DnaG and one single-strand binding protein (SSB, SsbA or G36P), and hands off the initiation primer to PolC, a DNA-primed DNA polymerase. Then, PolC, stimulated by DnaG and the SSBs, performs the bulk of DNA chain elongation at both leading and lagging strands. Overall, these modulations by the SSBs and DnaG may contribute to the mechanism of polymerase switch at Firmicutes replisomes. PMID:28575448

  20. Detection of anthrax lef with DNA-based photonic crystal sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bailin; Dallo, Shatha; Peterson, Ralph; Hussain, Syed; Weitao, Tao; Ye, Jing Yong

    2011-12-01

    Bacillus anthracis has posed a threat of becoming biological weapons of mass destruction due to its virulence factors encoded by the plasmid-borne genes, such as lef for lethal factor. We report the development of a fast and sensitive anthrax DNA biosensor based on a photonic crystal structure used in a total-internal-reflection configuration. For the detection of the lef gene, a single-stranded DNA lef probe was biotinylated and immobilized onto the sensor via biotin-streptavidin interactions. A positive control, lef-com, was the complementary strand of the probe, while a negative control was an unrelated single-stranded DNA fragment from the 16S rRNA gene of Acinetobacter baumannii. After addition of the biotinylated lef probe onto the sensor, significant changes in the resonance wavelength of the sensor were observed, resulting from binding of the probe to streptavidin on the sensor. The addition of lef-com led to another significant increase as a result of hybridization between the two DNA strands. The detection sensitivity for the target DNA reached as low as 0.1 nM. In contrast, adding the unrelated DNAs did not cause an obvious shift in the resonant wavelength. These results demonstrate that detection of the anthrax lef by the photonic crystal structure in a total-internal-reflection sensor is highly specific and sensitive.

  1. Recovery and identification of bacterial DNA from illicit drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Kaymann T; Richardson, Michelle M; Kirkbride, K Paul; McNevin, Dennis; Nelson, Michelle; Pianca, Dennis; Roffey, Paul; Gahan, Michelle E

    2014-02-01

    Bacterial infections, including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), are a common risk associated with illicit drug use, particularly among injecting drug users. There is, therefore, an urgent need to survey illicit drugs used for injection for the presence of bacteria and provide valuable information to health and forensic authorities. The objectives of this study were to develop a method for the extraction of bacterial DNA from illicit drugs and conduct a metagenomic survey of heroin and methamphetamine seized in the Australian Capital Territory during 2002-2011 for the presence of pathogens. Trends or patterns in drug contamination and their health implications for injecting drug users were also investigated. Methods based on the ChargeSwitch(®)gDNA mini kit (Invitrogen), QIAamp DNA extraction mini kit (QIAGEN) with and without bead-beating, and an organic phenol/chloroform extraction with ethanol precipitation were assessed for the recovery efficiency of both free and cellular bacterial DNA. Bacteria were identified using polymerase chain reaction and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS). An isopropanol pre-wash to remove traces of the drug and diluents, followed by a modified ChargeSwitch(®) method, was found to efficiently lyse cells and extract free and cellular DNA from Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in heroin and methamphetamine which could then be identified by PCR/ESI-MS. Analysis of 12 heroin samples revealed the presence of DNA from species of Comamonas, Weissella, Bacillus, Streptococcus and Arthrobacter. No organisms were detected in the nine methamphetamine samples analysed. This study develops a method to extract and identify Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from illicit drugs and demonstrates the presence of a range of bacterial pathogens in seized drug samples. These results will prove valuable for future work investigating trends or patterns in drug contamination and their health implications for injecting drug

  2. CD and MCD spectroscopic studies of the two Dps miniferritin proteins from Bacillus anthracis: role of O2 and H2O2 substrates in reactivity of the diiron catalytic centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Jennifer K; Liu, Xiaofeng S; Tosha, Takehiko; Diebold, Adrienne; Theil, Elizabeth C; Solomon, Edward I

    2010-12-14

    DNA protection during starvation (Dps) proteins are miniferritins found in bacteria and archaea that provide protection from uncontrolled Fe(II)/O radical chemistry; thus the catalytic sites are targets for antibiotics against pathogens, such as anthrax. Ferritin protein cages synthesize ferric oxymineral from Fe(II) and O(2)/H(2)O(2), which accumulates in the large central cavity; for Dps, H(2)O(2) is the more common Fe(II) oxidant contrasting with eukaryotic maxiferritins that often prefer dioxygen. To better understand the differences in the catalytic sites of maxi- versus miniferritins, we used a combination of NIR circular dichroism (CD), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and variable-temperature, variable-field MCD (VTVH MCD) to study Fe(II) binding to the catalytic sites of the two Bacillus anthracis miniferritins: one in which two Fe(II) react with O(2) exclusively (Dps1) and a second in which both O(2) or H(2)O(2) can react with two Fe(II) (Dps2). Both result in the formation of iron oxybiomineral. The data show a single 5- or 6-coordinate Fe(II) in the absence of oxidant; Fe(II) binding to Dps2 is 30× more stable than Dps1; and the lower limit of K(D) for binding a second Fe(II), in the absence of oxidant, is 2-3 orders of magnitude weaker than for the binding of the single Fe(II). The data fit an equilibrium model where binding of oxidant facilitates formation of the catalytic site, in sharp contrast to eukaryotic M-ferritins where the binuclear Fe(II) centers are preformed before binding of O(2). The two different binding sequences illustrate the mechanistic range possible for catalytic sites of the family of ferritins.

  3. Decontamination efficacy of three commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS sporicidal disinfectants on medium-sized panels contaminated with surrogate spores of Bacillus anthracis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason M Edmonds

    Full Text Available In the event of a wide area release and contamination of a biological agent in an outdoor environment and to building exteriors, decontamination is likely to consume the Nation's remediation capacity, requiring years to cleanup, and leading to incalculable economic losses. This is in part due to scant body of efficacy data on surface areas larger than those studied in a typical laboratory (5×10-cm, resulting in low confidence for operational considerations in sampling and quantitative measurements of prospective technologies recruited in effective cleanup and restoration response. In addition to well-documented fumigation-based cleanup efforts, agencies responsible for mitigation of contaminated sites are exploring alternative methods for decontamination including combinations of disposal of contaminated items, source reduction by vacuuming, mechanical scrubbing, and low-technology alternatives such as pH-adjusted bleach pressure wash. If proven effective, a pressure wash-based removal of Bacillus anthracis spores from building surfaces with readily available equipment will significantly increase the readiness of Federal agencies to meet the daunting challenge of restoration and cleanup effort following a wide-area biological release. In this inter-agency study, the efficacy of commercial-of-the-shelf sporicidal disinfectants applied using backpack sprayers was evaluated in decontamination of spores on the surfaces of medium-sized (∼1.2 m2 panels of steel, pressure-treated (PT lumber, and brick veneer. Of the three disinfectants, pH-amended bleach, Peridox, and CASCAD evaluated; CASCAD was found to be the most effective in decontamination of spores from all three panel surface types.

  4. The effect of ionizing radiation and bleomycin on transfecting ability of Bacillus subtilis phage DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schafers, F.; Kohnlein, W.

    1979-01-01

    Infectious DNA of Bacillus subtilis phage 029 and SPP1 has been subjected to ionizing radiation and/or bleomycin treatment. The extent of degradation of the treated DNA was determined on sucrose gradients and biological activity was analyzed using the transfection principle. It was found that loss of biological activity following irradiation or bleomycin treatment of the DNA cannot be accounted for by the production of single- or double-strand breaks. Furthermore, it was observed that pre-irradiation exhibits a synergistic effect on loss of biological activity and production of strand breaks following bleomycin treatment. The authors propose here a simple system capable of detecting biological damage in DNA following irradiation doses as low as 0.5 Gy prior to bleomycin treatment. (Auth.)

  5. Bacillus beijingensis sp. nov. and Bacillus ginsengi sp. nov., isolated from ginseng root.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Fubin; Zhang, Xiaoxia; Liu, Lin; Sun, Lei; Schumann, Peter; Song, Wei

    2009-04-01

    Four alkaligenous, moderately halotolerant strains, designated ge09, ge10(T), ge14(T) and ge15, were isolated from the internal tissue of ginseng root and their taxonomic positions were investigated by using a polyphasic approach. Cells of the four strains were Gram-positive-staining, non-motile, short rods. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains ge09 and ge10(T) formed one cluster and strains ge14(T) and ge15 formed another separate cluster within the genus Bacillus. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with type strains of other Bacillus species were less than 97 %. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness among the four strains showed that strains ge09 and ge10(T) and strains ge14(T) and ge15 belonged to two separate species; the mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness between ge10(T) and ge14(T) was only 28.7 %. Their phenotypic and physiological properties supported the view that the two strains represent two different novel species of the genus Bacillus. The DNA G+C contents of strains ge10(T) and ge14(T) were 49.9 and 49.6 mol%, respectively. Strains ge10(T) and ge14(T) showed the peptidoglycan type A4alpha l-Lys-d-Glu. The lipids present in strains ge10(T) and ge14(T) were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, a minor amount of phosphatidylcholine and two unknown phospholipids. Their predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The fatty acid profiles of the four novel strains contained large quantities of branched and saturated fatty acids. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (42.5 %), anteiso-C(15 : 0) (22.2 %), anteiso-C(17 : 0) (7.3 %) and C(16 : 1)omega7c alcohol (5.7 %) in ge10(T) and iso-C(15 : 0) (50.7 %) and anteiso-C(15 : 0) (20.1 %) in ge14(T). On the basis of their phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, two novel species of the genus Bacillus are proposed, Bacillus beijingensis sp. nov. (type strain ge10(T) =DSM 19037(T) =CGMCC 1.6762(T)) and Bacillus ginsengi sp. nov. (type strain ge14

  6. DNA-binding properties of the Bacillus subtilis and Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 σ(D) proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevim, Elif; Gaballa, Ahmed; Beldüz, A Osman; Helmann, John D

    2011-01-01

    σ(D) proteins from Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 and Bacillus subtilis bound specifically, albeit weakly, to promoter DNA even in the absence of core RNA polymerase. Binding required a conserved CG motif within the -10 element, and this motif is known to be recognized by σ region 2.4 and critical for promoter activity.

  7. DNA-Binding Properties of the Bacillus subtilis and Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 σD Proteins▿

    OpenAIRE

    Sevim, Elif; Gaballa, Ahmed; Beldüz, A. Osman; Helmann, John D.

    2010-01-01

    σD proteins from Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 and Bacillus subtilis bound specifically, albeit weakly, to promoter DNA even in the absence of core RNA polymerase. Binding required a conserved CG motif within the −10 element, and this motif is known to be recognized by σ region 2.4 and critical for promoter activity.

  8. DNA-damage-inducible (din) loci are transcriptionally activated in competent Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Love, P.E.; Lyle, M.J.; Yasbin, R.E.

    1985-01-01

    DNA damage-inducible (din) operon fusions were generated in Bacillus subtilis by transpositional mutagenesis. These YB886(din::Tn917-lacZ) fusion isolates produced increased β-galactosidase when exposed to mitomycin C, UV radiation, or ethyl methanesulfonate, indicating that the lacZ structural gene had inserted into host transcriptional units that are induced by a variety of DNA-damaging agents. One of the fusion strains was DNA-repair deficient and phenotypically resembled a UV-sensitive mutant of B. subtilis. Induction of β-galactosidase also occurred in the competent subpopulation of each of the din fusion strains, independent of exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Both the DNA-damage-inducible and competence-inducible components of β-galactosidase expression were abolished by the recE4 mutation, which inhibits SOS-like (SOB) induction but does not interfere with the development of the component state. The results indicate that gene expression is stimulated at specific loci within the B. subtilis chromosome both by DNA-damaging agents and by the development of competence and that this response is under the control of the SOB regulatory system. Furthermore, they demonstrate that at the molecular level SOB induction and the development of competence are interrelated cellular events

  9. Heat and desiccation are the predominant factors affecting inactivation of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus thuringiensis spores during simulated composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanford, K; Harvey, A; Barbieri, R; Xu, S; Reuter, T; Amoako, K K; Selinger, L B; McAllister, T A

    2016-01-01

    The suitability of composting for disposal of livestock mortalities due to Bacillus anthracis was assessed by measuring viability of surrogate spores from two strains each of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus thuringiensis after a heating cycle modelled on a cattle composting study. Sporulation was attempted from 10 to 37°C, but poor yields at lower temperatures resulted in 25, 30 and 37°C being selected to generate sufficient spores (8 log10  CFU ml(-1) ) for experiments. Spores were inoculated into 3 g autoclaved dried-ground compost rehydrated with 6 ml water or silica beads in a factorial design for each strain, sporulation temperature, matrix and sampling day (0, 25, 50, 100, 150). Maximum incubation temperature was 62°C, but spores were maintained at ≥55°C for 78 of 150 days. Although significant differences existed among Bacillus strains and sporulation temperatures, numbers of viable spores after 150 days averaged 1·3 log10  CFU g(-1) , a 5·2 log10 reduction from day 0. Spore inactivation was likely due to heat and desiccation as matrices were autoclaved prior to incubation, negating impacts of microflora. Results support composting for disposal of anthrax mortalities, provided long-term thermophillic heating is achieved. Due to limited sporulation at 10°C, livestock mortalities from anthrax at this or lower ambient temperatures would likely be of lower risk for disease transmission. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  10. Comparative transcriptional profiling of Bacillus cereus sensu lato strains during growth in CO2-bicarbonate and aerobic atmospheres.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karla D Passalacqua

    Full Text Available Bacillus species are spore-forming bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and display a range of virulent and avirulent phenotypes. This range is particularly evident in the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group; where closely related strains cause anthrax, food-borne illnesses, and pneumonia, but can also be non-pathogenic. Although much of this phenotypic range can be attributed to the presence or absence of a few key virulence factors, there are other virulence-associated loci that are conserved throughout the B. cereus group, and we hypothesized that these genes may be regulated differently in pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains.Here we report transcriptional profiles of three closely related but phenotypically unique members of the Bacillus cereus group--a pneumonia-causing B. cereus strain (G9241, an attenuated strain of B. anthracis (Sterne 34F(2, and an avirulent B. cereus strain (10987--during exponential growth in two distinct atmospheric environments: 14% CO(2/bicarbonate and ambient air. We show that the disease-causing Bacillus strains undergo more distinctive transcriptional changes between the two environments, and that the expression of plasmid-encoded virulence genes was increased exclusively in the CO(2 environment. We observed a core of conserved metabolic genes that were differentially expressed in all three strains in both conditions. Additionally, the expression profiles of putative virulence genes in G9241 suggest that this strain, unlike Bacillus anthracis, may regulate gene expression with both PlcR and AtxA transcriptional regulators, each acting in a different environment.We have shown that homologous and even identical genes within the genomes of three closely related members of the B. cereus sensu lato group are in some instances regulated very differently, and that these differences can have important implications for virulence. This study provides insights into the evolution of the B. cereus group, and

  11. DNA-Binding Properties of the Bacillus subtilis and Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 σD Proteins▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevim, Elif; Gaballa, Ahmed; Beldüz, A. Osman; Helmann, John D.

    2011-01-01

    σD proteins from Aeribacillus pallidus AC6 and Bacillus subtilis bound specifically, albeit weakly, to promoter DNA even in the absence of core RNA polymerase. Binding required a conserved CG motif within the −10 element, and this motif is known to be recognized by σ region 2.4 and critical for promoter activity. PMID:21097624

  12. Alleged B. anthracis exposure claims in a workers' compensation setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jewell, Gregory; Dunning, Kari; Lockey, James E

    2006-01-01

    Workers' compensation insurance in some states may not provide coverage for medical evaluation costs of workplace exposures related to potential bioterrorism acts if there is no diagnosed illness or disease. Personal insurance also may not provide coverage for these exposures occurring at the workplace. Governmental entities, insurers, and employers need to consider how to address such situations and the associated costs. The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of workers and total costs associated with workers' compensation claims alleging potential exposure to the bioterrorism organism B. anthracis. We examined 192 claims referred for review to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OBWC) from October 10, 2001, through December 20, 2004. Although some cases came from out-of-state areas where B. anthracis exposure was known to exist, no Ohio claim was associated with true B. anthracis exposure or B. anthracis-related illness. Of the 155 eligible claims, 126 included medical costs averaging dollar 219 and ranging from dollar 24 to dollar 3,126. There was no difference in mean cost for government and non-government employees (p = 0.202 Wilcoxon). The number of claims and associated medical costs for evaluation and treatment of potential workplace exposure to B. anthracis were relatively small. These results can be attributed to several factors, including no documented B. anthracis exposures and disease in Ohio and prompt transmission of recommended diagnostic and prophylactic treatment protocols to physicians. How employers, insurers, and jurisdictions address payment for evaluation and treatment of potential or documented exposures resulting from a potential terrorism-related event should be addressed proactively.

  13. Evaluation of the ability of N-terminal fragment of lethal factor of Bacillus anthracis for delivery of Mycobacterium T cell antigen ESAT-6 into cytosol of antigen presenting cells to elicit effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandra, Subhash; Kaur, Manpreet; Midha, Shuchi; Bhatnagar, Rakesh; Banerjee-Bhatnagar, Nirupama

    2006-01-01

    We report the ability of N-terminal fragment of lethal factor of Bacillus anthracis to deliver genetically fused ESAT-6 (early secretory antigen target), a potent T cell antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, into cytosol to elicit Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. In vitro Th1 cytokines data and CTL assay proved that efficient delivery of LFn.ESAT-6 occurs in cytosol, in the presence of protective antigen (PA), and leads to generation of effective CTL response. Since CTL response is essential for protection against intracellular pathogens and, it is well known that only single T cell epitope or single antigenic protein is not sufficient to elicit protective CTL response due to variation or polymorphism in MHC-I alleles among the individuals, we suggest that as a fusion protein LFn can be used to deliver multiepitopes of T cells or multiproteins which can generate effective CTLs against intracellular pathogens like M. tuberculosis. It can be used to enhance the protective efficacy of BCG vaccine

  14. Bacillus subtilis strain deficient for the protein-tyrosine kinase PtkA exhibits impaired DNA replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petranovic, Dina; Michelsen, Ole; Zahradka, K

    2007-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis has recently come into the focus of research on bacterial protein-tyrosine phosphorylation, with several proteins kinases, phosphatases and their substrates identified in this Gram-positive model organism. B. subtilis protein-tyrosine phosphorylation system Ptk...... microscopy. B. subtilis cells lacking the kinase PtkA accumulated extra chromosome equivalents, exhibited aberrant initiation mass for DNA replication and an unusually long D period....

  15. Improving Phylogeny Reconstruction at the Strain Level Using Peptidome Datasets.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aitor Blanco-Míguez

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Typical bacterial strain differentiation methods are often challenged by high genetic similarity between strains. To address this problem, we introduce a novel in silico peptide fingerprinting method based on conventional wet-lab protocols that enables the identification of potential strain-specific peptides. These can be further investigated using in vitro approaches, laying a foundation for the development of biomarker detection and application-specific methods. This novel method aims at reducing large amounts of comparative peptide data to binary matrices while maintaining a high phylogenetic resolution. The underlying case study concerns the Bacillus cereus group, namely the differentiation of Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus strains. Results show that trees based on cytoplasmic and extracellular peptidomes are only marginally in conflict with those based on whole proteomes, as inferred by the established Genome-BLAST Distance Phylogeny (GBDP method. Hence, these results indicate that the two approaches can most likely be used complementarily even in other organismal groups. The obtained results confirm previous reports about the misclassification of many strains within the B. cereus group. Moreover, our method was able to separate the B. anthracis strains with high resolution, similarly to the GBDP results as benchmarked via Bayesian inference and both Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony. In addition to the presented phylogenomic applications, whole-peptide fingerprinting might also become a valuable complementary technique to digital DNA-DNA hybridization, notably for bacterial classification at the species and subspecies level in the future.

  16. Improving Phylogeny Reconstruction at the Strain Level Using Peptidome Datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanco-Míguez, Aitor; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P; Gutiérrez-Jácome, Alberto; Göker, Markus; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino; Sánchez, Borja; Lourenço, Anália

    2016-12-01

    Typical bacterial strain differentiation methods are often challenged by high genetic similarity between strains. To address this problem, we introduce a novel in silico peptide fingerprinting method based on conventional wet-lab protocols that enables the identification of potential strain-specific peptides. These can be further investigated using in vitro approaches, laying a foundation for the development of biomarker detection and application-specific methods. This novel method aims at reducing large amounts of comparative peptide data to binary matrices while maintaining a high phylogenetic resolution. The underlying case study concerns the Bacillus cereus group, namely the differentiation of Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus strains. Results show that trees based on cytoplasmic and extracellular peptidomes are only marginally in conflict with those based on whole proteomes, as inferred by the established Genome-BLAST Distance Phylogeny (GBDP) method. Hence, these results indicate that the two approaches can most likely be used complementarily even in other organismal groups. The obtained results confirm previous reports about the misclassification of many strains within the B. cereus group. Moreover, our method was able to separate the B. anthracis strains with high resolution, similarly to the GBDP results as benchmarked via Bayesian inference and both Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony. In addition to the presented phylogenomic applications, whole-peptide fingerprinting might also become a valuable complementary technique to digital DNA-DNA hybridization, notably for bacterial classification at the species and subspecies level in the future.

  17. Determination of the glycation sites of Bacillus anthracis neoglycoconjugate vaccine by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS and LC-ESI-QqTOF-tandem mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahouh, Farid; Hou, Shu-jie; Kováč, Pavol; Banoub, Joseph H.

    2012-01-01

    We present herein an efficient mass spectrometric method for the localization of the glycation sites of a model neoglycoconjugate vaccine formed by a construct of the tetrasaccharide side chain of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium and the protein carrier bovine serum albumin. The glycoconjugate was digested with both trypsin and GluC V8 endoproteinases, and the digests were then analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS and nano-LC-ESI-QqTOF-CID-MS/MS. The sequences of the unknown peptides analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS, following digestion with the GluC V8 endoproteinase, allowed us to recognize three glycopeptides whose glycation occupancies were, respectively, on Lys 235, Lys 420, and Lys 498. Similarly, the same analysis was performed on the tryptic digests, which permitted us to recognize two glycation sites on Lys 100 and Lys 374. In addition, we have also used LC-ESI-QqTOF-CID-MS/MS analysis for the identification of the tryptic digests. However, this analysis identified a higher number of glycopeptides than would be expected from a glycoconjugate composed of a carbohydrate–protein ratio of 5.4:1, which would have resulted in glycation occupancies of 18 specific sites. This discrepancy was due to the large number of glycoforms formed during the synthetic carbohydrate–spacer–carrier protein conjugation. Likewise, the LC-ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS analysis of the GluC V8 digest also identified 17 different glycation sites on the synthetic glycoconjugate. PMID:22012665

  18. Control of Initiation of DNA Replication in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie H. Jameson

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Initiation of DNA Replication is tightly regulated in all cells since imbalances in chromosomal copy number are deleterious and often lethal. In bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, at the point of cytokinesis, there must be two complete copies of the chromosome to partition into the daughter cells following division at mid-cell during vegetative growth. Under conditions of rapid growth, when the time taken to replicate the chromosome exceeds the doubling time of the cells, there will be multiple initiations per cell cycle and daughter cells will inherit chromosomes that are already undergoing replication. In contrast, cells entering the sporulation pathway in B. subtilis can do so only during a short interval in the cell cycle when there are two, and only two, chromosomes per cell, one destined for the spore and one for the mother cell. Here, we briefly describe the overall process of DNA replication in bacteria before reviewing initiation of DNA replication in detail. The review covers DnaA-directed assembly of the replisome at oriC and the multitude of mechanisms of regulation of initiation, with a focus on the similarities and differences between E. coli and B. subtilis.

  19. Control of Initiation of DNA Replication in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jameson, Katie H.; Wilkinson, Anthony J.

    2017-01-01

    Initiation of DNA Replication is tightly regulated in all cells since imbalances in chromosomal copy number are deleterious and often lethal. In bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, at the point of cytokinesis, there must be two complete copies of the chromosome to partition into the daughter cells following division at mid-cell during vegetative growth. Under conditions of rapid growth, when the time taken to replicate the chromosome exceeds the doubling time of the cells, there will be multiple initiations per cell cycle and daughter cells will inherit chromosomes that are already undergoing replication. In contrast, cells entering the sporulation pathway in B. subtilis can do so only during a short interval in the cell cycle when there are two, and only two, chromosomes per cell, one destined for the spore and one for the mother cell. Here, we briefly describe the overall process of DNA replication in bacteria before reviewing initiation of DNA replication in detail. The review covers DnaA-directed assembly of the replisome at oriC and the multitude of mechanisms of regulation of initiation, with a focus on the similarities and differences between E. coli and B. subtilis. PMID:28075389

  20. Temporal dynamics in microbial soil communities at anthrax carcass sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valseth, Karoline; Nesbø, Camilla L; Easterday, W Ryan; Turner, Wendy C; Olsen, Jaran S; Stenseth, Nils Chr; Haverkamp, Thomas H A

    2017-09-26

    Anthrax is a globally distributed disease affecting primarily herbivorous mammals. It is caused by the soil-dwelling and spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The dormant B. anthracis spores become vegetative after ingestion by grazing mammals. After killing the host, B. anthracis cells return to the soil where they sporulate, completing the lifecycle of the bacterium. Here we present the first study describing temporal microbial soil community changes in Etosha National Park, Namibia, after decomposition of two plains zebra (Equus quagga) anthrax carcasses. To circumvent state-associated-challenges (i.e. vegetative cells/spores) we monitored B. anthracis throughout the period using cultivation, qPCR and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The combined results suggest that abundance estimation of spore-forming bacteria in their natural habitat by DNA-based approaches alone is insufficient due to poor recovery of DNA from spores. However, our combined approached allowed us to follow B. anthracis population dynamics (vegetative cells and spores) in the soil, along with closely related organisms from the B. cereus group, despite their high sequence similarity. Vegetative B. anthracis abundance peaked early in the time-series and then dropped when cells either sporulated or died. The time-series revealed that after carcass deposition, the typical semi-arid soil community (e.g. Frankiales and Rhizobiales species) becomes temporarily dominated by the orders Bacillales and Pseudomonadales, known to contain plant growth-promoting species. Our work indicates that complementing DNA based approaches with cultivation may give a more complete picture of the ecology of spore forming pathogens. Furthermore, the results suggests that the increased vegetation biomass production found at carcass sites is due to both added nutrients and the proliferation of microbial taxa that can be beneficial for plant growth. Thus, future B. anthracis transmission events at carcass sites may be

  1. Single-strand breaks induced in Bacillus subtilis DNA by ultraviolet light: action spectrum and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peak, M.J.; Peak, J.G.

    1982-01-01

    The induction of single-strand breaks (alkali-labile bonds plus frank breaks) in the DNA of Bacillus subtilis irradiated in vivo by monochromatic UV light at wavelengths from 254 to 434nm was measured. The spectrum consists of a major far-UV (below 320nm) component and a minor near-UV shoulder. A mutant deficient in DNA polymerase I accumulates breaks caused by near-UV (above 320nm) wavelengths faster than the wild-type strain proficient in polymerase I. Measurable breaks in extracted DNA are induced at a higher frequency than those induced in vivo. Anoxia, glycerol, and diazobicyclo (2.2.2.) octane inhibit break formation in extracted DNA. Alkali-labile bonds induced by 365-nm UV radiation are largely (78%) covalent bond chain breaks, the remainder consists of true alkali-labile bonds, probably apurinic and apyrimidinic sites. (author)

  2. Cell wall and DNA cosegregation in Bacillus subtilis studied by electron microscope autoradiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlaeppi, J.M.; Schaefer, O.; Karamata, D.

    1985-01-01

    Cells of a Bacillus subtilis mutant deficient in both major autolytic enzyme activities were continuously labeled in either cell wall or DNA or both cell wall and DNA. After appropriate periods of chase in minimal as well as in rich medium, thin sections of cells were autoradiographed and examined by electron microscopy. The resolution of the method was adequate to distinguish labeled DNA units from cell wall units. The latter, which could be easily identified, were shown to segregate symmetrically, suggesting a zonal mode of new wall insertion. DNA units could also be clearly recognized despite a limited fragmentation; they segregated asymmetrically with respect to the nearest septum. Analysis of cells simultaneously labeled in cell wall and DNA provided clear visual evidence of their regular but asymmetrical cosegregation, confirming a previous report obtained by light microscope autoradiography. In addition to labeled wall units, electron microscopy of thin sections of aligned cells has revealed fibrillar networks of wall material which are frequently associated with the cell surface. Most likely, these structures correspond to wall sloughed off by the turnover mechanism but not yet degraded to filterable or acid-soluble components

  3. Mapping the epitopes of a neutralizing antibody fragment directed against the lethal factor of Bacillus anthracis and cross-reacting with the homologous edema factor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philippe Thullier

    Full Text Available The lethal toxin (LT of Bacillus anthracis, composed of the protective antigen (PA and the lethal factor (LF, plays an essential role in anthrax pathogenesis. PA also interacts with the edema factor (EF, 20% identity with LF to form the edema toxin (ET, which has a lesser role in anthrax pathogenesis. The first recombinant antibody fragment directed against LF was scFv 2LF; it neutralizes LT by blocking the interaction between PA and LF. Here, we report that scFv 2LF cross-reacts with EF and cross-neutralizes ET, and we present an in silico method taking advantage of this cross-reactivity to map the epitope of scFv 2LF on both LF and EF. This method identified five epitope candidates on LF, constituted of a total of 32 residues, which were tested experimentally by mutating the residues to alanine. This combined approach precisely identified the epitope of scFv 2LF on LF as five residues (H229, R230, Q234, L235 and Y236, of which three were missed by the consensus epitope candidate identified by pre-existing in silico methods. The homolog of this epitope on EF (H253, R254, E258, L259 and Y260 was experimentally confirmed to constitute the epitope of scFv 2LF on EF. Other inhibitors, including synthetic molecules, could be used to target these epitopes for therapeutic purposes. The in silico method presented here may be of more general interest.

  4. Development of Purification Protocol Specific for Bacteriocin 105B

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-09

    Bacillus anthracis. As the current application of broad-spectrum antimicrobials promotes the development of multi- drug resistant microorganisms...SPECTRUM TARGETED ANTIMICROBIALS ASSAYS PURIFICATION BACILLUS ANTHRACIS DRUG- RESISTANT MICROORGANISMS...through the purification procedure. The wide-spread use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents has led to the development of drug resistant

  5. Sample collection of virulent and non-virulent B. anthracis and Y. pestis for bioforensics analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong-geller, Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Valdez, Yolanda E [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Shou, Yulin [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Yoshida, Thomas M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Marrone, Babetta L [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Dunbar, John [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    Validated sample collection methods are needed for recovery of microbial evidence in the event of accidental or intentional release of biological agents into the environment. To address this need, we evaluated the sample recovery efficiencies of two collection methods -- swabs and wipes -- for both non-virulent and virulent strains of B. anthracis and Y. pestis from four types of non-porous surfaces: two hydrophilic surfaces, stainless steel and glass, and two hydrophobic surfaces, vinyl and plastic. Sample recovery was quantified using Real-time qPCR to assay for intact DNA signatures. We found no consistent difference in collection efficiency between swabs or wipes. Furthermore, collection efficiency was more surface-dependent for virulent strains than non-virulent strains. For the two non-virulent strains, B. anthracis Sterne and Y. pestis A1122, collection efficiency was approximately 100% and 1 %, respectively, from all four surfaces. In contrast, recovery of B. anthracis Ames spores and Y. pestis C092 from vinyl and plastic was generally lower compared to collection from glass or stainless steel, suggesting that surface hydrophobicity may playa role in the strength of pathogen adhesion. The surface-dependent collection efficiencies observed with the virulent strains may arise from strain-specific expression of capsular material or other cell surface receptors that alter cell adhesion to specific surfaces. These findings contribute to validation of standard bioforensics procedures and emphasize the importance of specific strain and surface interactions in pathogen detection.

  6. Effect of animal sera on Bacillus anthracis Sterne spore germination and vegetative cell growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bensman, M D; Mackie, R S; Minter, Z A; Gutting, B W

    2012-08-01

     The aims of this work were to investigate the effects of sera on B. anthracis Sterne germination and growth. Sera examined included human, monkey and rabbit sera, as well as sera from eight other species.  Standard dilution plate assay (with and without heat kill) was used as a measure of germination, and spectroscopy was used to measure growth. In addition, a Coulter Counter particle counter was used to monitor germination and growth based on bacterial size. Spores germinated best in foetal bovine and monkey sera, moderately with human sera and showed limited germination in the presence of rabbit or rat sera. Vegetative bacteria grew best in foetal bovine sera and moderately in rabbit sera. Human and monkey sera supported little growth of vegetative bacteria.  The data suggested sera can have a significant impact on germination and growth of Sterne bacteria.  These data should be considered when conducting in vitro cell culture studies and may aid in interpreting in vivo infection studies. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  7. High-Resolution Spore Coat Architecture and Assembly of Bacillus Spores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malkin, A J; Elhadj, S; Plomp, M

    2011-03-14

    Elucidating the molecular architecture of bacterial and cellular surfaces and its structural dynamics is essential to understanding mechanisms of pathogenesis, immune response, physicochemical interactions, environmental resistance, and provide the means for identifying spore formulation and processing attributes. I will discuss the application of in vitro atomic force microscopy (AFM) for studies of high-resolution coat architecture and assembly of several Bacillus spore species. We have demonstrated that bacterial spore coat structures are phylogenetically and growth medium determined. We have proposed that strikingly different species-dependent coat structures of bacterial spore species are a consequence of sporulation media-dependent nucleation and crystallization mechanisms that regulate the assembly of the outer spore coat. Spore coat layers were found to exhibit screw dislocations and two-dimensional nuclei typically observed on inorganic and macromolecular crystals. This presents the first case of non-mineral crystal growth patterns being revealed for a biological organism, which provides an unexpected example of nature exploiting fundamental materials science mechanisms for the morphogenetic control of biological ultrastructures. We have discovered and validated, distinctive formulation-specific high-resolution structural spore coat and dimensional signatures of B. anthracis spores (Sterne strain) grown in different formulation condition. We further demonstrated that measurement of the dimensional characteristics of B. anthracis spores provides formulation classification and sample matching with high sensitivity and specificity. I will present data on the development of an AFM-based immunolabeling technique for the proteomic mapping of macromolecular structures on the B. anthracis surfaces. These studies demonstrate that AFM can probe microbial surface architecture, environmental dynamics and the life cycle of bacterial and cellular systems at near

  8. Identification of B. anthracis N(5)-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide mutase (PurE) active site binding compounds via fragment library screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Hao; Jones, Christopher; Zhu, Tian; Patel, Kavankumar; Wolf, Nina M; Fung, Leslie W-M; Lee, Hyun; Johnson, Michael E

    2016-02-15

    The de novo purine biosynthesis pathway is an attractive target for antibacterial drug design, and PurE from this pathway has been identified to be crucial for Bacillus anthracis survival in serum. In this study we adopted a fragment-based hit discovery approach, using three screening methods-saturation transfer difference nucleus magnetic resonance (STD-NMR), water-ligand observed via gradient spectroscopy (WaterLOGSY) NMR, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), against B. anthracis PurE (BaPurE) to identify active site binding fragments by initially testing 352 compounds in a Zenobia fragment library. Competition STD NMR with the BaPurE product effectively eliminated non-active site binding hits from the primary hits, selecting active site binders only. Binding affinities (dissociation constant, KD) of these compounds varied between 234 and 301μM. Based on test results from the Zenobia compounds, we subsequently developed and applied a streamlined fragment screening strategy to screen a much larger library consisting of 3000 computationally pre-selected fragments. Thirteen final fragment hits were confirmed to exhibit binding affinities varying from 14μM to 700μM, which were categorized into five different basic scaffolds. All thirteen fragment hits have ligand efficiencies higher than 0.30. We demonstrated that at least two fragments from two different scaffolds exhibit inhibitory activity against the BaPurE enzyme. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. The IGS-ETS in Bacillus (Insecta Phasmida: molecular characterization and the relevance of sex in ribosomal DNA evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Passamonti Marco

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA encoding for ribosomal RNA (rDNA is arranged in tandemly-repeated subunits, each containing ribosomal genes and non-coding spacers. Because tandemly-repeated, rDNA evolves under a balanced influence of selection and "concerted evolution", which homogenizes rDNA variants over the genome (through genomic turnover mechanisms and the population (through sexuality. Results In this paper we analyzed the IGS-ETS of the automictic parthenogen Bacillus atticus and the bisexual B. grandii, two closely related stick-insect species. Both species share the same IGS-ETS structure and sequence, including a peculiar head-to-tail array of putative transcription enhancers, here named Bag530. Sequence variability of both IGS-ETS and Bag530 evidenced a neat geographic and subspecific clustering in B. grandii, while B. atticus shows a little but evident geographic structure. This was an unexpected result, since the parthenogen B. atticus should lack sequence fixation through sexuality. In B. atticus a new variant might spread in a given geographic area through colonization by an all-female clone, but we cannot discard the hypothesis that B. atticus was actually a bisexual taxon in that area at the time the new variant appeared. Moreover, a gene conversion event between two Bag530 variants of B. grandii benazzii and B. grandii maretimi suggested that rRNA might evolve according to the so-called "library hypothesis" model, through differential amplification of rDNA variants in different taxa. Conclusion On the whole, Bacillus rDNA evolution appears to be under a complex array of interacting mechanisms: homogenization may be achieved through genomic turnover that stabilizes DNA-binding protein interactions but, simultaneously, new sequence variants can be adopted, either by direct appearance of newly mutated repeats, or by competition among repeats, so that both DNA-binding proteins and repeat variants drive each other's evolution. All this

  10. Reclassification of Bacillus marismortui as Salibacillus marismortui comb. nov.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arahal, D R; Márquez, M C; Volcani, B E; Schleifer, K H; Ventosa, A

    2000-07-01

    Recently, the features of a group of strains isolated from Dead Sea enrichments obtained in 1936 by one of us (B. E. Volcani) were described. They were gram-positive, moderately halophilic, spore-forming rods, and were placed in a new species, Bacillus marismortui. At the same time, the new genus Salibacillus was proposed for the halophilic species Bacillus salexigens. B. marismortui and Salibacillus salexigens have similar phenotypic characteristics and the same peptidoglycan type. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequence comparisons showed that they are sufficiently closely related (96.6% similarity) as to warrant placement in the same genus. However, DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed that they constitute two separate species (41% DNA similarity). Therefore the reclassification of Bacillus marismortui as Salibacillus marismortui comb. nov. is proposed.

  11. Bacillus cereus and related species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drobniewski, F A

    1993-10-01

    Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive aerobic or facultatively anaerobic spore-forming rod. It is a cause of food poisoning, which is frequently associated with the consumption of rice-based dishes. The organism produces an emetic or diarrheal syndrome induced by an emetic toxin and enterotoxin, respectively. Other toxins are produced during growth, including phospholipases, proteases, and hemolysins, one of which, cereolysin, is a thiol-activated hemolysin. These toxins may contribute to the pathogenicity of B. cereus in nongastrointestinal disease. B. cereus isolated from clinical material other than feces or vomitus was commonly dismissed as a contaminant, but increasingly it is being recognized as a species with pathogenic potential. It is now recognized as an infrequent cause of serious nongastrointestinal infection, particularly in drug addicts, the immunosuppressed, neonates, and postsurgical patients, especially when prosthetic implants such as ventricular shunts are inserted. Ocular infections are the commonest types of severe infection, including endophthalmitis, panophthalmitis, and keratitis, usually with the characteristic formation of corneal ring abscesses. Even with prompt surgical and antimicrobial agent treatment, enucleation of the eye and blindness are common sequelae. Septicemia, meningitis, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and surgical and traumatic wound infections are other manifestations of severe disease. B. cereus produces beta-lactamases, unlike Bacillus anthracis, and so is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics; it is usually susceptible to treatment with clindamycin, vancomycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. Simultaneous therapy via multiple routes may be required.

  12. Evaluation of surface sampling method performance for Bacillus Spores on clean and dirty outdoor surfaces.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, Mollye C.; Einfeld, Wayne; Boucher, Raymond M.; Brown, Gary Stephen; Tezak, Matthew Stephen

    2011-06-01

    Recovery of Bacillus atrophaeous spores from grime-treated and clean surfaces was measured in a controlled chamber study to assess sampling method performance. Outdoor surfaces investigated by wipe and vacuum sampling methods included stainless steel, glass, marble and concrete. Bacillus atrophaeous spores were used as a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis spores in this study designed to assess whether grime-coated surfaces significantly affected surface sampling method performance when compared to clean surfaces. A series of chamber tests were carried out in which known amounts of spores were allowed to gravitationally settle onto both clean and dirty surfaces. Reference coupons were co-located with test coupons in all chamber experiments to provide a quantitative measure of initial surface concentrations of spores on all surfaces, thereby allowing sampling recovery calculations. Results from these tests, carried out under both low and high humidity conditions, show that spore recovery from grime-coated surfaces is the same as or better than spore recovery from clean surfaces. Statistically significant differences between method performance for grime-coated and clean surfaces were observed in only about half of the chamber tests conducted.

  13. Purification and DNA-binding properties of RNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giacomoni, P U

    1980-05-01

    Four RNA-polymerizing activities having different subunit composition can be purified from uninfected and from SPO1-infected Bacillus subtilis. Lysozyme and sodium deoxycholate are used for lysing the cells. Polymin P is used for precipitating nucleic acids and DEAE-cellulose chromatography allows separation of enzymatic activity from the residual Polymin P. After these common steps, one can purify core + sigma + delta by chromatography on single-stranded DNA-agarose followed by gel filtration while pure core + sigma can be obtained by chromatography on double-stranded DNA cellulose. Core + delta is obtained by high-salt sucrose/glycerol gradient centrifugation. The host enzyme modified by the product of gene 28 of phage SPO1 can be purified from SPO1 infected cells by chromatography on DNA cellulose (or CNA agarose) followed by chromatography on phosphocellulose. The pH and salt dependance of the initial rate of RNA synthesis of core + sigma has been investigated using SPO1 and SPP1 DNA as templates. The optimum pH for the initial rate of transcription is 8.2 at 30 degrees C in 50 mM N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine buffer, and the optimum Na+ concentration is between 0.1 and 0.15 M. The kinetics of formation and of dissociation of non-filterable complexes between SPP1 DNA and core + sigma have been analyzed at different cationic concentrations. The value of the rate constant of dissociation in 0.1 M NaCl at 30 degrees C is kd = 2.16 x 10(-4) S-1. The value of the rate constant of association, under the same conditions, is ka = 5.5 x 10(8) M-1 S-1; this value is compatible with a diffusion-controlled reaction for promoter selection.

  14. Evaluation of sampling methods for Bacillus spore-contaminated HVAC filters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calfee, M Worth; Rose, Laura J; Tufts, Jenia; Morse, Stephen; Clayton, Matt; Touati, Abderrahmane; Griffin-Gatchalian, Nicole; Slone, Christina; McSweeney, Neal

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to compare an extraction-based sampling method to two vacuum-based sampling methods (vacuum sock and 37mm cassette filter) with regards to their ability to recover Bacillus atrophaeus spores (surrogate for Bacillus anthracis) from pleated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters that are typically found in commercial and residential buildings. Electrostatic and mechanical HVAC filters were tested, both without and after loading with dust to 50% of their total holding capacity. The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA across material types, presence or absence of dust, and sampling device. The extraction method gave higher relative recoveries than the two vacuum methods evaluated (p≤0.001). On average, recoveries obtained by the vacuum methods were about 30% of those achieved by the extraction method. Relative recoveries between the two vacuum methods were not significantly different (p>0.05). Although extraction methods yielded higher recoveries than vacuum methods, either HVAC filter sampling approach may provide a rapid and inexpensive mechanism for understanding the extent of contamination following a wide-area biological release incident. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. DNA polymorphisms and biocontrol of Bacillus antagonistic to citrus bacterial canker with indication of the interference of phyllosphere biofilms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Pi Huang

    Full Text Available Citrus bacterial canker caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri is a devastating disease resulting in significant crop losses in various citrus cultivars worldwide. A biocontrol agent has not been recommended for this disease. To explore the potential of bacilli native to Taiwan to control this disease, Bacillus species with a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity against various phytopathogens were isolated from plant potting mixes, organic compost and the rhizosphere soil. Seven strains TKS1-1, OF3-16, SP4-17, HSP1, WG6-14, TLB7-7, and WP8-12 showing superior antagonistic activity were chosen for biopesticide development. The genetic identity based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that all seven native strains were close relatives of the B. subtilis group and appeared to be discrete from the B. cereus group. DNA polymorphisms in strains WG6-14, SP4-17, TKS1-1, and WP8-12, as revealed by repetitive sequence-based PCR with the BOXA1R primers were similar to each other, but different from those of the respective Bacillus type strains. However, molecular typing of the strains using either tDNA-intergenic spacer regions or 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer regions was unable to differentiate the strains at the species level. Strains TKS1-1 and WG6-14 attenuated symptom development of citrus bacterial canker, which was found to be correlated with a reduction in colonization and biofilm formation by X. axonopodis pv. citri on leaf surfaces. The application of a Bacillus strain TKS1-1 endospore formulation to the leaf surfaces of citrus reduced the incidence of citrus bacterial canker and could prevent development of the disease.

  16. Bacillus subtilis single-stranded DNA-binding protein SsbA is phosphorylated at threonine 38 by the serine/threonine kinase YabT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Derouiche, Abderahmane; Petranovic, Dina; Macek, Boris

    2016-01-01

    Background and purpose: Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins participate in all stages of DNA metabolism that involve single-stranded DNA, from replication, recombination, repair of DNA damage, to natural competence in species such as Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis single-stranded DNA......-binding proteins have previously been found to be phosphorylated on tyrosine and arginine residues. While tyrosine phosphorylation was shown to enhance the DNA-binding properties of SsbA, arginine phosphorylation was not functionally characterized.Materials and methods: We used mass spectrometry analysis to detect...... phosphorylation of SsbA purified from B. subtilis cells. The detected phosphorylation site was assessed for its influence on DNA-binding in vitro, using electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The ability of B. subtilis serine/threonine kinases to phosphorylate SsbA was assessed using in vitro phosphorylation...

  17. The sponge-associated bacterium Bacillus licheniformis SAB1: A source of antimicrobial compounds

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    PrabhaDevi; Wahidullah, S.; Rodrigues, C.; DeSouza, L.

    investigation. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA gene of Bacillus sp. SAB1 showed a strong similarity (100%) with the 16S rDNA gene of Bacillus licheniformis HNL09. The bioactive compounds produced by B. licheniformis SAB1 (GenBank accession...

  18. Evaluation on diminishing effects of DNA damaging potential by humic substances using the bacillus subtilis rec-assay; Karekusakin rec-assay wo mochiita fuminsan ni yoru DNA sonshosei kaizen koka no kento

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, H.; Takigami, H.; Shimizu, Y.; Matsui, S. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1998-05-22

    Antimutagenic effect of humic substances has been reported by various investigators. In this research, the diminishing effect of DNA damaging toxicity by humic acid was evaluated for the influent and effluent of activated sludge tank receiving municipal wastewater and several DNA damaging chemicals (e.g., pyrene, 1-aminopyrene and benzo(a)pyrene) using Bacillus subtilis rec-assay. The diminishing effect was not apparent for influent but observed in the effluent. Among the DNA damaging chemicals, the DNA toxicity was effectively suppressed by humic acid for pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene. However, the effect was relatively smaller for 1-aminopyrene. 19 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs.

  19. Role of excision repair in postradiation recovery of biological activity of cellular DNA Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filippov, V.D.

    1976-01-01

    DNA extracted from UV-irradiated prototroph cells of Bacillus subtilis uvr + (45 sec. of UV light, 20% survivals) has a lowered transforming activity (TA) of markers purB and metB, and a lowered ratio TA pur/TA met. During the subsequent incubation of uvr + cells in glucose-salt medium free of nitrogen sources the TA of markers and the ratio between them increase. No increase is observed during the postradiation incubation under the same conditions or in a nutrition medium of uvr cells, deficient in escision of pyrimidine dimers. The increment of DNA begins approsimately in 30 min. after the beginning of incubation of irradiated uvr cells in nutrition medium. On the basis of these facts it is concluded that neither the replication of damaged DNA nor the postreplication repair, but only excision repair, can provide the recovery of biological (transforming) activity of cellular DNA in Bac. subtilis. The system given might be a suitable model for testing compounds which affect the activity of this process. The well-known inhibitors of dark repair, caffeine, proflavine to inhibit reversibly the initial steps of the process/ and especially acriflavine, delay the recovery of markers of cellular DNA in irradiated uvr + cells. Caffeine is proved to inhibit reversibly the initial steps of the process

  20. Screen for agents that induce autolysis in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacriola, Christopher J; Falk, Shaun P; Weisblum, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    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 induce autolysis by their direct action on the cell membrane and those that induce autolysis secondary to inhibition of cell wall synthesis. SH-536 distinguishes between the two groups of autolysis-inducing agents by synthesizing and then releasing β-galactosidase (β-Gal) in late stationary phase at a time that cells have nearly stopped growing and are therefore tolerant of cell wall synthesis inhibitors. Four hits, named compound 2, compound 3, compound 5, and compound 24, obtained previously as inducers of autolysis by screening a 10,080-compound discovery library with BAU-102, were probed with SH-536 and found to release β-Gal, indicating that their mode of action was to permeabilize the B. subtilis cell membrane. The four primary hits inhibited growth in Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus anthracis, with MICs in the 12.5- to 25-μg/ml (20 to 60 μM) range. The four primary hits were further used to probe B. subtilis, and their action was partially characterized with respect to the dependence of induced autolysis on specific autolysins.

  1. Pilot-scale crossflow-microfiltration and pasteurization to remove spores of Bacillus anthracis (Sterne) from milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomasula, P M; Mukhopadhyay, S; Datta, N; Porto-Fett, A; Call, J E; Luchansky, J B; Renye, J; Tunick, M

    2011-09-01

    High-temperature, short-time pasteurization of milk is ineffective against spore-forming bacteria such as Bacillus anthracis (BA), but is lethal to its vegetative cells. Crossflow microfiltration (MF) using ceramic membranes with a pore size of 1.4 μm has been shown to reject most microorganisms from skim milk; and, in combination with pasteurization, has been shown to extend its shelf life. The objectives of this study were to evaluate MF for its efficiency in removing spores of the attenuated Sterne strain of BA from milk; to evaluate the combined efficiency of MF using a 0.8-μm ceramic membrane, followed by pasteurization (72°C, 18.6s); and to monitor any residual BA in the permeates when stored at temperatures of 4, 10, and 25°C for up to 28 d. In each trial, 95 L of raw skim milk was inoculated with about 6.5 log(10) BA spores/mL of milk. It was then microfiltered in total recycle mode at 50°C using ceramic membranes with pore sizes of either 0.8 μm or 1.4 μm, at crossflow velocity of 6.2 m/s and transmembrane pressure of 127.6 kPa, conditions selected to exploit the selectivity of the membrane. Microfiltration using the 0.8-μm membrane removed 5.91±0.05 log(10) BA spores/mL of milk and the 1.4-μm membrane removed 4.50±0.35 log(10) BA spores/mL of milk. The 0.8-μm membrane showed efficient removal of the native microflora and both membranes showed near complete transmission of the casein proteins. Spore germination was evident in the permeates obtained at 10, 30, and 120 min of MF time (0.8-μm membrane) but when stored at 4 or 10°C, spore levels were decreased to below detection levels (≤0.3 log(10) spores/mL) by d 7 or 3 of storage, respectively. Permeates stored at 25°C showed coagulation and were not evaluated further. Pasteurization of the permeate samples immediately after MF resulted in additional spore germination that was related to the length of MF time. Pasteurized permeates obtained at 10 min of MF and stored at 4 or 10°C showed no

  2. COMPARISON OF UV INACTIVATION OF SPORES OF THREE ENCEPHALITOZOON SPECIES WITH THAT OF SPORES OF TWO DNA REPAIR-DEFICIENT BACILLUS SUBTILIS BIODOSIMETRY STRAINS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The sensitivity of three Encephalitozoon spp. to ultraviolet (UV) inactivation was determined. Encephalitozoon intestinalis is a contaminant listed on the USEPA's 1998 Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). Also, use of DNA repair deficient strains of Bacillus subtilis were evaluat...

  3. Bacillus nealsonii sp. nov., isolated from a spacecraft-assembly facility, whose spores are gamma-radiation resistant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkateswaran, Kasthuri; Kempf, Michael; Chen, Fei; Satomi, Masataka; Nicholson, Wayne; Kern, Roger

    2003-01-01

    One of the spore-formers isolated from a spacecraft-assembly facility, belonging to the genus Bacillus, is described on the basis of phenotypic characterization, 16S rDNA sequence analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization studies. It is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped eubacterium that produces endospores. The spores of this novel bacterial species exhibited resistance to UV, gamma-radiation, H2O2 and desiccation. The 18S rDNA sequence analysis revealed a clear affiliation between this strain and members of the low G+C Firmicutes. High 16S rDNA sequence similarity values were found with members of the genus Bacillus and this was supported by fatty acid profiles. The 16S rDNA sequence similarity between strain FO-92T and Bacillus benzoevorans DSM 5391T was very high. However, molecular characterizations employing small-subunit 16S rDNA sequences were at the limits of resolution for the differentiation of species in this genus, but DNA-DNA hybridization data support the proposal of FO-92T as Bacillus nealsonii sp. nov. (type strain is FO-92T =ATCC BAAM-519T =DSM 15077T).

  4. جداسازی هاگهای شاربن از خاک مناطق بومی اصفهان، ایران

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    غلامرضا موذنی جولا

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available To isolate and detect anthrax spores from soil in different regions of Isfahan, Iran a total of 60 environmental specimens were collected during 2003. Bacterial endospores were extracted via flotation in distilled water and were cultured on blood agar and selective PLET media. Bacillus anthracis was identified using bacteriological and biological tests. Viable Bacillus anthracis spores were isolated from 9 (15% soil samples of the 60 collected specimens in which 6 (66% of isolates were encapsulated. The isolated bacteria and their virulence were confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR using specific primers. Its recommend that because of the existence of highly virulent strain of Bacillus anthracis in this region, a review on implementation of control programs such as regular vaccination of all susceptible livestock and surveillance of the disease in animals and human in such endemic areas is required.

  5. Analogies and surprising differences between recombinant nitric oxide synthase-like proteins from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis in their interactions with l-arginine analogs and iron ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salard, Isabelle; Mercey, Emilie; Rekka, Eleni; Boucher, Jean-Luc; Nioche, Pierre; Mikula, Ivan; Martasek, Pavel; Raman, C S; Mansuy, Daniel

    2006-12-01

    Genome sequencing has recently shown the presence of genes coding for NO-synthase (NOS)-like proteins in bacteria. The roles of these proteins remain unclear. The interactions of a series of l-arginine (l-arg) analogs and iron ligands with two recombinant NOS-like proteins from Staphylococcus aureus (saNOS) and Bacillus anthracis (baNOS) have been studied by UV-visible spectroscopy. SaNOS and baNOS in their ferric native state, as well as their complexes with l-arg analogs and with various ligands, exhibit spectral characteristics highly similar to the corresponding complexes of heme-thiolate proteins such as cytochromes P450 and NOSs. However, saNOS greatly differs from baNOS at the level of three main properties: (i) native saNOS mainly exists under an hexacoordinated low-spin ferric state whereas native baNOS is mainly high-spin, (ii) the addition of tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) or H4B analogs leads to an increase of the affinity of l-arg for saNOS but not for baNOS, and (iii) saNOS Fe(II), contrary to baNOS, binds relatively bulky ligands such as nitrosoalkanes and tert-butylisocyanide. Thus, saNOS exhibits properties very similar to those of the oxygenase domain of inducible NOS (iNOS(oxy)) not containing H4B, as expected for a NOSoxy-like protein that does not contain H4B. By contrast, the properties of baNOS which look like those of H4B-containing iNOS(oxy) are unexpected for a NOS-like protein not containing H4B. The origin of these surprising properties of baNOS remains to be determined.

  6. Aptamer Selection Express: A Novel Method for Rapid Single-Step Selection and Sensing of Aptamers

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Fan, Maomian; Roper, Shelly; Andrews, Carrie; Allman, Amity; Bruno, John; Kiel, Jonathan

    2008-01-01

    ...). This process has been used to select aptamers against different types of targets (Bacillus anthracis spores, Bacillus thuringiensis spores, MS-2 bacteriophage, ovalbumin, and botulinum neurotoxin...

  7. Impacts of sporulation temperature, exposure to compost matrix and temperature on survival of Bacillus cereus spores during livestock mortality composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanford, K; Reuter, T; Gilroyed, B H; McAllister, T A

    2015-04-01

    To investigate impact of sporulation and compost temperatures on feasibility of composting for disposal of carcasses contaminated with Bacillus anthracis. Two strains of B. cereus, 805 and 1391, were sporulated at either 20 or 37°C (Sporulation temperature, ST) and 7 Log10 CFU g(-1) spores added to autoclaved manure in nylon bags (pore size 50 μm) or in sealed vials. Vials and nylon bags were embedded into compost in either a sawdust or manure matrix each containing 16 bovine mortalities (average weight 617 ± 33 kg), retrieved from compost at intervals over 217 days and survival of B. cereus spores assessed. A ST of 20°C decreased spore survival by 1·4 log10 CFU g(-1) (P Compost temperatures >55°C reduced spore survival (P compost temperatures were key factors influencing survival of B. cereus spores in mortality compost. Composting may be most appropriate for the disposal of carcasses infected with B. anthracis at ambient temperatures ≤20°C under thermophillic composting conditions (>55°C). © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  8. Genetic defects in DNA repair system and enhancement of intergenote transformation efficiency in Bacillus subtilis Marburg

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, K.; Takahashi, H.; Saito, H.; Ikeda, Y.

    1978-01-01

    Mechanisms of inefficiency in heterospecies transformation were studied with a transformation system consisting of Bacillus subtilis 168TI (trpC2thy) as recipient and of DNA prepared from partially hybrid strains of B. subtilis which had incorporated trp + DNA of B. amyloliquefaciens 203 (formerly, B. megaterium 203) in the chromosome (termed intergenote). The intergenote transformation was not so efficient as the corresponding homospecies transformation and the efficiency appeared to relate inversely with the length of heterologous portion in the intergenote. When a variety of ultraviolet light (UV) sensitive mutants, deficient in host-cell reactivation capacity, were used as recipients for the intergenote transformation, 2 out of 16 mutants exhibited significantly enhanced transformation efficiency of the trpC marker. Genetic studies by transformation showed that the trait relating to the enhancement of intergenote-transformation efficiency was always associated with the UV sensitivity, suggesting that these two traits are determined by a single gene. The efficiency of intergenote transformation was highly affected also by DNA concentration; the lower the concentration, the less the efficiency. When, however, the UV sensitive mutant was used as recipient, the effect of DNA concentration was largely diminished, suggesting the reduction of DNA-inactivating activity in the UV sensitive recipient. These results were discussed in relation to a possible excision-repair system selectively correcting the mismatched DNA in the course of intergenote transformation. (orig.) [de

  9. The effect of growth medium on B. anthracis Sterne spore carbohydrate content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colburn, Heather A; Wunschel, David S; Antolick, Kathryn C; Melville, Angela M; Valentine, Nancy B

    2011-06-01

    The expressed characteristics of biothreat agents may be impacted by variations in the culture environment, including growth medium formulation. The carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis spores has been well studied, particularly for the exosporium, which is the outermost spore structure. The carbohydrate composition of the exosporium has been demonstrated to be distinct from the vegetative form containing unique monosaccharides. We have investigated the carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis Sterne spores produced using four different medium types formulated with different sources of medium components. The amount of rhamnose, 3-O-methyl rhamnose and galactosamine was found to vary significantly between spores cultured using different medium formulations. The relative abundance of these monosaccharides compared to other monosaccharides such as mannosamine was also found to vary with medium type. Specific medium components were also found to impact the carbohydrate profile. Xylose has not been previously described in B. anthracis spores but was detected at low levels in two media. This may represent residual material from the brewery yeast extract used to formulate these two media. These results illustrate the utility of this method to capture the impact of growth medium on carbohydrate variation in spores. Detecting carbohydrate profiles in B. anthracis evidentiary material may provide useful forensic information on the growth medium used for sporulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 Strain Shows Protective Effects against the B. anthracis LT Toxin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodolphe Pontier-Bres

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii has been prescribed for the prophylaxis and treatment of several infectious diarrheal diseases. Gastrointestinal anthrax causes fatal systemic disease. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects conferred by Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 strain on polarized T84 columnar epithelial cells intoxicated by the lethal toxin (LT of Bacillus anthracis. Exposure of polarized T84 cells to LT affected cell monolayer integrity, modified the morphology of tight junctions and induced the formation of actin stress fibers. Overnight treatment of cells with S. boulardii before incubation with LT maintained the integrity of the monolayers, prevented morphological modification of tight junctions, restricted the effects of LT on actin remodeling and delayed LT-induced MEK-2 cleavage. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that in the presence of S. boulardii, the medium is depleted of both LF and PA sub-units of LT and the appearance of a cleaved form of PA. Our study highlights the potential of the S. boulardii CNCM I-745 strain as a prophylactic agent against the gastrointestinal form of anthrax.

  11. The Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 strain shows protective effects against the B. anthracis LT toxin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontier-Bres, Rodolphe; Rampal, Patrick; Peyron, Jean-François; Munro, Patrick; Lemichez, Emmanuel; Czerucka, Dorota

    2015-10-30

    The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) has been prescribed for the prophylaxis and treatment of several infectious diarrheal diseases. Gastrointestinal anthrax causes fatal systemic disease. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects conferred by Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 strain on polarized T84 columnar epithelial cells intoxicated by the lethal toxin (LT) of Bacillus anthracis. Exposure of polarized T84 cells to LT affected cell monolayer integrity, modified the morphology of tight junctions and induced the formation of actin stress fibers. Overnight treatment of cells with S. boulardii before incubation with LT maintained the integrity of the monolayers, prevented morphological modification of tight junctions, restricted the effects of LT on actin remodeling and delayed LT-induced MEK-2 cleavage. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that in the presence of S. boulardii, the medium is depleted of both LF and PA sub-units of LT and the appearance of a cleaved form of PA. Our study highlights the potential of the S. boulardii CNCM I-745 strain as a prophylactic agent against the gastrointestinal form of anthrax.

  12. Laser induced fluorescence lifetime characterization of Bacillus endospore species using time correlated single photon counting analysis with the multi-exponential fit method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Clint; Edwards, Jarrod; Fisher, Andmorgan

    2010-04-01

    Rapid detection of biological material is critical for determining presence/absence of bacterial endospores within various investigative programs. Even more critical is that if select material tests positive for bacillus endospores then tests should provide data at the species level. Optical detection of microbial endospore formers such as Bacillus sp. can be heavy, cumbersome, and may only identify at the genus level. Data provided from this study will aid in characterization needed by future detection systems for further rapid breakdown analysis to gain insight into a more positive signature collection of Bacillus sp. Literature has shown that fluorescence spectroscopy of endospores could be statistically separated from other vegetative genera, but could not be separated among one another. Results of this study showed endospore species separation is possible using laser-induce fluorescence with lifetime decay analysis for Bacillus endospores. Lifetime decays of B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. coagulans, and B. anthracis Sterne strain were investigated. Using the Multi-Exponential fit method data showed three distinct lifetimes for each species within the following ranges, 0.2-1.3 ns; 2.5-7.0 ns; 7.5-15.0 ns, when laser induced at 307 nm. The four endospore species were individually separated using principle component analysis (95% CI).

  13. ThrR, a DNA-binding transcription factor involved in controlling threonine biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Jonathan; Müller, Peter; Lentes, Sabine; Thiele, Martin J; Zeigler, Daniel R; Tödter, Dominik; Paulus, Henry; Brantl, Sabine; Stülke, Jörg; Commichau, Fabian M

    2016-09-01

    The threonine dehydratase IlvA is part of the isoleucine biosynthesis pathway in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Consequently, deletion of ilvA causes isoleucine auxotrophy. It has been reported that ilvA pseudo-revertants having a derepressed hom-thrCB operon appear in the presence of threonine. Here we have characterized two classes of ilvA pseudo-revertants. In the first class the hom-thrCB operon was derepressed unmasking the threonine dehydratase activity of the threonine synthase ThrC. In the second class of mutants, threonine biosynthesis was more broadly affected. The first class of ilvA pseudo-revertants had a mutation in the Phom promoter (P*hom ), resulting in constitutive expression of the hom-thrCB operon. In the second class of ilvA pseudo-revertants, the thrR gene encoding a putative DNA-binding protein was inactivated, also resulting in constitutive expression of the hom-thrCB operon. Here we demonstrate that ThrR is indeed a DNA-binding transcription factor that regulates the hom-thrCB operon and the thrD aspartokinase gene. DNA binding assays uncovered the DNA-binding site of ThrR and revealed that the repressor competes with the RNA polymerase for DNA binding. This study also revealed that ThrR orthologs are ubiquitous in genomes from the Gram-positive phylum Firmicutes and in some Gram-negative bacteria. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Cytotoxic Potential of Bacillus cereus Strains ATCC 11778 and 14579 Against Human Lung Epithelial Cells Under Microaerobic Growth Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen eKilcullen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus cereus, a food poisoning bacterium closely related to Bacillus anthracis, secretes a multitude of virulence factors including enterotoxins, hemolysins, and phospholipases. However, the majority of the in vitro experiments evaluating the cytotoxic potential of B. cereus were carried out in the conditions of aeration, and the impact of the oxygen limitation in conditions encountered by the microbe in natural environment such as gastrointestinal tract remains poorly understood. This research reports comparative analysis of ATCC strains 11778 (BC1 and 14579 (BC2 in aerated and microaerobic (static cultures with regard to their toxicity for human lung epithelial cells. We showed that BC1 increased its toxicity upon oxygen limitation while BC2 was highly cytotoxic in both growth conditions. The combined effect of the pore-forming, cholesterol-dependent hemolysin, cereolysin O (CLO, and metabolic product(s such as succinate produced in microaerobic conditions provided substantial contribution to the toxicity of BC1 but not BC2 which relied mainly on other toxins. This mechanism is shared between CB1 and B. anthracis. It involves the permeabilization of the cell membrane which facilitates transport of toxic bacterial metabolites into the cell. The toxicity of BC1was potentiated in the presence of bovine serum albumin which appeared to serve as reservoir for bacteria-derived nitric oxide participating in the downstream production of reactive oxidizing species with the properties of peroxynitrite. In agreement with this the BC1cultures demonstrated the increased oxidation of the indicator dye Amplex Red catalyzed by peroxidase as well as the increased toxicity in the presence of externally added ascorbic acid.

  15. Fast Neutron Radiation Effects on Bacillus Subtili

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xiaoming; Zhang Jianguo; Chu Shijin; Ren Zhenglong; Zheng Chun; Yang Chengde; Tan Bisheng

    2009-01-01

    To examine the sterilizing effect and mechanism of neutron radiation, Bacillus subtilis var. niger. strain (ATCC 9372) spores were irradiated with the fast neutron from the Chinese fast burst reactor II(CFBR-II). The plate-count results indicated that the D 10 value was 384.6 Gy with a neutron radiation dose rate of 7.4 Gy/min. The rudimental catalase activity of the spores declined obviously with the increase in the radiation dose. Meanwhile, under the scanning electron microscope, no visible influence of the neutron radiation on the spore configuration was detected even if the dose was increased to 4 kGy. The content and distribution of DNA double-strand breaks induced by neutron radiation at different doses were measured and quantified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Further analysis of the DNA release percentage (PR), the DNA breakage level (L), and the average molecular weight, indicated that DNA fragments were obviously distributed around the 5 kb regions at different radiation doses, which suggests that some points in the DNA molecule were sensitive to neutron radiation. Both PR and L varied regularly to some extent with the increase in radiation dose. Thus neutron radiation has a high sterilization power, and can induce falling enzyme activity and DNA breakage in Bacillus subtilis spores

  16. Bacillus ciccensis sp. nov., isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Li, Nannan; Eom, Mi Kyung; Schumann, Peter; Zhang, Xin; Cao, Yanhua; Ge, Yuanyuan; Xiao, Ming; Zhao, Jiuran; Cheng, Chi; Kim, Song-Gun

    2017-11-01

    Two Gram-stain-positive bacterial strains, designated as 5L6 T and 6L6, isolated from seeds of hybrid maize (Zea mays L., Jingke 968) were investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The cells were aerobic, motile, endospore-forming and rod-shaped. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates were recognized as a species of the genus Bacillus, to which the five closest neighbours are Bacillus solani FJAT-18043 T (99.8 % similarity), Bacillus horneckiae DSM 23495 T (97.7 %), Bacillus eiseniae A1-2 T (97.4 %), Bacillus kochii WCC 4582 T (97.1 %) and Bacillus purgationiresistens DS22 T (97.0 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 5L6 T was 37.4 mol%. Its polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and C16 : 1 ω7c alcohol. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained ornithine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and alanine while diaminopimelic acid could not be detected. Strains 5L6 T and 6L6 were clearly distinguished from the type strains of related validly named species using phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, fatty acid analysis, peptidoglycan analysis and comparison of a range of physiological and biochemical characteristics. The genotypic and phenotypic data show that strains 5L6 T and 6L6 represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillusciccensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5L6 T (=KCTC 33663 T =CICC 23855 T =DSM 104513 T ).

  17. Comparison of eight methods for the extraction of Bacillus atrophaeus spore DNA from eleven common interferents and a common swab.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen L Rose

    Full Text Available Eight DNA extraction products or methods (Applied Biosystems PrepFiler Forensic DNA Extraction Kit; Bio-Rad Instagene Only, Bio-Rad Instagene & Spin Column Purification; EpiCentre MasterPure DNA & RNA Kit; FujiFilm QuickGene Mini80; Idaho Technologies 1-2-3 Q-Flow Kit; MoBio UltraClean Microbial DNA Isolation Kit; Sigma Extract-N-Amp Plant and Seed Kit were adapted to facilitate extraction of DNA under BSL3 containment conditions. DNA was extracted from 12 common interferents or sample types, spiked with spores of Bacillus atropheaus. Resulting extracts were tested by real-time PCR. No one method was the best, in terms of DNA extraction, across all sample types. Statistical analysis indicated that the PrepFiler method was the best method from six dry powders (baking, biological washing, milk, plain flour, filler and talcum and one solid (Underarm deodorant, the UltraClean method was the best from four liquids (aftershave, cola, nutrient broth, vinegar, and the MasterPure method was the best from the swab sample type. The best overall method, in terms of DNA extraction, across all sample types evaluated was the UltraClean method.

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_005945 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis str. Sterne] MSNNNYSNGLNPDESLSASAFDPNLVGPTLPPIPPFTLPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGP...TGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGP...TGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGATGLTGPTGPTGPS

  19. Enzyme-driven Bacillus spore coat degradation leading to spore killing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundra, Ruchir V; Mehta, Krunal K; Wu, Xia; Paskaleva, Elena E; Kane, Ravi S; Dordick, Jonathan S

    2014-04-01

    The bacillus spore coat confers chemical and biological resistance, thereby protecting the core from harsh environments. The primarily protein-based coat consists of recalcitrant protein crosslinks that endow the coat with such functional protection. Proteases are present in the spore coat, which play a putative role in coat degradation in the environment. However these enzymes are poorly characterized. Nonetheless given the potential for proteases to catalyze coat degradation, we screened 10 commercially available proteases for their ability to degrade the spore coats of B. cereus and B. anthracis. Proteinase K and subtilisin Carlsberg, for B. cereus and B. anthracis spore coats, respectively, led to a morphological change in the otherwise impregnable coat structure, increasing coat permeability towards cortex lytic enzymes such as lysozyme and SleB, thereby initiating germination. Specifically in the presence of lysozyme, proteinase K resulted in 14-fold faster enzyme induced germination and exhibited significantly shorter lag times, than spores without protease pretreatment. Furthermore, the germinated spores were shown to be vulnerable to a lytic enzyme (PlyPH) resulting in effective spore killing. The spore surface in response to proteolytic degradation was probed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which provided key insights regarding coat degradation. The extent of coat degradation and spore killing using this enzyme-based pretreatment approach is similar to traditional, yet far harsher, chemical decoating methods that employ detergents and strong denaturants. Thus the enzymatic route reduces the environmental burden of chemically mediated spore killing, and demonstrates that a mild and environmentally benign biocatalytic spore killing is achievable. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Bacillus velezensis sp. nov., a surfactant-producing bacterium isolated from the river Vélez in Málaga, southern Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-García, Cristina; Béjar, Victoria; Martínez-Checa, Fernando; Llamas, Inmaculada; Quesada, Emilia

    2005-01-01

    Two Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacterial strains, CR-502T and CR-14b, which produce surfactant molecules are described. Phenotypic tests and phylogenetic analyses showed these strains to be members of the genus Bacillus and related to the species Bacillus atrophaeus, Bacillus mojavensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus vallismortis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, although they differ from these species in a number of phenotypic characteristics. DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that they show less than 20 % hybridization with the above-mentioned species and therefore represent a novel species of Bacillus. The DNA G+C content is 46.4 mol% in strain CR-502T and 46.1 mol% in strain CR-14b. The main fatty acids in strain CR-502T are 15 : 0 anteiso (32.70 %), 15 : 0 iso (29.86 %) and 16 : 0 (13.41 %). The main quinone in strain CR-502T is MK-7 (96.6 %). In the light of the polyphasic evidence gathered in this study, it is proposed that these strains be classified as a novel species of the genus Bacillus, with the name Bacillus velezensis sp. nov. The type strain (CR-502T=CECT 5686T=LMG 22478T) was isolated from a brackish water sample taken from the river Vélez at Torredelmar in Málaga, southern Spain.

  1. Bacillus niabensis sp. nov., isolated from cotton-waste composts for mushroom cultivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Soon-Wo; Lee, Seon-Young; Kim, Byung-Yong; Weon, Hang-Yeon; Kim, Jung-Bong; Go, Seung-Joo; Lee, Gil-Bok

    2007-08-01

    A group of five bacilli, designated strains 4T12, 4T19(T), 5M45, 5M53 and 5T52, isolated from cotton-waste composts for mushroom cultivation, were examined. These strains were Gram-positive, aerobic, motile, spore-forming rods. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that the isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus, showing the highest levels of similarity (approx. 96.6-96.9 %) with respect to Bacillus herbersteinensis DSM 16534(T). The values for DNA-DNA hybridization (approx. 85-96 %) among these five strains revealed that they belong to the same species. The major menaquinone present was MK-7 and the predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(15 : 0) (approx. 24.5-33.9 %) and C(16 : 0) (approx. 15.1-34.1 %). The DNA G+C contents were 37.7-40.9 mol%. On the basis of physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and comparative genomic analyses, the five isolates represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus niabensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 4T19(T) (=KACC 11279(T) =DSM 17723(T)).

  2. ORF Sequence: NC_007530 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available [Bacillus anthracis str. 'Ames Ancestor'] MSNNNYSNGLNPDESLSASAFDPNLVGPTLPPIPPFTLPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGP...TGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGP...TGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGATGLTGPTGPTGPSGLGLPAGL

  3. ORF Sequence: NC_003995 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis str. A2012] MSNNNYSNGLNPDESLSASAFDPNLVGPTLPPIPPFTLPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGP...TGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGP...TGDTGTTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGPTGATGLTGPTGPTGPSGLGLPAGLYAFNSGGISLD

  4. Preliminary report for analysis of genome wide mutations from four ciprofloxacin resistant B. anthracis Sterne isolates generated by Illumina, 454 sequencing and microarrays for DHS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaing, Crystal [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Vergez, Lisa [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Hinckley, Aubree [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Thissen, James [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Gardner, Shea [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); McLoughlin, Kevin [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Jackson, Paul [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Ellingson, Sally [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hauser, Loren [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brettin, Tom [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Fofanov, Viacheslav [Eureka Genomics, Hercules, CA (United States); Koshinsky, Heather [Eureka Genomics, Hercules, CA (United States); Fofanov, Yuriy [Univ. of Houston, TX (United States)

    2011-06-21

    The objective of this project is to provide DHS a comprehensive evaluation of the current genomic technologies including genotyping, Taqman PCR, multiple locus variable tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), microarray and high-throughput DNA sequencing in the analysis of biothreat agents from complex environmental samples. As the result of a different DHS project, we have selected for and isolated a large number of ciprofloxacin resistant B. anthracis Sterne isolates. These isolates vary in the concentrations of ciprofloxacin that they can tolerate, suggesting multiple mutations in the samples. In collaboration with University of Houston, Eureka Genomics and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we analyzed the ciprofloxacin resistant B. anthracis Sterne isolates by microarray hybridization, Illumina and Roche 454 sequencing to understand the error rates and sensitivity of the different methods. The report provides an assessment of the results and a complete set of all protocols used and all data generated along with information to interpret the protocols and data sets.

  5. Identification of Ciprofloxacin Resistance by SimpleProbe (trademark), High Resolution Melt and Pyrosequencing (trademark) Nucleic Acid Analysis in Biothreat Agents: Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis and Francisella tularensis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    tularensis strain Schu4 following standardmicrobiological techniques to develop antibiotic resistance. Colonies from an original chocolate agar culture...35 C for two weeks. Growth in broth containing 16 mg/ml ciprofloxacin was transferred to chocolate agar plates containing 64 mg/ml ciprofloxacin and...expeditious therapy , the three PCR technologies described in this study were evaluated for the ability to accurately differentiate wt B. anthracis, Y

  6. Fate of pathogenic Bacillus cereus spores after ingestion by protist grazers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winding, Anne; Santos, Susana; Hendriksen, Niels Bohse

    The aim of this study is to understand the symbiosis between bacterivorous protists and pathogenic bacterial spores, in order to gain insight on survival and dispersal of pathogenic bacteria in the environment. It is generally accepted that resistance to grazing by protists has contributed...... to the evolution of Bacillus cereus group bacteria (e.g. B. cereus, B. anthracis, B. thuringiensis) as a pathogen. It has been hypothesized that the spore stage protects against digestion by predating protists. Indeed, B. thuringiensis spores have been shown to be readily ingested by ciliated protists but failed...... to be digested (Manasherob et al 1998 AEM 64:1750-). Here we report how diverse protist grazers grow on both vegetative cells and spores of B. cereus and how the bacteria survive ingestion and digestion, and even proliferate inside the digestive vacuoles of ciliated protists. The survival ability of B. cereus...

  7. A four-gene operon in Bacillus cereus produces two rare spore-decorating sugars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zi; Mukherjee, Thiya; Bowler, Kyle; Namdari, Sholeh; Snow, Zachary; Prestridge, Sarah; Carlton, Alexandra; Bar-Peled, Maor

    2017-05-05

    Bacterial glycan structures on cell surfaces are critical for cell-cell recognition and adhesion and in host-pathogen interactions. Accordingly, unraveling the sugar composition of bacterial cell surfaces can shed light on bacterial growth and pathogenesis. Here, we found that two rare sugars with a 3- C -methyl-6-deoxyhexose structure were linked to spore glycans in Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10876. Moreover, we identified a four-gene operon in B. cereus ATCC 14579 that encodes proteins with the following sequential enzyme activities as determined by mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional NMR methods: CTP:glucose-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, CDP-Glc 4,6-dehydratase, NADH-dependent SAM: C -methyltransferase, and NADPH-dependent CDP-3- C -methyl-6-deoxyhexose 4-reductase. The last enzyme predominantly yielded CDP-3- C -methyl-6-deoxygulose (CDP-cereose) and likely generated a 4-epimer CDP-3- C -methyl-6-deoxyallose (CDP-cillose). Some members of the B. cereus sensu lato group produce CDP-3- C -methyl-6-deoxy sugars for the formation of cereose-containing glycans on spores, whereas others such as Bacillus anthracis do not. Gene knockouts of the Bacillus C -methyltransferase and the 4-reductase confirmed their involvement in the formation of cereose-containing glycan on B. cereus spores. We also found that cereose represented 0.2-1% spore dry weight. Moreover, mutants lacking cereose germinated faster than the wild type, yet the mutants exhibited no changes in sporulation or spore resistance to heat. The findings reported here may provide new insights into the roles of the uncommon 3- C -methyl-6-deoxy sugars in cell-surface recognition and host-pathogen interactions of the genus Bacillus . © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Bacillus caldolyticus prs gene encoding phosphoribosyldiphosphate synthase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krath, Britta N.; Hove-Jensen, Bjarne

    1996-01-01

    The prs gene, encoding phosphoribosyl-diphosphate (PRPP) synthase, as well as the flanking DNA sequences were cloned and sequenced from the Gram-positive thermophile, Bacillus caldolyticus. Comparison with the homologous sequences from the mesophile, Bacillus subtilis, revealed a gene (gca......D) encoding N-acetylglucosamine-l-phosphate uridyltransferase upstream of prs, and a gene homologous to ctc downstream of prs. cDNA synthesis with a B. caldolyticus gcaD-prs-ctc-specified mRNA as template, followed by amplification utilising the polymerase chain reaction indicated that the three genes are co......-transcribed. Comparison of amino acid sequences revealed a high similarity among PRPP synthases across a wide phylogenetic range. An E. coli strain harbouring the B. caldolyticus prs gene in a multicopy plasmid produced PRPP synthase activity 33-fold over the activity of a haploid B. caldolyticus strain. B. caldolyticus...

  9. The papain inhibitor (SPI) of Streptomyces mobaraensis inhibits bacterial cysteine proteases and is an antagonist of bacterial growth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Zindel (Stephan); W.E. Kaman (Wendy); S. Fröls (Sabrina); F. Pfeifer (Felicitas); A. Peters (Annette); J.P. Hays (John); H.-L. Fuchsbauer (Hans-Lothar)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractA novel papain inhibitory protein (SPI) from Streptomyces mobaraensis was studied to measure its inhibitory effect on bacterial cysteine protease activity (Staphylococcus aureus SspB) and culture supernatants (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacillus anthracis). Further, growth of Bacillus

  10. Introduction of a unique tryptophan residue into various positions of Bacillus licheniformis DnaK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Bo-En; Lin, Min-Guan; Lo, Huei-Fen; Wang, Tzu-Fan; Chi, Meng-Chun; Lin, Long-Liu

    2013-01-01

    Site-directed mutagenesis together with biochemical and biophysical techniques were used to probe effects of single-tryptophan-incorporated mutations on a bacterial molecular chaperone, Bacillus licheniformis DnaK (BlDnaK). Specifically, five phenylalanine residues (Phe(120), Phe(174), Phe(186), Phe(378) and Phe(396)) of BlDnaK were individually replaced by single tryptophans, thus creating site-specific probes for the fluorescence analysis of the protein. The steady-state ATPase activity for BlDnaK, F120W, F174W, F186W, F378W, and F396W was determined to be 76.01, 52.82, 25.32, 53.31, 58.84, and 47.53 nmol Pi/min/mg, respectively. Complementation test revealed that the single mutation at codons 120, 186, and 378 of the dnaK gene still allowed an Escherichia coli dnaK756-Ts strain to grow at a stringent temperature of 44°C. Simultaneous addition of co-chaperones and NR-peptide did not synergistically stimulate the ATPase activity of F174W and F396W, and these two proteins were unable to assist the refolding of GdnHCl-denatured luciferase. The heat-induced denaturation of all variants could be fitted adequately to a three-state model, in agreement with the observation for the wild-type protein. By CD spectral analysis, GdnHCl-induced unfolding transition for BlDnaK was 1.51 M corresponding to ΔG(N-U) of 1.69 kcal/mol; however, the transitions for mutant proteins were 1.07-1.55 M equivalent to ΔG(N-U) of 0.94-2.93 kcal/mol. The emission maximum of single-tryptophan-incorporated variants was in the range of 333.2-335.8 nm. Acrylamide quenching analysis showed that the mutant proteins had a dynamic quenching constant of 3.0-4.2 M(-1). Taken together, these results suggest that the molecular properties of BlDnaK have been significantly changed upon the individual replacement of selected phenylalanine residues by tryptophan. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Conducting polymer based DNA biosensor for the detection of the Bacillus cereus group species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velusamy, Vijayalakshmi; Arshak, Khalil; Korostynska, Olga; Oliwa, Kamila; Adley, Catherine

    2009-05-01

    Biosensor designs are emerging at a significant rate and play an increasingly important role in foodborne pathogen detection. Conducting polymers are excellent tools for the fabrication of biosensors and polypyrrole has been used in the detection of biomolecules due to its unique properties. The prime intention of this paper was to pioneer the design and fabrication of a single-strand (ss) DNA biosensor for the detection of the Bacillus cereus (B.cereus) group species. Growth of B. cereus, results in production of several highly active toxins. Therefore, consumption of food containing >106 bacteria/gm may results in emetic and diarrhoeal syndromes. The most common source of this bacterium is found in liquid food products, milk powder, mixed food products and is of particular concern in the baby formula industry. The electrochemical deposition technique, such as cyclic voltammetry, was used to develop and test a model DNA-based biosensor on a gold electrode electropolymerized with polypyrrole. The electrically conducting polymer, polypyrrole is used as a platform for immobilizing DNA (1μg) on the gold electrode surface, since it can be more easily deposited from neutral pH aqueous solutions of pyrrolemonomers. The average current peak during the electrodeposition event is 288μA. There is a clear change in the current after hybridization of the complementary oligonucleotide (6.35μA) and for the noncomplementary oligonucleotide (5.77μA). The drop in current after each event was clearly noticeable and it proved to be effective.

  12. DNA fingerprinting of spore-forming bacterial isolates, using Bacillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bc-repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (Bc-Rep PCR) analysis was conducted on seven Bacillus thuringiensis isolates accessed from the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen (DSMZ) culture collection and on five local isolates of entomopathogenic spore-forming bacteria.

  13. Directed evolution improves the fibrinolytic activity of nattokinase from Bacillus natto.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yongjun, Cai; Wei, Bao; Shujun, Jiang; Meizhi, Weng; Yan, Jia; Yan, Yin; Zhongliang, Zheng; Goulin, Zou

    2011-12-01

    Nattokinase (subtilisin NAT, NK) is a relatively effective microbial fibrinolytic enzyme that has been identified and characterized from Bacillus natto. In the current report, DNA family shuffling was used to improve the fibrinolytic activity of nattokinase. Three homologous genes from B. natto AS 1.107, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CICC 20164 and Bacillus licheniformis CICC 10092 were shuffled to generate a mutant library. A plate-based method was used to screen the mutant libraries for improved activity. After three rounds of DNA shuffling, one desirable mutant with 16 amino acid substitutions was obtained. The mutant enzyme was purified and characterized. The kinetic measurements showed that the catalytic efficiency of the mutant NK was approximately 2.3 times higher than that of the wild-type nattokinase. In addition, the molecular modeling analysis suggested that the mutations affect the enzymatic function by changing the surface conformation of the substrate-binding pocket. The current study shows that the evolution of nattokinase with improved fibrinolytic activity by DNA family shuffling is feasible and provides useful references to facilitate the application of nattokinase in thrombolytic therapy. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Extra-chromosomal DNA maintenance in Bacillus subtilis, dependence on flagellation factor FliF and moonlighting mediator EdmS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hakumai, Yuichi; Shimomoto, Kouko; Ashiuchi, Makoto

    2015-05-15

    Extra-chromosomal DNA maintenance (EDM) as an important process in the propagation and genetic engineering of microbes. Bacillus subtilis EdmS (formerly PgsE), a protein comprising 55 amino acids, is a mediator of the EDM process. In this study, the effect of mutation of global regulators on B. subtilis EDM was examined. Mutation of the swrA gene abolished EdmS-mediated EDM. It is known that swrA predominantly regulates expression of the fla/che operon in B. subtilis. We therefore performed EDM analysis using fla/che-deletion mutants and identified an EDM-mediated EDM cooperator in the flgB-fliL region. Further genetic investigation identified the flagellation factor FliF is a crucial EDM cooperator. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of the moonlighting function of FliF in DNA maintenance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Damage effect of γ-rays on bacillus subtilis vegetative Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xiaoming; Liu Fang; Zhang Jianguo; Yan Wanli; Zheng Chun; Li Xiaoyan

    2011-01-01

    In order to investigate the damage effects of γ-rays at cell and molecular level, Bacillus subtilis vegetative cells were irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays at different absorbed doses. The cell survival rate was examined with the standard plate-count method. The intracellular SOD activity was measured by SOD kit through xanthine oxidase method. DNA double-strand breaks were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The cell survival rate decreases when γ-rays dose increases. A clear relation could not be found between intracellular SOD activity and absorbed dose. The DNA release percentage value and break level value increase obviously with γ-rays dose. Cell survival rate is related to DNA double-strand breaks level. It can be concluded that γ-rays have obviously damage effect on Bacillus subtilis vegetative cell, and the damage effect changes with SOD activity and DSB. (authors)

  16. Inhibition of the adenylyl cyclase toxin, edema factor, from Bacillus anthracis by a series of 18 mono- and bis-(M)ANT-substituted nucleoside 5'-triphosphates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taha, Hesham; Dove, Stefan; Geduhn, Jens; König, Burkhard; Shen, Yuequan; Tang, Wei-Jen; Seifert, Roland

    2012-01-01

    Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax disease and exerts its deleterious effects by the release of three exotoxins, i.e. lethal factor, protective antigen and edema factor (EF), a highly active calmodulin-dependent adenylyl cyclase (AC). Conventional antibiotic treatment is ineffective against either toxaemia or antibiotic-resistant strains. Thus, more effective drugs for anthrax treatment are needed. Our previous studies showed that EF is differentially inhibited by various purine and pyrimidine nucleotides modified with N-methylanthraniloyl (MANT)- or anthraniloyl (ANT) groups at the 2'(3')-O-ribosyl position, with the unique preference for the base cytosine (Taha et al., Mol Pharmacol 75:693 (2009)). MANT-CTP was the most potent EF inhibitor (K (i), 100 nM) among 16 compounds studied. Here, we examined the interaction of EF with a series of 18 2',3'-O-mono- and bis-(M)ANT-substituted nucleotides, recently shown to be very potent inhibitors of the AC toxin from Bordetella pertussis, CyaA (Geduhn et al., J Pharmacol Exp Ther 336:104 (2011)). We analysed purified EF and EF mutants in radiometric AC assays and in fluorescence spectroscopy studies and conducted molecular modelling studies. Bis-MANT nucleotides inhibited EF competitively. Propyl-ANT-ATP was the most potent EF inhibitor (K (i), 80 nM). In contrast to the observations made for CyaA, introduction of a second (M)ANT-group decreased rather than increased inhibitor potency at EF. Activation of EF by calmodulin resulted in effective fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from tryptophan and tyrosine residues located in the vicinity of the catalytic site to bis-MANT-ATP, but FRET to bis-MANT-CTP was only small. Mutations N583Q, K353A and K353R differentially altered the inhibitory potencies of bis-MANT-ATP and bis-MANT-CTP. The nucleotide binding site of EF accommodates bulky bis-(M)ANT-substituted purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, but the fit is suboptimal compared to CyaA. These data provide a basis

  17. A mechanism for cell cycle regulation of sporulation initiation in Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veening, Jan-Willem; Murray, Heath; Errington, Jeff

    2009-01-01

    Coordination of DNA replication with cellular development is a crucial problem in most living organisms. Bacillus subtilis cells switch from vegetative growth to sporulation when starved. Sporulation normally occurs in cells that have stopped replicating DNA and have two completed chromosomes: one

  18. A Simple Decontamination Approach Using Hydrogen ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal article To evaluate the use of relatively low levels of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) for the inactivation of Bacillus anthracis spores within an indoor environment. Methods and Results: Laboratory-scale decontamination tests were conducted using bacterial spores of both B. anthracis Ames and Bacillus atrophaeus inoculated onto several types of materials. Pilot-scale tests were also conducted using a larger chamber furnished as an indoor office. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) humidifiers filled with aqueous solutions of 3% or 8% hydrogen peroxide were used to generate the HPV inside the mock office. The spores were exposed to the HPV for periods ranging from 8 hours up to one week. Conclusions: Four to seven day exposures to low levels of HPV (average air concentrations of approximately 5-10 parts per million) were effective in inactivating B. anthracis spores on multiple materials. The HPV can be generated with COTS humidifiers and household H2O2 solutions. With the exception of one test/material, B. atrophaeus spores were equally or more resistant to HPV inactivation compared to those from B. anthracis Ames. Significance and Impact of Study: This simple and effective decontamination method is another option that could be widely applied in the event of a B. anthracis spore release.

  19. Development and applications of Bacillus subtilis test systems for mutagens, involving DNA-repair deficiency and suppressible auxotrophic mutations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanooka, H.

    1977-01-01

    A mutagen-tester of Bacillus subtilis was constructed and tested with known carcinogens. The parental strain HA101 of Okubo and Yanagida carrying suppressible nonsense mutations in his and met genes was transformed to carry an excision-repair deficiency mutation. The constructed strain TKJ5211 showed a 20-30-fold higher sensitivity for His + reversion than the parental strain when treated with UV and UV-mimetic chemicals but unchanged mutation frequency with X-rays and methyl methanesulfonate. The tester strain was used in a spot test of 30 selected chemicals and also for testing with liver homogenate activation. The results showed an almost equivalent but somewhat broader detection spectrum than the Salmonella typhimurium TA100 system. Another test method used a pair of B. subtilis strains differing in their DNA-repair capacity, i.e. the most UV-sensitive mutant HJ-15 and a wild-type strain, to detect repair-dependent DNA damage produced by chemicals. Spores could be used in either test

  20. Antioxidant and DNA Damage Protecting Activity of Exopolysaccharides from the Endophytic Bacterium Bacillus cereus SZ1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Ping Zheng

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available An endophytic bacterium was isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. The phylogenetic and physiological characterization indicated that the isolate, strain SZ-1, was Bacillus cereus. The endophyte could produce an exopolysaccharide (EPS at 46 mg/L. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydracyl (DPPH radical scavenging activity of the EPS reached more than 50% at 3–5 mg/mL. The EPS was also effective in scavenging superoxide radical in a concentration dependent fashion with an EC50 value of 2.6 mg/mL. The corresponding EC50 for scavenging hydroxyl radical was 3.1 mg/mL. Moreover, phenanthroline-copper complex-mediated chemiluminescent emission of DNA damage was both inhibited and delayed by EPS. The EPS at 0.7–1.7 mg/mL also protected supercoiled DNA strands in plasmid pBR322 against scission induced by Fenton-mediated hydroxyl radical. The preincubation of PC12 cells with the EPS prior to H2O2 exposure increased the cell survival and glutathione (GSH level and catalase (CAT activities, and decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH activity in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a pronounced protective effect against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Our study indicated that the EPS could be useful for preventing oxidative DNA damage and cellular oxidation in pharmaceutical and food industries.

  1. A novel hyaluronidase produced by Bacillus sp. A50.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xueping Guo

    Full Text Available Hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that degrade hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan, HA and widely used in many fields. A hyaluronidase producing bacteria strain was screened from the air. 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA analysis indicated that the strain belonged to the genus Bacillus, and the strain was named as Bacillus sp. A50. This is the first report of a hyaluronidase from Bacillus, which yields unsaturated oligosaccharides as product like other microbial hyaluronate lyases. Under optimized conditions, the yield of hyaluronidase from Bacillus sp. A50 could reach up to 1.5×10(4 U/mL, suggesting that strain A50 is a good producer of hyaluronidase. The hyaluronidase (HAase-B was isolated and purified from the bacterial culture, with a specific activity of 1.02×10(6 U/mg protein and a yield of 25.38%. The optimal temperature and pH of HAase-B were 44°C and pH 6.5, respectively. It was stable at pH 5-6 and at a temperature lower than 45°C. The enzymatic activity could be enhanced by Ca2+, Mg2+, or Ni2+, and inhibited by Zn2+, Cu2+, EDTA, ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA, deferoxamine mesylate salt (DFO, triton X-100, Tween 80, or SDS at different levels. Kinetic measurements of HAase-B towards HA gave a Michaelis constant (Km of 0.02 mg/mL, and a maximum velocity (Vmax of 0.27 A232/min. HAase-B also showed activity towards chondroitin sulfate A (CSA with the kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax, 12.30 mg/mL and 0.20 A232/min respectively. Meanwhile, according to the sequences of genomic DNA and HAase-B's part peptides, a 3,324-bp gene encoding HAase-B was obtained.

  2. Genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Bacillus spp. isolated from steel plant waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chartone-Souza Edmar

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular studies of Bacillus diversity in various environments have been reported. However, there have been few investigations concerning Bacillus in steel plant environments. In this study, genotypic and phenotypic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 40 bacterial isolates recovered from steel plant waste were investigated using classical and molecular methods. Results 16S rDNA partial sequencing assigned all the isolates to the Bacillus genus, with close genetic relatedness to the Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus groups, and to the species Bacillus sphaericus. tDNA-intergenic spacer length polymorphisms and the 16S–23S intergenic transcribed spacer region failed to identify the isolates at the species level. Genomic diversity was investigated by molecular typing with rep (repetitive sequence based PCR using the primer sets ERIC2 (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus, (GTG5, and BOXAIR. Genotypic fingerprinting of the isolates reflected high intraspecies and interspecies diversity. Clustering of the isolates using ERIC-PCR fingerprinting was similar to that obtained from the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree, indicating the potential of the former technique as a simple and useful tool for examining relationships among unknown Bacillus spp. Physiological, biochemical and heavy metal susceptibility profiles also indicated considerable phenotypic diversity. Among the heavy metal compounds tested Zn, Pb and Cu were least toxic to the bacterial isolates, whereas Ag inhibited all isolates at 0.001 mM. Conclusion Isolates with identical 16S rRNA gene sequences had different genomic fingerprints and differed considerably in their physiological capabilities, so the high levels of phenotypic diversity found in this study are likely to have ecological relevance.

  3. Functional Analysis of the ComK Protein of Bacillus coagulans

    OpenAIRE

    Kovacs, Akos; Eckhardt, Thomas; van Kranenburg, Richard; Kuipers, Oscar

    2013-01-01

    The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own promoter region into Bacillus subtilis comK strain results in low transcriptional induction of the late competence gene comGA, but lacking bistable expression. The promoter regions of B. coagulans co...

  4. Colorimetric and dynamic light scattering detection of DNA sequences by using positively charged gold nanospheres: a comparative study with gold nanorods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pylaev, T. E.; Khanadeev, V. A.; Khlebtsov, B. N.; Dykman, L. A.; Bogatyrev, V. A.; Khlebtsov, N. G.

    2011-07-01

    We introduce a new genosensing approach employing CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide)-coated positively charged colloidal gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to detect target DNA sequences by using absorption spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. The approach is compared with a previously reported method employing unmodified CTAB-coated gold nanorods (GNRs). Both approaches are based on the observation that whereas the addition of probe and target ssDNA to CTAB-coated particles results in particle aggregation, no aggregation is observed after addition of probe and nontarget DNA sequences. Our goal was to compare the feasibility and sensitivity of both methods. A 21-mer ssDNA from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 HIV-1 U5 long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence and a 23-mer ssDNA from the Bacillus anthracis cryptic protein and protective antigen precursor (pagA) genes were used as ssDNA models. In the case of GNRs, unexpectedly, the colorimetric test failed with perfect cigar-like particles but could be performed with dumbbell and dog-bone rods. By contrast, our approach with cationic CTAB-coated GNPs is easy to implement and possesses excellent feasibility with retention of comparable sensitivity—a 0.1 nM concentration of target cDNA can be detected with the naked eye and 10 pM by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The specificity of our method is illustrated by successful DLS detection of one-three base mismatches in cDNA sequences for both DNA models. These results suggest that the cationic GNPs and DLS can be used for genosensing under optimal DNA hybridization conditions without any chemical modifications of the particle surface with ssDNA molecules and signal amplification. Finally, we discuss a more than two-three-order difference in the reported estimations of the detection sensitivity of colorimetric methods (0.1 to 10-100 pM) to show that the existing aggregation models are inconsistent with the detection limits of about 0.1-1 pM DNA and that

  5. STUDY REGARDING EFFICIENCY OF INDUCED GENETIC TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS WITH PLASMID DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VINTILĂ T.

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A strain of Bacillus licheniformis was subject to genetic transformation with plasmidvectors (pLC1 and pNC61, using electroporation technique, protoplasttransformation and bivalent cations (CaCl2 mediated transformation. In the case oftransformation by electroporation of Bacillus licheniformis B40, the highest numberof transformed colonies (3 were obtained only after a 1,79 KV electric shock, for 2,2milliseconds. Using this transformation technique we have obtained six kanamycinresistant transformants. The frequency of Bacillus licheniformis B40 protoplaststransformation using pLC1 and pNC61 plasmid vectors is approximately 10% (TF =10%. As a result of pLC1 plasmid integration in Bacillus licheniformis protoplasts,six kanamycin resistant transformants were obtained. The pNC61 plasmid, whichconfers trimethoprim resistance, does not integrate in receiver cells by protoplasttransformation. The direct genetic transformation in the presence of bivalent cations(CaCl2, mediated by pLC1 and pNC61 plasmid vectors, produce a lowtransformation frequency. Using this technique, we have obtained three trimethoprimresistant colonies and four kanamycin resistant colonies. The chemical way oftransformation is the only technique, which realizes the integration of pNC61 in B.licheniformis B40 cells.

  6. STUDY REGARDING EFFICIENCY OF INDUCED GENETIC TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS WITH PLASMID DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. VINTILĂ

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available A strain of Bacillus licheniformis was subject to genetic transformation with plasmid vectors (pLC1 and pNC61, using electroporation technique, protoplast transformation and bivalent cations (CaCl2 mediated transformation. In the case of transformation by electroporation of Bacillus licheniformis B40, the highest number of transformed colonies (3 were obtained only after a 1,79 KV electric shock, for 2,2 milliseconds. Using this transformation technique we have obtained six kanamycin resistant transformants. The frequency of Bacillus licheniformis B40 protoplasts transformation using pLC1 and pNC61 plasmid vectors is approximately 10% (TF = 10%. As a result of pLC1 plasmid integration in Bacillus licheniformis protoplasts, six kanamycin resistant transformants were obtained. The pNC61 plasmid, which confers trimethoprim resistance, does not integrate in receiver cells by protoplast transformation. The direct genetic transformation in the presence of bivalent cations (CaCl2, mediated by pLC1 and pNC61 plasmid vectors, produce a low transformation frequency. Using this technique, we have obtained three trimethoprim resistant colonies and four kanamycin resistant colonies. The chemical way of transformation is the only technique, which realizes the integration of pNC61 in B. licheniformis B40 cells.

  7. Lethality of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and a commercial fruit and vegetable sanitizer to vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus and spores of Bacillus thuringiensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beuchat, Larry R; Pettigrew, Charles A; Tremblay, Mario E; Roselle, Brian J; Scouten, Alan J

    2004-08-01

    Chlorine, ClO2, and a commercial raw fruit and vegetable sanitizer were evaluated for their effectiveness in killing vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus and spores of Bacillus thuringiensis. The ultimate goal was to use one or both species as a potential surrogate(s) for Bacillus anthracis in studies that focus on determining the efficacy of sanitizers in killing the pathogen on food contact surfaces and foods. Treatment with alkaline (pH 10.5 to 11.0) ClO2 (200 microg/ml) produced by electrochemical technologies reduced populations of a five-strain mixture of vegetative cells and a five-strain mixture of spores of B. cereus by more than 5.4 and more than 6.4 log CFU/ml respectively, within 5 min. This finding compares with respective reductions of 4.5 and 1.8 log CFU/ml resulting from treatment with 200 microg/ml of chlorine. Treatment with a 1.5% acidified (pH 3.0) solution of Fit powder product was less effective, causing 2.5- and 0.4-log CFU/ml reductions in the number of B. cereus cells and spores, respectively. Treatment with alkaline ClO2 (85 microg/ml), acidified (pH 3.4) ClO2 (85 microg/ml), and a mixture of ClO2 (85 microg/ml) and Fit powder product (0.5%) (pH 3.5) caused reductions in vegetative cell/spore populations of more than 5.3/5.6, 5.3/5.7, and 5.3/6.0 log CFU/ml, respectively. Treatment of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis spores in a medium (3.4 mg/ml of organic and inorganic solids) in which cells had grown and produced spores with an equal volume of alkaline (pH 12.1) ClO2 (400 microg/ml) for 30 min reduced populations by 4.6 and 5.2 log CFU/ml, respectively, indicating high lethality in the presence of materials other than spores that would potentially react with and neutralize the sporicidal activity of ClO2.

  8. Immunochromatographic Assays for Identification of Biological Agents: NATO SIBCA Exercise I

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Fulton, R

    2000-01-01

    ...: Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Vibrio cholerae, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) virus, Francisella tularensis, Brucella melitensis, Burkholderia mallei, Yellow Fever virus, Vaccinia virus, or Coxiella burnetii...

  9. Diversity of Antifungal Compounds-Producing Bacillus spp. Isolated from Rhizosphere of Soybean Plant Based on ARDRA and 16S rRNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ARIS TRI WAHYUDI

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR play an important role in improvement of seed germination, root development, and water utilization by plants. These rhizobacteria can stimulate plant growth directly by producing growth hormones or indirectly by producing antifungal compounds/antibiotics to suppress phytopathogenic fungi. The objective of this research was to analyze the diversity of 22 antifungal-producing rhizobacteria of Bacillus sp. isolated from rhizosphere of soybean plant based on Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA and 16S rRNA Sequence. Restriction enzymes in ARDRA analysis, HinfI, HaeIII, and RsaI were used to digest 22 16S rDNA amplified from Bacillus sp. genomes. Based on this analysis, genetic diversity of 22 Bacillus sp. producing antifungal compounds were classified into eight different groups. Moreover, six selected isolates randomly from each ARDRA group that have strong activity to suppress fungal growth were analyzed for their 16S rDNA sequences compared with reference strains. The distributions of these isolates were genetically diverse on several species of Bacillus sp. such as B. subtilis, B. cereus, and B. fusiformis. ARDRA is a reliable technique to analyze genetic diversity of Bacillus sp. community in the rhizosphere.

  10. Bioaccumulation of copper, zinc, cadmium and lead by Bacillus sp., Bacillus cereus, Bacillus sphaericus and Bacillus subtilis Bioacumulação de cobre, zinco, cádmio e chumbo por Bacillus sp., Bacillus cereus, Bacillus sphaericus e Bacillus subtilis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Carlos Augusto da Costa

    2001-03-01

    Full Text Available This work presents some results on the use of microbes from the genus Bacillus for uptake of cadmium, zinc, copper and lead ions. Maximum copper bioaccumulations were 5.6 mol/g biomass for B. sphaericus, 5.9 mol/g biomass for B. cereus and B. subtilis, and 6.4 mol/g biomass for Bacillus sp. Maximum zinc bioaccumulations were 4.3 mol/g biomass for B. sphaericus, 4.6 mol/g biomass for B. cereus, 4.8 mol/g biomass for Bacillus sp. and 5.0 mol/g biomass for B. subtilis. Maximum cadmium bioaccumulations were 8.0 mol/g biomass for B. cereus, 9.5 mol/g biomass for B. subtilis, 10.8 mol/g biomass for Bacillus sp. and 11.8 mol/g biomass for B. sphaericus. Maximum lead biomaccumulations were 0.7 mol/g biomass for B. sphaericus, 1.1 mol/g biomass for B. cereus, 1.4 mol/g biomass for Bacillus sp. and 1.8 mol/g biomass for B. subtilis. The different Bacillus strains tested presented distinct uptake capacities, and the best results were obtained for B. subtilis and B. cereus.Este trabalho apresenta resultados de acumulação dos íons metálicos cádmio, zinco, cobre e chumbo por bactérias do gênero Bacillus. A bioacumulação máxima de cobre foi 5,6 mol/g biomassa para B. sphaericus, 5,9 mol/g biomassa para B. cereus e B. subtilis, e 6,4 mol/g biomassa para Bacillus sp.. A bioacumulação máxima de zinco foi 4,3 mol/g biomassa para B. sphaericus, 4,6 mol/g biomassa para B. cereus, 4,8 mol/g biomassa para Bacillus sp. e 5,0 mol/g biomassa para B. subtilis. A bioacumulação máxima de cádmio foi 8,0 mol/g biomassa para B. cereus, 9,5 mol/g biomassa para B. subtilis, 10,8 mol/g biomassa para Bacillus sp. e 11,8 mol/g biomassa para B. sphaericus. A bioacumulação máxima de chumbo foi 0,7 mol/g biomassa para B. sphaericus, 1,1 mol/g biomassa para B. cereus, 1,4 mol/g biomassa para Bacillus sp. e 1,8 mol/g biomassa para B. subtilis. As distintas linhagens de Bacillus testadas apresentaram variáveis capacidades de carregamento de íons metálicos, sendo os

  11. Lead biotransformation potential of allochthonous Bacillus sp. SKK11 with sesame oil cake in mine soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    This study was aimed at assessing the potential of allochthonous Bacillus sp. SKK11 and sesame oil cake extract for transformation of Pb in mine soil. The bacteria were isolated from a brackish environment and identified as Bacillus sp. based on partial 16S rDNA sequences. The isolate SKK11 exhibite...

  12. Reclassification of Bacillus beijingensis Qiu et al. 2009 and Bacillus ginsengi Qiu et al. 2009 as Bhargavaea beijingensis comb. nov. and Bhargavaea ginsengi comb. nov. and emended description of the genus Bhargavaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Pankaj; Pandey, Prashant Kumar; Gupta, Arvind Kumar; Seong, Chi Nam; Park, Seong Chan; Choe, Han Na; Baik, Keun Sik; Patole, Milind Shivaji; Shouche, Yogesh Shreepad

    2012-10-01

    We have carried out a polyphasic taxonomic characterization of Bacillus beijingensis DSM 19037(T) and Bacillus ginsengi DSM 19038(T), which are closely related phylogenetically to Bhargavaea cecembensis LMG 24411(T). All three strains are Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, moderately halotolerant and non-spore-forming. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that the strains constituted a coherent cluster, with sequence similarities between 99.7 and 98.7 %. The percentage similarity on the basis of amino acid sequences deduced from partial gyrB gene nucleotide sequences of these three type strains was 96.1-92.7 %. Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and GyrB amino acid sequences, obtained by using three different algorithms, were consistent and showed that these three species constituted a deeply rooted cluster separated from the clades represented by the genera Bacillus, Planococcus, Planomicrobium, Sporosarcina, Lysinibacillus, Viridibacillus, Kurthia and Geobacillus, supporting their placement in the genus Bhargavaea. All three type strains have menaquinone MK-8 as the major respiratory quinone and showed similar fatty acid profiles. The main polar lipids present in the three type strains were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, and the three strains showed peptidoglycan type A4α with L-lysine as the diagnostic diamino acid. The DNA G+C contents of Bacillus beijingensis DSM 19037(T), Bacillus ginsengi DSM 19038(T) and Bhargavaea cecembensis LMG 24411(T) were 53.1, 50.2 and 53.7 mol%, respectively. The level of DNA-DNA hybridization among the three strains was 57-39 %, indicating that they are members of different species of the genus Bhargavaea. The phenotypic data are consistent with the placement of these three species in a single genus and support their differentiation at the species level. On the basis of these data, we have emended the description of the genus Bhargavaea and propose the reclassification of Bacillus beijingensis

  13. Anthrax of the eyelids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amraoui, A.; Tabbara, K. F.; Zaghloul, K.

    1992-01-01

    Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. The disease affects primarily herbivores including sheep, cattle, horses, and other domestic animals. Humans may rarely be affected. We examined one male and two female patients with a localised itchy erythematous papule of the eyelid. A necrotising ulcer formed in each of the three cases resulting in a black lesion. Scraping in each case showed Gram positive rods and culture grew Bacillus anthracis. All three patients responded to the intravenous administration of penicillin G, and the lesion resolved leaving scars in two cases. Anthrax is a rare disease but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ulcers or pustules of the eyelids. Images PMID:1486081

  14. Construction of acetoin high-producing Bacillus subtilis strain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanjun Tian

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the construction and selection of a high-producing mutant, Bacillus subtilis HB-32, with enhanced acetoin yield and productivity. The mutant was obtained by the protoplast fusion of a Bacillus subtilis mutant TH-49 (Val− producing acetoin and Bacillus licheniformis AD-30 producing α-acetolactate decarboxylase, with the fusogen polyethylene glycol and after the regeneration and selection, etc. of the fusant. The acetoin production reached 49.64 g/L, which is an increase of 61.8% compared to that of B. subtilis strain TH-49. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis was performed to determine the mutagenic and protoplast fusion effects and the genomic changes in the acetoin high-producing strain compared to the parent strains at the molecular level. The constructed strain was shown to be promising for large-scale acetoin production. Future studies should focus on the application of the mutant strain in practice.

  15. Portable Diagnostics and Rapid Germination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dunn, Zachary Spencer [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2016-12-01

    In the Bioenergy and Defense Department of Sandia National Laboratories, characterization of the BaDx (Bacillus anthracis diagnostic cartridge) was performed and rapid germination chemistry was investigated. BaDx was tested with complex sample matrixes inoculated with Bacillus anthracis, and the trials proved that BaDx will detect Bacillus anthracis in a variety of the medium, such as dirt, serum, blood, milk, and horse fluids. The dimensions of the device were altered to accommodate an E. coli or Listeria lateral flow immunoassay, and using a laser printer, BaDx devices were manufactured to identify E. coli and Listeria. Initial testing with E. coli versions of BaDx indicate that the device will be viable as a portable diagnostic cartridge. The device would be more effective with faster bacteria germination; hence studies were performed the use of rapid germination chemistry. Trials with calcium dipicolinic acid displayed increased cell germination, as shown by control studies using a microplate reader. Upon lyophilization the rapid germination chemistry failed to change growth patterns, indicating that the calcium dipicolinic acid was not solubilized under the conditions tested. Although incompatible with the portable diagnostic device, the experiments proved that the rapid germination chemistry was effective in increasing cell germination.

  16. Evaluation of Commercial Off-the-Shelf Solutions for Supporting Viability Retention of Yersinia Pestis Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-01

    were not the result of residual environmental contamination . Major threat agents such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and Burkholderia...presence of Y. pestis and B. anthracis, even though no deliberate contamination was verified (Afshinnekoo et al., 2015). In fact, as of 2015, there have...Aldrich (St. Louis, MO) or Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, MA). Butterfield’s buffer was prepared according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

  17. Transformation of undomesticated strains of Bacillus subtilis by protoplast electroporation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Romero, Diego; Perez-Garcia, Alejandro; Veening, Jan-Willem; de Vicente, Antonio; Kuipers, Oscar P.; de, Vicente A.

    A rapid method combining the use of protoplasts and electroporation was developed to transform recalcitrant wild strains of Bacillus subtilis. The method described here allows transformation with both replicative and integrative plasmids, as well as with chromosomal DNA, and provides a valuable tool

  18. Results and Recommendations from the First NATO International Training Exercise on Laboratory Identification of Biological Agents

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hancock, J.R

    2001-01-01

    ...)-inactivated biological material and one blank containing phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The United States, as the host nation, distributed PBS, Bacillus anthracis, Coxiella burnetii, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE...

  19. [Genodiagnosis and molecular typing of the pathogens for plague, cholera, and anthrax].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutyrev, V V; Smirnova, N I

    2003-01-01

    The paper contains a survey of published data about the use of DNA-diagnostics in indicating and identifying the causative agents of highly dangerous infections like plague, cholera and anthrax. A discussion of data about the genetic relationship between strains of the mentioned causative agents isolated from different sources by using the molecular-typing methods as well as about the evolution ties between strains of different origins is in the focus of attention. Results of comparative studies of nucleotide sequences of genomes or of individual genomes in different Yersinia pestis, Vibrio cholerae and Bacillus anthracis strains, which are indicative of the evolution of their pathogenicity, are also under discussion.

  20. Use of Magnetic Bead Resin and Automated Liquid Handler Extraction Methods to Robotically Isolate Nucleic Acids of Biological Agent Simulates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Seegar, Tom

    2003-01-01

    The events that occurred following the mailing of Bacillus anthracis-laced envelopes through the postal system highlight the need to perform biological screening on large numbers of environmental samples...

  1. Functional analysis of the ComK protein of Bacillus coagulans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kovács, Á.T.; Eckhardt, T.H.; Hartskamp, van M.; Kranenburg, van R.; Kuipers, O.P.

    2013-01-01

    The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own

  2. Functional Analysis of the ComK Protein of Bacillus coagulans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kovacs, Akos; Eckhardt, Thomas; van Kranenburg, Richard; Kuipers, Oscar

    2013-01-01

    The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own

  3. Evaluation of Commercial-off-the-Shelf Materials for the Preservation of Gram Positive Vegetative Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-01

    anthracis vegetative cells that were spotted on two different surfaces. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Bacillus anthracis Microbial cell viability Biosampling...technical capability gap that needs to be addressed because culturing a sample to determine what microorganisms are present remains essential, despite...the end of this incubation, 1 mL of inoculum was spotted on 2 × 2 in. stainless steel or 2 × 2 in. painted concrete surfaces and allowed to dry for

  4. Rapid generation of an anthrax immunotherapeutic from goats using a novel non-toxic muramyl dipeptide adjuvant

    OpenAIRE

    Kelly, Cassandra D; O'Loughlin, Chris; Gelder, Frank B; Peterson, Johnny W; Sower, Laurie E; Cirino, Nick M

    2007-01-01

    Background There is a clear need for vaccines and therapeutics for potential biological weapons of mass destruction and emerging diseases. Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, has been used as both a biological warfare agent and bioterrorist weapon previously. Although antibiotic therapy is effective in the early stages of anthrax infection, it does not have any effect once exposed individuals become symptomatic due to B. anthracis exotoxin accumulation. The bipartite exotoxin...

  5. Transfer of Bacillus halodenitrificans Denariaz et al. 1989 to the genus Virgibacillus as Virgibacillus halodenitrificans comb. nov.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Jung-Hoon; Oh, Tae-Kwang; Park, Yong-Ha

    2004-11-01

    A Gram-variable, endospore-forming moderately halophilic rod, strain SF-121, was isolated from a marine solar saltern of the Yellow Sea in Korea. The result of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain SF-121 has highest sequence similarity (99.7 %) with the type strain of Bacillus halodenitrificans. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that B. halodenitrificans DSM 10037(T) and strain SF-121 are more closely related to the genus Virgibacillus than to the genus Bacillus. Strain SF-121 and B. halodenitrificans DSM 10037(T) exhibited 16S rRNA gene similarity levels of 95.3-97.5 % with the type strains of Virgibacillus species and 94.0 % with the type strain of Bacillus subtilis. DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data indicated that B. halodenitrificans DSM 10037(T) and strain SF-121 are members of the same species. B. halodenitrificans DSM 10037(T) and strain SF-121 exhibited DNA-DNA relatedness values of 9-11 % with the type strains of Virgibacillus carmonensis and Virgibacillus marismortui. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genetic data, B. halodenitrificans should be reclassified in the genus Virgibacillus as Virgibacillus halodenitrificans comb. nov.

  6. Bacillus velezensis is not a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Bacillus methylotrophicus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp plantarum and ‘Bacillus oryzicola’ are later heterotypic synonyms of Bacillus

    Science.gov (United States)

    The rhizosphere isolated bacteria belonging to the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum and Bacillus methylotrophicus clades are an important group of strains that are used as plant growth promoters and antagonists of plant pathogens. These properties have made these strains the focus of comm...

  7. Detection of Alicyclobacillus species in fruit juice using a random genomic DNA microarray chip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Jun Hyeong; Kim, Sun-Joong; Yoon, Bo Hyun; Ryu, Jee-Hoon; Gu, Man Bock; Chang, Hyo-Ihl

    2011-06-01

    This study describes a method using a DNA microarray chip to rapidly and simultaneously detect Alicyclobacillus species in orange juice based on the hybridization of genomic DNA with random probes. Three food spoilage bacteria were used in this study: Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, and Alicyclobacillus cycloheptanicus. The three Alicyclobacillus species were adjusted to 2 × 10(3) CFU/ml and inoculated into pasteurized 100% pure orange juice. Cy5-dCTP labeling was used for reference signals, and Cy3-dCTP was labeled for target genomic DNA. The molar ratio of 1:1 of Cy3-dCTP and Cy5-dCTP was used. DNA microarray chips were fabricated using randomly fragmented DNA of Alicyclobacillus spp. and were hybridized with genomic DNA extracted from Bacillus spp. Genomic DNA extracted from Alicyclobacillus spp. showed a significantly higher hybridization rate compared with DNA of Bacillus spp., thereby distinguishing Alicyclobacillus spp. from Bacillus spp. The results showed that the microarray DNA chip containing randomly fragmented genomic DNA was specific and clearly identified specific food spoilage bacteria. This microarray system is a good tool for rapid and specific detection of thermophilic spoilage bacteria, mainly Alicyclobacillus spp., and is useful and applicable to the fruit juice industry.

  8. Damage of DNA by radiation and it's recovery, 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narita, Noboru; Matsuura, Tomio; Sato, Hiroyuki.

    1974-01-01

    The damage and recovery of DNA was investigated by the incorporation of thymine derivatives (DHT, I trans, II trans, cis and glycol) into exponentially growing Tetrahymena cells. The strain employed was Tetrahymena pyriformis, Variety I, mating type IV. It is well known that these thymine derivatives are induced in vivo by radiation. The in vivo damage of DNA induced by radiation, and its recovery, were confirmed experimentally by means of gradient separation of sucrose density and by analytical ultra centrifugation (UVC). The recovery of DNA, its excision repair and its recombinational repair were compared with the recovery of Bacillus subtilis whose recovery kinetics were already known. 1) The damage of DNA was more sensitive to glycol than to II trans and cis. On the other hand, DHT is not sensitive for breaking DNA strand. 2) In its recovery damaged DNA was no more sensitive to glycol than to hhp as was true for Bacillus subtilis. (author)

  9. Isolation, identification and characterization of Bacillus cereus from the dairy environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Giffel, te M.

    1997-01-01

    In this thesis the occurrence of Bacillus cereus in the milk production and processing environment was investigated. Isolates were identified biochemically and by DNA probes based on the variable regions of 16S rRNA. Further characterization was carried out using

  10. Inhibitory effects of Bacillus probionts on growth and toxin production of Vibrio harveyi pathogens of shrimp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakayama, T; Lu, H; Nomura, N

    2009-12-01

    To investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus megaterium in terms of toxin and growth of pathogenic Vibrio harveyi. Three Bacillus probionts were isolated from probiotic BZT aquaculture and identified using a 16S rDNA sequence. Growth inhibition assay showed that supernatants from the 24-h culture of three Bacillus species were able to inhibit the growth of V. harveyi (LMG 4044); B. subtilis was the most effective based on the well diffusion method. Results of a liquid culture model showed that B. subtilis was also widely effective in inhibiting three strains of V. harveyi (isolated from Thailand, the Philippines and LMG 4044), and that both B. licheniformis and B. megaterium inhibit the growth of V. harveyi isolated from the Philippines. Moreover, a haemolytic activity assay demonstrated that V. harveyi (IFO 15634) was significantly decreased by the addition of B. licheniformis or B. megaterium supernatant. Bacillus subtilis inhibited Vibrio growth, and both B. licheniformis and B. megaterium suppressed haemolytic activity in Vibrio. The cell-free supernatants produced by Bacillus probionts inhibit Vibrio disease, and Bacillus probionts might have an influence on Vibrio cell-to-cell communications.

  11. DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED ANAEROBIC GROWTH OF BACILLUS MOJAVENSIS STRAIN JF-2 FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVED ANAEROBIC BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCTION FOR ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M.J. McInerney; M. Folmsbee; D. Nagle

    2004-05-31

    Our work focuses on the use of microorganisms to recover petroleum hydrocarbons that remain entrapped after current recovery technologies reach their economic limit. Capillary forces between the hydrocarbon and aqueous phases are largely responsible for trapping the hydrocarbons in the pores of the rock and large reductions in the interfacial tension between the hydrocarbon and aqueous phases are needed for hydrocarbon mobilization (1-3, 10, 11). Microorganisms produce a variety of biosurfactants (4), several of which generate the ultra low interfacial tensions needed for hydrocarbon mobilization (4, 5, 8). In particular, the lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Bacillus mojavensis strain JF-2 reduces the interfacial tension between hydrocarbon and aqueous phases to very low levels (<0.016 mN/m) (8) (9). B. mojavensis JF-2 grows under the environmental conditions found in many oil reservoirs, i. e., anaerobic, NaCl concentrations up to 80 g l{sup -1}, and temperatures up to 45 C (6, 7), making it ideally suited for in situ applications. However, anaerobic growth of B. mojavensis JF-2 was inconsistent and difficult to replicate, which limited its use for in situ applications. Our initial studies revealed that enzymatic digests, such as Proteose Peptone, were required for anaerobic growth of Bacillus mojavensis JF-2. Subsequent purification of the growth-enhancing factor in Proteose Peptone resulted in the identification of the growth-enhancing factor as DNA or deoxyribonucleosides. The addition of salmon sperm DNA, herring sperm DNA, E. coli DNA or synthetic DNA (single or double stranded) to Medium E all supported anaerobic growth of JF-2. Further, we found that JF-2 required all four deoxyribonucleosides (deoxyadeonosine, deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine and thymidine) for growth under strict anaerobic conditions. The requirement for the deoxyribonucleosides did not occur under aerobic growth conditions. DNA was not used as a sole energy source; sucrose was required

  12. Bacillus endozanthoxylicus sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Li; Xi, Jia-Qin; Cao, Yong-Hong; Wang, Xiao-Yan; Zheng, Shuai-Chao; Yang, Cheng-Gang; Yang, Ling-Ling; Mi, Qi-Li; Li, Xue-Mei; Zhu, Ming-Liang; Mo, Ming-He

    2017-10-01

    A Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, motile bacterium, designated as 1404 T , was isolated from leaves of Chinese red pepper (Huajiao) (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) collected from Gansu, north-west China. Spores were not observed under a range of conditions. Strain 1404 T was observed to grow at 15-45 °C and pH 6.0-10.0 and in presence of 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl concentration. The cell wall of strain 1404 T was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid, and the predominant respiratory quinone was identified as MK-7. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phospholipid as well as three unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids profile of strain 1404 T consisted of iso-C15 : 0 (25.6 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (18.4 %) and iso-C14 : 0 (12.1 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 1404 T was affiliated to the genus Bacillus and was closely related to Bacillusoryzisoli 1DS3-10 T , Bacillusbenzoevorans DSM 5391 T and Bacilluscirculans DSM 11 T with sequence similarity of 98.3, 98.2 and 96.9 %, respectively. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 39.4 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization values indicated that relatedness between strain 1404 T and the type strains of closely related species of the genus Bacillus was below 41 %. Therefore, on the basis of the data from the polyphasic taxonomic study presented, strain 1404 T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name proposed is Bacillus endozanthoxylicus sp. nov. The type strain is 1404 T (=CCTCC AB 2017021 T =KCTC 33827 T ).

  13. Afican Health Sciences Vol 10 No 2.pmd

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2007-01-23

    Jan 23, 2007 ... Key Words: Zimbabwe, Gokwe, Outbreak, Anthrax, Bacillus anthracis. African Health Sciences 2010; 10(2): 159 - 164. Introduction. Anthrax is ... and establish factors associated with contracting anthrax in the affected area.

  14. DisA and c-di-AMP act at the intersection between DNA-damage response and stress homeostasis in exponentially growing Bacillus subtilis cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gándara, Carolina; Alonso, Juan C

    2015-03-01

    Bacillus subtilis contains two vegetative diadenylate cyclases, DisA and CdaA, which produce cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP), and one phosphodiesterase, GdpP, that degrades it into a linear di-AMP. We report here that DisA and CdaA contribute to elicit repair of DNA damage generated by alkyl groups and H2O2, respectively, during vegetative growth. disA forms an operon with radA (also termed sms) that encodes a protein distantly related to RecA. Among different DNA damage agents tested, only methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) affected disA null strain viability, while radA showed sensitivity to all of them. A strain lacking both disA and radA was as sensitive to MMS as the most sensitive single parent (epistasis). Low c-di-AMP levels (e.g. by over-expressing GdpP) decreased the ability of cells to repair DNA damage caused by MMS and in less extent by H2O2, while high levels of c-di-AMP (absence of GdpP or expression of sporulation-specific diadenylate cyclase, CdaS) increased cell survival. Taken together, our results support the idea that c-di-AMP is a crucial signalling molecule involved in DNA repair with DisA and CdaA contributing to modulate different DNA damage responses during exponential growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Detection of Bacillus thuringiensis genes in transgenic maize by the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We optimized the PCR method to detect genetically engineered Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize in open quarantine fields in Kenya. Many factors affect the extraction of the DNA from plants, such as the amount of tissue available, the condition of the plant material, the numbers of steps involved in the extraction procedure, ...

  16. The Sponge-associated Bacterium Bacillus licheniformis SAB1: A Source of Antimicrobial Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabha Devi

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Several bacterial cultures were isolated from sponge Halichondria sp., collected from the Gujarat coast of the Indo Pacific region. These bacterial cultures were fermented in the laboratory (100 mL and the culture filtrate was assayed for antibiotic activity against 16 strains of clinical pathogens. Bacillus sp. (SAB1, the most potent of them and antagonistic to several clinically pathogenic Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus was chosen for further investigation. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA gene of Bacillus sp. SAB1 showed a strong similarity (100% with the 16S rDNA gene of Bacillus licheniformis HNL09. The bioactive compounds produced by Bacillus licheniformis SAB1 (GenBank accession number: DQ071568 were identified as indole (1, 3-phenylpropionic acid (2 and a dimer 4,4′-oxybis[3-phenylpropionic acid] (3 on the basis of their Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometer (ESI-MS data. There is a single reference on the natural occurrence of compound 3 from the leaves of a terrestrial herb Aptenia cordifolia in the literature, so to the best of our knowledge, this is a first report of its natural occurrence from a marine source. The recovery of bacterial strains with antimicrobial activity suggests that marine-invertebrates remain a rich source for the isolation of culturable isolates capable of producing novel bioactive secondary metabolites.

  17. Functional analysis of the ComK protein of Bacillus coagulans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovács, Ákos T; Eckhardt, Tom H; van Hartskamp, Mariska; van Kranenburg, Richard; Kuipers, Oscar P

    2013-01-01

    The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own promoter region into Bacillus subtilis comK strain results in low transcriptional induction of the late competence gene comGA, but lacking bistable expression. The promoter regions of B. coagulans comK and the comGA genes are recognized in B. subtilis and expression from these promoters is activated by B. subtilis ComK. Purified ComK protein of B. coagulans showed DNA-binding ability in gel retardation assays with B. subtilis- and B. coagulans-derived probes. These experiments suggest that the function of B. coagulans ComK is similar to that of ComK of B. subtilis. When its own comK is overexpressed in B. coagulans the comGA gene expression increases 40-fold, while the expression of another late competence gene, comC is not elevated and no reproducible DNA-uptake could be observed under these conditions. Our results demonstrate that B. coagulans ComK can recognize several B.subtilis comK-responsive elements, and vice versa, but indicate that the activation of the transcription of complete sets of genes coding for a putative DNA uptake apparatus in B. coagulans might differ from that of B. subtilis.

  18. Functional analysis of the ComK protein of Bacillus coagulans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ákos T Kovács

    Full Text Available The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own promoter region into Bacillus subtilis comK strain results in low transcriptional induction of the late competence gene comGA, but lacking bistable expression. The promoter regions of B. coagulans comK and the comGA genes are recognized in B. subtilis and expression from these promoters is activated by B. subtilis ComK. Purified ComK protein of B. coagulans showed DNA-binding ability in gel retardation assays with B. subtilis- and B. coagulans-derived probes. These experiments suggest that the function of B. coagulans ComK is similar to that of ComK of B. subtilis. When its own comK is overexpressed in B. coagulans the comGA gene expression increases 40-fold, while the expression of another late competence gene, comC is not elevated and no reproducible DNA-uptake could be observed under these conditions. Our results demonstrate that B. coagulans ComK can recognize several B.subtilis comK-responsive elements, and vice versa, but indicate that the activation of the transcription of complete sets of genes coding for a putative DNA uptake apparatus in B. coagulans might differ from that of B. subtilis.

  19. Anthrax carbohydrates, synthesis and uses thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Russell W.; Boons, Geert-Jan; Quinn, Conrad; Vasan, Mahalakshmi; Wolfert, Margreet A.; Choudhury, Biswa; Kannenberg, Elmar; Leoff, Christine; Mehta, Alok; Saile, Elke; Rauvolfova, Jana; Wilkins, Patricia; Harvey, Alex J.

    2013-04-16

    The present invention presents the isolation, characterization and synthesis of oligosaccharides of Bacillus anthracis. Also presented are antibodies that bind to such saccharide moieties and various methods of use for such saccharide moieties and antibodies.

  20. Genetic diversity of clinical isolates of Bacillus cereus using multilocus sequence typing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pruckler James M

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacillus cereus is most commonly associated with foodborne illness (diarrheal and emetic but is also an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe and fatal infections. Several multilocus sequence typing (MLST schemes have recently been developed to genotype B. cereus and analysis has suggested a clonal or weakly clonal population structure for B. cereus and its close relatives B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis. In this study we used MLST to determine if B. cereus isolates associated with illnesses of varying severity (e.g., severe, systemic vs. gastrointestinal (GI illness were clonal or formed clonal complexes. Results A retrospective analysis of 55 clinical B. cereus isolates submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1954 and 2004 was conducted. Clinical isolates from severe infections (n = 27, gastrointestinal (GI illness (n = 18, and associated isolates from food (n = 10 were selected for analysis using MLST. The 55 isolates were diverse and comprised 38 sequence types (ST in two distinct clades. Of the 27 isolates associated with serious illness, 13 clustered in clade 1 while 14 were in clade 2. Isolates associated with GI illness were also found throughout clades 1 and 2, while no isolates in this study belonged to clade 3. All the isolates from this study belonging to the clade 1/cereus III lineage were associated with severe disease while isolates belonging to clade1/cereus II contained isolates primarily associated with severe disease and emetic illness. Only three STs were observed more than once for epidemiologically distinct isolates. Conclusion STs of clinical B. cereus isolates were phylogenetically diverse and distributed among two of three previously described clades. Greater numbers of strains will need to be analyzed to confirm if specific lineages or clonal complexes are more likely to contain clinical isolates or be associated with specific illness, similar to B. anthracis and

  1. Protein-Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Bacillus subtilis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mijakovic, Ivan; Petranovic, Dina; Bottini, N.

    2005-01-01

    phosphorylation, indicating that this post-translational modifi cation could regulate physiological processes ranging from stress response and exopolysaccharide synthesis to DNA metabolism. Some interesting work in this fi eld was done in Bacillus subtilis , and we here present the current state of knowledge...... on protein-tyrosine phosphorylation in this gram-positive model organism. With its two kinases, two kinase modulators, three phosphatases and at least four different tyrosine-phosphorylated substrates, B. subtilis is the bacterium with the highest number of presently known participants in the global network...

  2. N-terminal amino acid sequence of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase: comparison with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis Enzymes.

    OpenAIRE

    Kuhn, H; Fietzek, P P; Lampen, J O

    1982-01-01

    The thermostable, liquefying alpha-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis was immunologically cross-reactive with the thermolabile, liquefying alpha-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Their N-terminal amino acid sequences showed extensive homology with each other, but not with the saccharifying alpha-amylases of Bacillus subtilis.

  3. Characterization of Bacillus phage-K2 isolated from chungkookjang, a fermented soybean foodstuff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Eun Ju; Hong, Jeong Won; Yun, Na-Rae; Lee, Young Nam

    2011-01-01

    An investigation of a virulent Bacillus phage-K2 (named Bp-K2) isolated from chungkookjang (a fermented soybean foodstuff) was made. Bp-K2 differed in infectivity against a number of Bacillus subtilis strains including starter strains of chungkookjang and natto, being more infectious to Bacillus strains isolated from the chungkookjang, but much less active against a natto strain. Bp-K2 is a small DNA phage whose genome size is about 21 kb. Bp-K2 is a tailed bacteriophage with an isometric icosahedral head (50 nm long on the lateral side, 80 nm wide), a long contractile sheath (85-90 nm × 28 nm), a thin tail fiber (80-85 nm long, 10 nm wide), and a basal plate (29 nm long, 47 nm wide) with a number of spikes, but no collar. The details of the structures of Bp-K2 differ from natto phage ϕBN100 as well as other known Bacillus phages such as SPO1-like or ϕ 29-like viruses. These data suggest that Bp-K2 would be a new member of the Myoviridae family of Bacillus bacteriophages.

  4. Antisense Treatments for Biothreat Agents

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Warfield, Kelly L; Panchal, Rekha G; Aman, M J; Bavari, Sina

    2006-01-01

    ... a variety of pathogens in cell culture studies and nonhuman primate models of infection. For these reasons, antisense technologies are being pursued as treatments against biothreat agents such as Ebola virus, dengue virus and Bacillus anthracis...

  5. In situ analysis of Bacillus licheniformis biofilms: amyloid-like polymers and eDNA are involved in the adherence and aggregation of the extracellular matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randrianjatovo-Gbalou, I; Rouquette, P; Lefebvre, D; Girbal-Neuhauser, E; Marcato-Romain, C-E

    2017-05-01

    This study attempts to determine which of the exopolymeric substances are involved in the adherence and aggregation of a Bacillus licheniformis biofilm. The involvement of extracellular proteins and eDNA were particularly investigated using DNase and proteinase K treatment. The permeability of the biofilms increased fivefold after DNase I treatment. The quantification of the matrix components showed that, irrespective to the enzyme tested, eDNA and amyloid-like polymers were removed simultaneously. Size-exclusion chromatography analyses supported these observations and revealed the presence of associated nucleic acid and protein complexes in the biofilm lysates. These data suggest that some extracellular DNA and amyloid-like proteins were closely interlaced within the matrix. Finally, confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging gave supplementary clues about the 3D organization of the biofilms, confirming that eDNA and exoproteins were essentially layered under and around the bacterial cells, whereas the amyloid-like fractions were homogeneously distributed within the matrix. These results confirm that some DNA-amyloid complexes play a key role in the modulation of the mechanical resistance of B. licheniformis biofilms. The study highlights the need to consider the whole structure of biofilms and to target the interactions between matrix components. A better understanding of B. licheniformis biofilm physiology and the structural organization of the matrix will strengthen strategies of biofilm control. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  6. SOS-like induction in Bacillus subtilis: induction of the RecA protein analog and a damage-inducible operon by DNA damage in Rec+ and DNA repair-deficient strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovett, C.M. Jr.; Love, P.E.; Yasbin, R.E.; Roberts, J.W.

    1988-01-01

    We quantitated the induction of the Bacillus subtilis Rec protein (the analog of Escherichia coli RecA protein) and the B. subtilis din-22 operon (representative of a set of DNA damage-inducible operons in B. subtilis) following DNA damage in Rec+ and DNA repair-deficient strains. After exposure to mitomycin C or UV irradiation, each of four distinct rec (recA1, recB2, recE4, and recM13) mutations reduced to the same extent the rates of both Rec protein induction (determined by densitometric scanning of immunoblot transfers) and din-22 operon induction (determined by assaying beta-galactosidase activity in din-22::Tn917-lacZ fusion strains). The induction deficiencies in recA1 and recE4 strains were partially complemented by the E. coli RecA protein, which was expressed on a plasmid in B. subtilis; the E. coli RecA protein had no effect on either induction event in Rec+, recB2, or recM13 strains. These results suggest that (i) the expression of both the B. subtilis Rec protein and the din-22 operon share a common regulatory component, (ii) the recA1 and recE4 mutations affect the regulation and/or activity of the B. subtilis Rec protein, and (iii) an SOS regulatory system like the E. coli system is highly conserved in B. subtilis. We also showed that the basal level of B. subtilis Rec protein is about 4,500 molecules per cell and that maximum induction by DNA damage causes an approximately fivefold increase in the rate of Rec protein accumulation

  7. Efforts to identify spore forming bacillus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zuleiha, M.S.; Hilmy, N. (National Atomic Energy Agency, Jakarta (Indonesia). Pasar Djumat Research Centre)

    1982-04-01

    Efforts to identify 47 species of radioresistant spore forming bacillus sp. isolated from locally produced medical devices have been carried out. The identifications was conducted using 19 kinds of biochemical tests and compared to species to bacillus subtilis W. T.; bacillus pumilus E 601 and bacillus sphaericus Csub(I)A. The results showed that bacillus sp. examined could be divided into 6 groups, i.e. bacillus cereus; bacillus subtilis; bacillus stearothermophylus; bacillus coagulans; bacillus sphaericus and bacillus circulans.

  8. Efforts to identify spore forming bacillus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuleiha, M.S.; Hilmy, Nazly

    1982-01-01

    Efforts to identify 47 species of radioresistant spore forming bacillus sp. isolated from locally produced medical devices have been carried out. The identifications was conducted using 19 kinds of biochemical tests and compared to species to bacillus subtilis W. T.; bacillus pumilus E 601 and bacillus sphaericus Csub(I)A. The results showed that bacillus sp. examined could be divided into 6 groups, i.e. bacillus cereus; bacillus subtilis; bacillus stearothermophylus; bacillus coagulans; bacillus sphaericus and bacillus circulans. (author)

  9. Termitarium-inhabiting Bacillus endophyticus TSH42 and Bacillus cereus TSH77 colonizing Curcuma longa L.: isolation, characterization, and evaluation of their biocontrol and plant-growth-promoting activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauhan, Ankit Kumar; Maheshwari, Dinesh Kumar; Kim, Kangmin; Bajpai, Vivek K

    2016-10-01

    Bacillus strains were isolated from termitarium soil and screened for their antifungal activity through the production of diffusible and volatile metabolites. Further, the bacterial strains that showed antifungal activity were evaluated for their biocontrol potential on the basis of their plant-growth-promoting attributes. Termitarium-inhabiting Bacillus strains TSH42 and TSH77 significantly reduced the growth of pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani, controlled the symptoms of rhizome rot in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), and demonstrated various plant-growth-promoting traits in different in vitro assays. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and 16S rDNA characteristics, isolates TSH42 and TSH77 were identified as Bacillus endophyticus (KT379993) and Bacillus cereus (KT379994), respectively. Through liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis, acidified cell-free culture filtrate (CFCF) of B. cereus TSH77 was shown to contain surfactin and fengycin, while CFCF of B. endophyticus TSH42 contained iturin in addition to surfactin and fengycin. Treatment of the turmeric (C. longa L.) plants with TSH42 and TSH77 significantly reduced the percentage incidence of rhizome rot disease caused by F. solani. The same treatment also increased the fresh rhizome biomass and plant growth in greenhouse conditions.

  10. Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy of Spore Adhesion on Surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Ida [University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK); Chung, Eunhyea [Georgia Institute of Technology; Kweon, Hyojin [Georgia Institute of Technology; Yiacoumi, Sotira [Georgia Institute of Technology; Tsouris, Costas [ORNL

    2012-01-01

    The adhesion of spores of Bacillus anthracis - the cause of anthrax and a likely biological threat - to solid surfaces is an important consideration in cleanup after an accidental or deliberate release. However, because of safety concerns, directly studying B. anthracis spores with advanced instrumentation is problematic. As a first step, we are examining the electrostatic potential of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a closely related species that is often used as a simulant to study B. anthracis. Scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM), also known as Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), was used to investigate the influence of relative humidity (RH) on the surface electrostatic potential of Bt that had adhered to silica, mica, or gold substrates. AFM/SSPM side-by-side images were obtained separately in air, at various values of RH, after an aqueous droplet with spores was applied on each surface and allowed to dry before measurements. In the SSPM images, a negative potential on the surface of the spores was observed compared with that of the substrates. The surface potential decreased as the humidity increased. Spores were unable to adhere to a surface with an extremely negative potential, such as mica.

  11. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by a Bacillus sp. of marine origin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janardhanan, A.; Roshmi, T.; Varghese, Rintu T.; Soniya, E. V.; Mathew, Jyothis; Radhakrishnan, E. K.

    2013-04-01

    This study was aimed to explore the nanoparticle synthesizing properties of a silver resistant Bacillus sp. isolated from a marine water sample. The 16SrDNA sequence analysis of the isolate proved it as a Bacillus strain. Very interestingly, the isolate was found to have the ability to form intracellular silver nanoparticles at room temperature within 24 hours. This was confirmed by the UV-Vis absorption analysis which showed a peak at 430 nm corresponding to the plasmon absorbance of silver nanoparticles. Further characterization of the nanoparticles was carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The presence of silver nanoparticles with the size less than 100 nm was confirmed. These particles were found to be extremely stable as confirmed by the TEM analysis after three months of purification. So, the current study is the demonstration of an efficient synthesis of stable silver nanoparticles by a marine Bacillus strain.

  12. Biodegradation of furfural by Bacillus subtilis strain DS3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Dan; Bao, Jianguo; Lu, Jueming; Lv, Quanxi

    2015-07-01

    An aerobic bacterial strain DS3, capable of growing on furfural as sole carbon source, was isolated from actived sludge of wastewater treatment plant in a diosgenin factory after enrichment. Based on morphological physiological tests as well as 16SrDNA sequence and Biolog analyses it was identified as Bacillus subtilis. The study revealed that strain DS3 utilized furfural, as analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Under following conditions: pH 8.0, temperature 35 degrees C, 150 rpm and 10% inoculum, strain DS3 showed 31.2% furfural degradation. Furthermore, DS3 strain was found to tolerate furfural concentration as high as 6000 mg(-1). The ability of Bacillus subtilis strain DS3 to degrade furfural has been demonstrated for the first time in the present study.

  13. Bacillus 'next generation' diagnostics: Moving from detection towards sub-typing and risk related strain profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika eEhling-Schulz

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The highly heterogeneous genus Bacillus comprises the largest species group of endospore forming bacteria. Because of their ubiquitous nature, Bacillus spores can enter food production at several stages resulting in significant economic losses and posing a potential risk to consumers due the capacity of certain Bacillus strains for toxin production. In the past, food microbiological diagnostics was focused on the determination of species using conventional culture based methods, which are still widely used. However, due to the extreme intraspecies diversity found in the genus Bacillus, DNA based identification and typing methods are gaining increasing importance in routine diagnostics. Several studies showed that certain characteristics are rather strain dependent than species specific. Therefore, the challenge for current and future Bacillus diagnostics is not only the efficient and accurate identification on species level but also the development of rapid methods to identify strains with specific characteristics (such as stress resistance or spoilage potential, trace contamination sources, and last but not least discriminate potential hazardous strains from non-toxic strains.

  14. Bacillus Coagulans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacillus coagulans is a type of bacteria. It is used similarly to lactobacillus and other probiotics as "beneficial" bacteria. People take Bacillus coagulans for diarrhea, including infectious types such as rotaviral ...

  15. Rapid Identification of Genetic Modifications in Bacillus anthracis Using Whole Genome Draft Sequences Generated by 454 Pyrosequencing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-25

    in honey bee colony collapse disorder. Science 318: 283–287. 39. Towner JS, Sealy TK, Khristova ML, Albarino CG, Conlan S, et al. (2008) Newly...utilize known, organism-specific proteins or genomic DNA signatures respectively. Hence, these assays lack the ability to detect novel natural variations...detection assays utilize known, organism-specific proteins or genomic DNA signatures respectively. Hence, these assays lack the ability to detect novel

  16. Bacterial DNA of Ocean and Land on the Surface of the International Space Station.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grebennikova, Tatiana

    A.V. Syroeshkin2, T.V. Grebennikova1, E.V. Shubralova3, V.A. Shuvalov3, O.S. Tsygankov4, V.B. Lapshin2 1D. I. Ivanovsky Virology Institute, Moscow, Russia 2 Academician E. K. Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics, Moscow, Russia 3S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation «Energia» Korolev, Russia 4Central Research Institute of Machine Building, Korolev, Russia Existence of biological molecules as markers of microorganisms in the space environment has always attracted attention of researchers. There is great attention to the search for extraterrestrial life forms [Nicholson W.L. 2009, Kawaguchi Y. et al 2013], and as well as the coping mechanisms of living organisms in the interplanetary space [Hotchin J. et al 1965, Baranov V.M. 2009, Horneck G. et al 2010]. Experiments on American and Japanese segments of the International Space Station (ISS) over the different nature of resistance during prolonged stay in space were conducted [Scalzi G et al 2012, Wassmann M. et al 2012]. As a result of these experiments confirmed the possibility of preserving the viability of organisms in an open space for a long time. Consequence, became interested in the transfer of living matter from the stratosphere to near-Earth space [Smith D.J. 2013]. We hypothesized that viable forms, or at least, intact DNA can be transferred to the orbit of the ISS with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Samples of cosmic dust collected from the surface of the window of the ISS during the exit of an astronaut in space. Samples (washes with material of tampons and tampons) which were in vacuo, were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by nested PCR using primers specific DNA genus Mycobacterium, the DNA of the strain of the genus Bacillus anthracis and DNA encoding the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA after transportation of the samples to Earth. The results of amplification, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed the presence in samples of cosmic dust DNA

  17. Characterization of thermostable alkaline proteases from Bacillus infantis SKS1 isolated from garden soil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandeep Kaur Saggu

    Full Text Available Proteases are one of the largest groups of hydrolytic enzymes constituting about 60% of total worldwide sales of industrial enzymes due to their wide applications in detergent, leather, textile, food and pharmaceutical industry. Microbial proteases have been preferred over animal and plant proteases because of their fundamental features and ease in production. Bacillus infantis SKS1, an alkaline protease producing bacteria has been isolated from garden soil of north India and identified using morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. 16S rDNA sequence amplified using universal primers has 99% sequence identity with corresponding gene sequence of Bacillus infantis strain FM 34 and Bacillus sp. Beige. The bacterial culture and its 16S rDNA gene sequence have been deposited to Microbial Culture Collection (Pune, India with accession number MCC 3035 and GenBank with accession number KR092197 respectively. The partially purified extract of Bacillus infantis SKS1 was thermostable and active in presence of Mg2+, acetyl acetone and laundry detergents implicating its application in industry. Production of these enzymes using this strain was maximized by optimization of various parameters including temperature, pH, media components and other growth conditions. Our results show that fructose and dextrose serve as the best carbon sources for production of these enzymes, highlighting the use of this strain for enzyme production utilizing relatively inexpensive substrates like beet molasses and corn steep liquor. Additionally, this strain showed maximum production of enzymes at 40°C similar to bacterial species used for commercial production of alkaline proteases. Characterization of alkaline proteases from this strain of Bacillus infantis and optimization of parameters for its production would help in understanding its industrial application and large-scale production.

  18. The role of the HCR system in the repair of lethal lesions of Bacillus subtilis phages and their transfecting DNA damaged by radiation and alkylating agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vizdalova, M.; Janovska, E.; Zhestyanikov, V.D.

    1980-01-01

    The role of the HCR system in the repair of prelethal lesions induced by UV light, γ radiation and alkylating agents was studied in the Bacillus subtilis SPP1 phage, its heat sensitive mutants (N3, N73 nad ts 1 ) and corresponding infectious DNA. The survival of phages and their transfecting DNA after treatment with UV light is substantially higher in hcr + cells than in hcr cells, the differences being more striking in intact phages than in their transfecting DNA's. Repair inhibitors reduce survival in hcr + cells: caffeine lowers the survival of UV-irradiated phage SPP1 in exponentially growing hcr + cells but has no effect on its survival in competent hcr + cells; acriflavin and ethidium bromide decrease the survival of the UV-irradiated SPP1 phage in both exponentially growing and competent hcr + cells to the level of survival observed in hcr cells; moreover, ethidium bromide lowers the number of infective centres in hcr + cells of the UV-irradiated DNA of the SPP1 phage. Repair inhibitors do not lower the survival of the UV-irradiated phages or their DNA in hcr cells. The repair mechanism under study also effectively repairs lesions induced by polyfunctional alkylating agents in the transfecting DNA's of B. subtilis phages but is not functional with lesions induced by these agents in free phages and lesions caused in the phages and their DNA by ethyl methanesulphonate or γ radiation. (author)

  19. The characteristics exosporium antigens from different vaccine strains of bacillus antracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baranova, E.; Biketov, S.; Dunaytsev, I.; Mironova, R.; Dyatlov, I.

    2009-01-01

    To develop of both test-systems for rapid detection and identification of B. anthracis spores and a new subunit vaccine the antigens on the spore surface should be characterized. Exosporium consists of two layers-basal and peripheral and has been form by protein, amino- and neutral polysaccharides, lipids and ash. Number of anthrax exosporium proteins was described and identified: glycoprotein BclA, BclB, alanine racemase, inosine hydrolase, glycosyl hydrolase, superoxid dismutase, ExsF, ExsY, ExsK,CotB,CotY and SoaA. So far no glycosylated proteins other then highly immunogenic glycoproteins BclA, BclB were detected in the B. anthracis spore extract although several exosporium-specific glycoprotein have been described in other members of the B.cereus family- B. thuringiensis and B. cereus. Although EA1 protein originally described as main component of S-layer from vegetative cells he can regular observed in different exosporium preparations and additionally some anti- EA1 monoclonal antibodies able to recognize spore surface. We have revealed that EA1 isolated from spore of Russians strain STI-1contain carbohydrate which determine immunogenicity of this antigen. Because some time ago we have found that exosporium protein's pattern variable among B. anthracis strains we investigated exosporium from spore of different strains of B. anthracis including STI-1, Ames, Stern and others. We have comparative characterized antigens by using Western Blotting, Two-Dimensional electrophoresis and Mass Spec analysis. The results of analysis will be presented and discussed.(author)

  20. Heat, hydrogen peroxide, and UV resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores with increased core water content and with or without major DNA-binding proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popham, D.L.; Sengupta, S.; Setlow, P.

    1995-01-01

    Spores of a Bacillus subtilis strain with an insertion mutation in the dacB gene, which codes for an enzyme involved in spore cortex biosynthesis, have a higher core water content than wild-type spores. Spores lacking the two major α/β-type small, acid-soluble proteins (SASP) (termed a α - β - spores) have the same core water content as do wild-type spores, but α - β - dacB spores had more core water than did dacB spores. The resistance of α - β - , α - β - dacB, dacB, and wild-type spores to dry and moist heat, hydrogen peroxide, and UV radiation has been determined, as has the role of DNA damage in spore killing by moist heat and hydrogen peroxide. These data (1) suggest that core water content has little if any role in spore UV resistance and are consistent with binding of α/β-type SASP to DNA being the major mechanism providing protection to spores from UV radiation; (2) suggest that binding of αβ-type SASP to DNA is the major mechanism unique to spores providing protection from dry heat; (3) suggest that spore resistance to moist heat and hydrogen peroxide is affected to a large degree by the core water content, as increased core water resulted in large decreases in spore resistance to these agents; and (4) indicate that since this decreased resistance (i.e., in dacB spores) is not associated with increased spore killing by DNA damage, spore DNA must normally be extremely well protected against such damage, presumably by the saturation of spore DNA by α/β-type SASP. 19 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs

  1. Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Bacillus Strains Isolated from Various Resources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Golnari Maranni

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Prevalence extension of antibiotic resistant bacteria has raised concerns about control of infections especially nosocomial infections. Many attempts have been done to replace antibiotics or limit their use. The use of antimicrobial agents produced by bacteria as antibiotic replacement has been promising in recent years. The goal of this study was to isolate Bacillus strains and evaluate their antimicrobial activity against some standard pathogens and clinical antibiotic resistant strains. Materials and Methods: In the present study, Bacillus strains were isolated from various resources and identified by 16S rDNA PCR method. Then, the phylogenetic tree of the isolates was constructed and antimicrobial activity of the isolates was investigated against some standard pathogens and clinical antibiotic resistant strains using spotting and well diffusion methods. Results: Eight Bacillus strains were isolated from 15 different samples. Based on the molecular identification, the isolates were identified as B.pumilus, B.coagulans, B.licheniformis, B.endophitycus and B.amiloliquefaciens. The results showed that isolates have antimicrobial activity against meticilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin resistant enterococci, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, Streptococcus and Escherichia coli. Conclusion: In this study, isolated Bacillus strains produced antimicrobial agents against pathogens and antibiotic resistant strains and inhibited their growth.

  2. Biochemical and molecular characterization of Bacillus pumilus isolated from coastal environment in Cochin, India Caracterização bioquímica e molecular de Bacillus pumilus isolado do ambiente costeiro de Cochin, Índia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ammini Parvathi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus species constitute a diverse group of bacteria widely distributed in soil and the aquatic environment. In this study, Bacillus strains isolated from the coastal environment of Cochin, India were identified by detailed conventional biochemical methods, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME analysis and partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Analysis of the data revealed that Bacillus pumilus was the most predominant species in the region under study followed by B. cereus and B. sphaericus. The B. pumilus isolates were further characterized by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR, antibiotic sensitivity profiling and PCR screening for known toxin genes associated with Bacillus spp. All B. pumilus isolates were biochemically identical, exhibited high protease and lipase activity and uniformly sensitive to antibiotics tested in this study. One strain of B. pumilus harboured cereulide synthetase gene cesB of B. cereus which was indistinguishable from rest of the isolates biochemically and by AP-PCR. This study reports, for the first time, the presence of the emetic toxin gene cesB in B. pumilus.As espécies de Bacillus constituem um grupo diversificado de bactérias amplamente distribuídas no solo e no ambiente aquático. Neste estudo, cepas de Bacillus isoladas do ambiente costeiro de Cochin, Índia, foram identificadas através de métodos bioquímicos convencionais, análise de ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos (FAME e sequenciamento de 16S rDNA. A análise dos dados revelou que Bacillus pumilus foi a espécie predominante na região estudada, seguido de B. cereus e B. sphaericus. Os isolados de B. pumilus foram caracterizados através da reação em cadeia da polimerase com primers arbitrários (AP-PCR, perfil de sensibilidade a antibióticos e triagem por PCR de genes de toxinas associadas com Bacillus spp. Todos os isolados de B. pumilus foram bioquimicamente idênticos, apresentaram elevada atividade de protease e lipase e foram uniformemente sens

  3. Best Practices for Management of Biocontaminated Waste ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Report The purpose of these best practices is to provide federal, state, territorial, and local waste management entities information on techniques and methodologies that have the potential to improve the handling and management of biocontaminated waste streams after a biological agent incident. These best practices are intended to be general in nature serving as a resource to a variety of biological agents in a variety of situations; however, these best practices also present a specific homeland security scenario – a biological attack with Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) – to help illustrate specific waste management considerations.

  4. Lack of specific hybridization between the lep genes of Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus licheniformis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijl, J M; Jong, de Anne; Smith, H; Bron, Sierd; Venema, G

    1991-01-01

    This paper describes an attempt to clone the Bacillus licheniformis lep gene, encoding signal peptidase, using the Salmonella typhimurium lep gene as a hybridization probe. Although a hybridizing fragment was obtained, DNA sequence analysis indicated that it did not contain the lep gene. Instead,

  5. The Impact of “Omic” and Imaging Technologies on Assessing the Host Immune Response to Biodefence Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia A. Tree

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the interactions between host and pathogen is important for the development and assessment of medical countermeasures to infectious agents, including potential biodefence pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis, Ebola virus, and Francisella tularensis. This review focuses on technological advances which allow this interaction to be studied in much greater detail. Namely, the use of “omic” technologies (next generation sequencing, DNA, and protein microarrays for dissecting the underlying host response to infection at the molecular level; optical imaging techniques (flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy for assessing cellular responses to infection; and biophotonic imaging for visualising the infectious disease process. All of these technologies hold great promise for important breakthroughs in the rational development of vaccines and therapeutics for biodefence agents.

  6. Use of a bacteriophage lysin to identify a novel target for antimicrobial development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raymond Schuch

    Full Text Available We identified an essential cell wall biosynthetic enzyme in Bacillus anthracis and an inhibitor thereof to which the organism did not spontaneously evolve measurable resistance. This work is based on the exquisite binding specificity of bacteriophage-encoded cell wall-hydrolytic lysins, which have evolved to recognize critical receptors within the bacterial cell wall. Focusing on the B. anthracis-specific PlyG lysin, we first identified its unique cell wall receptor and cognate biosynthetic pathway. Within this pathway, one biosynthetic enzyme, 2-epimerase, was required for both PlyG receptor expression and bacterial growth. The 2-epimerase was used to design a small-molecule inhibitor, epimerox. Epimerox prevented growth of several Gram-positive pathogens and rescued mice challenged with lethal doses of B. anthracis. Importantly, resistance to epimerox was not detected (<10(-11 frequency in B. anthracis and S. aureus. These results describe the use of phage lysins to identify promising lead molecules with reduced resistance potential for antimicrobial development.

  7. Edema toxin impairs anthracidal phospholipase A2 expression by alveolar macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benoit Raymond

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, is a spore-forming gram-positive bacterium. Infection with this pathogen results in multisystem dysfunction and death. The pathogenicity of B. anthracis is due to the production of virulence factors, including edema toxin (ET. Recently, we established the protective role of type-IIA secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA against B. anthracis. A component of innate immunity produced by alveolar macrophages (AMs, sPLA2-IIA is found in human and animal bronchoalveolar lavages at sufficient levels to kill B. anthracis. However, pulmonary anthrax is almost always fatal, suggesting the potential impairment of sPLA2-IIA synthesis and/or action by B. anthracis factors. We investigated the effect of purified ET and ET-deficient B. anthracis strains on sPLA2-IIA expression in primary guinea pig AMs. We report that ET inhibits sPLA2-IIA expression in AMs at the transcriptional level via a cAMP/protein kinase A-dependent process. Moreover, we show that live B. anthracis strains expressing functional ET inhibit sPLA2-IIA expression, whereas ET-deficient strains induced this expression. This stimulatory effect, mediated partly by the cell wall peptidoglycan, can be counterbalanced by ET. We conclude that B. anthracis down-regulates sPLA2-IIA expression in AMs through a process involving ET. Our study, therefore, describes a new molecular mechanism implemented by B. anthracis to escape innate host defense. These pioneering data will provide new molecular targets for future intervention against this deadly pathogen.

  8. Pan-genome analysis of Senegalese and Gambian strains of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mbaye

    2016-11-09

    Nov 9, 2016 ... 1National Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (LNERV ... and Rickettssiology, Faculty for Sciences and Technology - Dakar ... stability of its spores, the high level pathogenicity and ... with an anthrax epidemic through an atmospheric .... Characteristics of Bacillus anthracis strains (samples). Code.

  9. Detection of biological warfare agents using ultra violet-laser induced fluorescence LIDAR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Deepti; Kumar, Deepak; Maini, Anil K; Sharma, Ramesh C

    2013-08-01

    This review has been written to highlight the threat of biological warfare agents, their types and detection. Bacterial biological agent Bacillus anthracis (bacteria causing the disease anthrax) which is most likely to be employed in biological warfare is being discussed in detail. Standoff detection of biological warfare agents in aerosol form using Ultra violet-Laser Induced Fluorescence (UV-LIF) spectroscopy method has been studied. Range-resolved detection and identification of biological aerosols by both nano-second and non-linear femto-second LIDAR is also discussed. Calculated received fluorescence signal for a cloud of typical biological agent Bacillus globigii (Simulants of B. anthracis) at a location of ~5.0 km at different concentrations in presence of solar background radiation has been described. Overview of current research efforts in internationally available working UV-LIF LIDAR systems are also mentioned briefly. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Regulated expression of the dinR and recA genes during competence development and SOS induction in Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haijema, BJ; vanSinderen, D; Winterling, K; Kooistra, J; Venema, G; Hamoen, LW

    1996-01-01

    It has been hypothesized that the dinR gene product of Bacillus subtilis acts as a repressor of the SOS regulon by binding to DNA sequences located upstream of SOS genes, including dinR and recA. Following activation as a result of DNA damage, RecA is believed to catalyse DinR-autocleavage, thus

  11. Complete nucleotide sequence of Bacillus subtilis (natto) bacteriophage PM1, a phage associated with disruption of food production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umene, Kenichi; Shiraishi, Atsushi

    2013-06-01

    "Natto", considered a traditional food, is made by fermenting boiled soybeans with Bacillus subtilis (natto), which is a natto-producing strain related to B. subtilis. The production of natto is disrupted by phage infections of B. subtilis (natto); hence, it is necessary to control phage infections. PM1, a phage of B. subtilis (natto), was isolated during interrupted natto production in a factory. In a previous study, PM1 was classified morphologically into the family Siphoviridae, and its genome, comprising approximately 50 kbp of linear double-stranded DNA, was assumed to be circularly permuted. In the present study, the complete nucleotide sequence of the PM1 genomic DNA of 50,861 bp (41.3 %G+C) was determined, and 86 open reading frames (ORFs) were deduced. Forty-one ORFs of PM1 shared similarities with proteins deduced from the genome of phages reported so far. Twenty-three ORFs of PM1 were associated with functions related to the phage multiplication process of gene control, DNA replication/modification, DNA packaging, morphogenesis, and cell lysis. Bacillus subtilis (natto) produces a capsular polypeptide of glutamate with a γ-linkage (called poly-γ-glutamate), which appears to serve as a physical barrier to phage adsorption. One ORF of PM1 had similarity with a poly-γ-glutamate hydrolase, which is assumed to degrade the capsular barrier to allow phage progenies to infect encapsulated host cells. The genome analysis of PM1 revealed the characteristics of the phage that are consistent as Bacillus subtilis (natto)-infecting phage.

  12. Bacillus marismortui sp. nov., a new moderately halophilic species from the Dead Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arahal, D R; Márquez, M C; Volcani, B E; Schleifer, K H; Ventosa, A

    1999-04-01

    A group of 91 moderately halophilic, Gram-positive, rod-shaped strains were isolated from enrichments prepared from Dead Sea water samples collected 57 years ago. These strains were examined for 117 morphological, physiological, biochemical, nutritional and antibiotic susceptibility characteristics. All strains formed endospores and were motile, strictly aerobic and positive for catalase and oxidase. They grew in media containing 5-25% (w/v) total salts, showing optimal growth at 10% (w/v). Eighteen strains were chosen as representative isolates and were studied in more detail. All these strains had mesodiaminopimelic acid in the cell wall and a DNA G + C content of 39.0-42.8 mol%; they constitute a group with levels of DNA-DNA similarity of 70-100%. The sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of three representative strains (strains 123T, 557 and 832) were almost identical (99.9%), and placed the strains in the low G + C content Gram-positive bacteria. On the basis of their features, these isolates should be regarded as members of a new species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus marismortui sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain 123T (= DSM 12325T = ATCC 700626T = CIP 105609T = CECT 5066T).

  13. Plasmid Mediated Antibiotic and Heavy Metal Resistance in Bacillus Strains Isolated From Soils in Rize, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elif SEVİM

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Fifteen Bacillus strains which were isolated from soil samples were examined for resistance to 17 different antibiotics (ampicillin, methicillin, erythromycin, norfloxacin, cephalotine, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, tobramycin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, vancomycin, oxacilin, neomycin, kanamycin and, novabiocin and to 10 different heavy metals (copper, lead, cobalt, chrome, iron, mercury, zinc, nickel, manganese and, cadmium and for the presence of plasmid DNA. A total of eleven strains (67% were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The most common resistance was observed against methicillin and oxacillin. The most resistance strains were found as Bacillus sp. B3 and Bacillus sp. B11. High heavy metal resistance against copper, chromium, zinc, iron and nickel was detected, but mercury and cobalt resistance was not detected, except for 3 strains (B3, B11, and B12 which showed mercury resistance. It has been determined that seven Bacillus strains have plasmids. The isolated plasmids were transformed into the Bacillus subtilis W168 and it was shown that heavy metal and antibiotic resistance determinants were carried on these plasmids. These results showed that there was a correlation between plasmid content and resistance for both antibiotic and heavy metal resistance

  14. Plasmid marker rescue transformation proceeds by breakage-reunion in Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weinrauch, Y.; Dubnau, D.

    1987-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis carrying a plasmid which replicates with a copy number of about 1 was transformed with linearized homologous plasmid DNA labeled with the heavy isotopes 2 H and 15 N, in the presence of 32 Pi and 6-(p-hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil to inhibit DNA replication. Plasmid DNA was isolated from the transformed culture and fractionated in cesium chloride density gradients. The distribution of total and donor plasmid DNA was examined, using specific hybridization probes. The synthesis of new DNA, associated with the integration of donor moiety, was also monitored. Donor-specific sequences were present at a density intermediate between that of light and hybrid DNA. This recombinant DNA represented 1.4% of total plasmid DNA. The latter value corresponded well with the transforming activity (1.7%) obtained for the donor marker. Newly synthesized material associated with plasmid DNA at the recombinant density amounted to a minor portion of the recombinant plasmid DNA. These data suggest that, like chromosomal transformation, plasmid marker rescue transformation does not require replication for the integration of donor markers and, also like chromosomal transformation, proceeds by a breakage-reunion mechanism. The extent of donor DNA replacement of recipient DNA per plasmid molecule of 54 kilobases (27 kilobase pairs) was estimated as 16 kilobases

  15. Bacillus zanthoxyli sp. nov., a novel nematicidal bacterium isolated from Chinese red pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) leaves in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ma; Hong, Cao Yong; Yan, Wang Xiao; Chao, Zheng Shuai; Gang, Yang Cheng; Ling, Duo Jin; Kui, Zhou Xing; Qin, Xi Jia; Liang, Zhu Ming; He, Mo Ming

    2017-09-01

    A novel strain, 1433 T , was isolated from leaves of Chinese red pepper (Huajiao, Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) collected from Gansu province in northwestern China, and was characterised by a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain 1433 T were observed to be Gram-stain positive, aerobic, asporogenous, rod shaped, motile and to have peritrichous flagella. The strain was observed to grow at a range of temperatures and pH, 4-45 °C (optimum 28-32 °C) and 6.0-10.0 (optimum pH 6.0-7.0), respectively. Growth was found to occur in the presence of 0-7% (w/v) NaCl [optimum 0-3% (w/v)]. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 41.9 mol% and the cell wall peptidoglycan found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinone was identified as MK-7 and the major polar lipids as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified polar lipid and three unidentified phospholipids. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as iso-C 15:0 (31.6%), anteiso-C 15:0 (26.9%) and iso-C 14:0 (17.1%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 1433 T is a member of the genus Bacillus and is closely related to Bacillus aryabhattai DSM 21047 T (99.4% sequence similarity) and Bacillus megaterium DSM 32 T (99.2%). DNA-DNA relatedness of the novel strain 1433 T with B. aryabhattai DSM 21047 T and B. megaterium DSM 32 T was 33.8 ± 2.8% and 28.9 ± 3.4%, respectively. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence presented, strain 1433 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which we propose the name Bacillus zanthoxyli sp. nov. The type strain is 1433 T (= CCTCC AB 2016326 T  = KCTC33730 T ).

  16. Development of a flagellin surface display expression system in a moderate thermophile, Bacillus halodurans Alk36

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Crampton, Michael C

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available BIOTECHNOLOGY The development of a flagellin surface display expression system in a moderate thermophile, Bacillus halodurans Alk36 Michael Crampton & Eldie Berger & Sharon Reid & Maureen Louw Received: 3 October 2006 /Revised: 29 January 2007 /Accepted... techniques Plasmid DNA was isolated using a Plasmid Midi Kit (Qiagen). Restriction enzymes were used as specified by the manufacturer (Fermentas and Roche Diagnostics). All mini-preps were done using Perfectprep Plasmid Mini Kit (Eppendorf). All DNA...

  17. Transcriptome analysis documents induced competence of Bacillus subtilis during nitrogen limiting conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jarmer, Hanne Østergaard; Berka, R.; Knudsen, Steen

    2002-01-01

    DNA microarrays were used to analyze the changes in gene expression in Bacillus subtilis strain 168 when nitrogen limiting (glutamate) and nitrogen excess (ammonium plus glutamate) growth conditions were compared. Among more than 100 genes that were significantly induced during nitrogen starvation...... we detected the comG, comF, comE, nin-nucA and comK transcription units together with recA. DNA was added to B. subtilis grown in minimal medium with glutamate as the sole nitrogen source and it was demonstrated that the cells were competent. Based on these observations we propose a simplification...

  18. The potential of TaqMan Array Cards for detection of multiple biological agents by real-time PCR.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillip A Rachwal

    Full Text Available The TaqMan Array Card architecture, normally used for gene expression studies, was evaluated for its potential to detect multiple bacterial agents by real-time PCR. Ten PCR assays targeting five biological agents (Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis were incorporated onto Array Cards. A comparison of PCR performance of each PCR in Array Card and singleplex format was conducted using DNA extracted from pure bacterial cultures. When 100 fg of agent DNA was added to Array Card channels the following levels of agent detection (where at least one agent PCR replicate returned a positive result were observed: Y. pestis 100%, B. mallei & F. tularensis 93%; B. anthracis 71%; B. pseudomallei 43%. For B. mallei & pseudomallei detection the BPM2 PCR, which detects both species, outperformed PCR assays specific to each organism indicating identification of the respective species would not be reproducible at the 100 fg level. Near 100% levels of detection were observed when 100 fg of DNA was added to each PCR in singleplex format with singleplex PCRs also returning sporadic positives at the 10 fg per PCR level. Before evaluating the use of Array Cards for the testing of environmental and clinical sample types, with potential levels of background DNA and PCR inhibitors, users would therefore have to accept a 10-fold reduction in sensitivity of PCR assays on the Array Card format, in order to benefit for the capacity to test multiple samples for multiple agents. A two PCR per agent strategy would allow the testing of 7 samples for the presence of 11 biological agents or 3 samples for 23 biological agents per card (with negative control channels.

  19. [Anthrax due to deliberate infection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dissel, J.T. van; Kullberg, B.J.; Berg, P.C. van den; Steenbergen, J.E. van

    2001-01-01

    Anthrax is a zoonosis which is particularly prevalent in cattle, goats and sheep and is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive spore forming aerobic microorganism. The endospores can survive outside of the body for many decades. The natural form of anthrax has a cutaneous, pulmonary and

  20. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COML, A TRANSCRIPTION UNIT INVOLVED IN COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT OF BACILLUS-SUBTILIS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VANSINDEREN, D; WITHOFF, S; BOELS, H; VENEMA, G

    1990-01-01

    Using the transformation-deficient mutant M465, which was previously isolated by means of insertional mutagenesis with plasmid pHV60, a transcription unit comL required for genetic competence of Bacillus subtilis was identified. A chromosomal DNA fragment flanking the inserted pHV60 was isolated and

  1. Analysis of Host-Takeover During SPO1 Infection of Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Charles R

    2018-01-01

    When Bacillus subtilis is infected by bacteriophage SPO1, the phage directs the remodeling of the host cell, converting it into a factory for phage reproduction. Much synthesis of host DNA, RNA, and protein is shut off, and cell division is prevented. Here I describe the protocols by which we have demonstrated those processes, and identified the roles played by specific SPO1 gene products in causing those processes.

  2. Bacillus tamaricis sp. nov., an alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from a Tamarix cone soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yong-Guang; Zhou, Xing-Kui; Guo, Jian-Wei; Xiao, Min; Wang, Hong-Fei; Wang, Yun; Bobodzhanova, Khursheda; Li, Wen-Jun

    2018-02-01

    A Gram-stain-positive, alkaliphilic bacterium, designated EGI 80668 T , was isolated from a Tamarix cone soil in Xinjiang, north-west China. Cells were facultatively anaerobic, terminal endospore-forming and motile by means of peritrichous flagella. Colonies were yellowish and the cells showed oxidase-negative and catalase-positive reactions. Strain EGI 80668 T grew at pH 8.0-10.0 and with 0-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimally at pH 9.0 and with 1-2 % NaCl) on marine agar 2216. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C17 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The cellular polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, four unknown phospholipids and one unknown aminophospholipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 38.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain EGI 80668 T was affiliated to the genus Bacillus. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain EGI 80668 T and a member of the genus Bacillus was 96.83 % with Bacillus cellulosilyticus JCM 9156 T . A polyphasic taxonomic study based on morphological, physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic data indicated that strain EGI 80668 T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus tamaricis sp. nov. (type strain EGI 80668 T =KCTC 33703 T =CGMCC 1.15917 T ) is proposed.

  3. Investigation of biosurfactant production by Bacillus pumilus 1529 and Bacillus subtilis WPI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    shila khajavi shojaei

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Biosurfactants are unique amphipathic molecules with extensive application in removing organic and metal contaminants. The purpose of this study was to investigate production of biosurfactant and determine optimal conditions to produce biosurfactant by Bacillus pumilus 1529 and Bacillus subtilis WPI. Materials and methods: In this study, effect of carbon source, temperature and incubation time on biosurfactant production was evaluated. Hemolytic activity, emulsification activity, oil spreading, drop collapse, cell hydrophobicity and measurement of surface tension were used to detect biosurfactant production. Then, according to the results, the optimal conditions for biosurfactant production by and Bacillus subtilis WPI was determined. Results: In this study, both bacteria were able to produce biosurfactant at an acceptable level. Glucose, kerosene, sugarcane molasses and phenanthrene used as a sole carbon source and energy for the mentioned bacteria. Bacillus subtilis WPI produced maximum biosurfactant in the medium containing kerosene and reduced surface tension of the medium to 33.1 mN/m after 156 hours of the cultivation at 37°C. Also, the highest surface tension reduction by Bacillus pumilus 1529 occurred in the medium containing sugarcane molasses and reduce the surface tension of culture medium after 156 hours at 37°C from 50.4 to 28.83 mN/m. Discussion and conclusion: Bacillus pumilus 1529 and Bacillus subtilis WPI had high potential in production of biosurfactant and degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and Phenanthrene. Therefore, it could be said that these bacteria had a great potential for applications in bioremediation and other environmental process.

  4. Expression of the sigma35 and cry2AB genes involved in Bacillus thuringiensis virulence Expressão dos genes sigma35 e cry2AB envolvidos na virulência de Bacillus thuringiensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Guidelli-Thuler

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available There are several genes involved in Bacillus thuringiensis sporulation. The regulation and expression of these genes results in an upregulation in Cry protein production, and this is responsible for the death of insect larvae infected by Bacillus thuringiensis. Gene expression was monitored in Bacillus thuringiensis during three developmental phases. DNA macroarrays were constructed for selected genes whose sequences are available in the GenBank database. These genes were hybridized to cDNA sequences from B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-1. cDNA probes were synthesized by reverse transcription from B. thuringiensis RNA templates extracted during the exponential (log growth, stationary and sporulation phases, and labeled with 33PadCTP. Two genes were differentially expressed levels during the different developmental phases. One of these genes is related to sigma factor (sigma35, and the other is a cry gene (cry2Ab. There were differences between the differential levels of expression of various genes and among the expression detected for different combinations of the sigma factor and cry2Ab genes. The maximum difference in expression was observed for the gene encoding sigma35 factor in the log phase, which was also expressed at a high level during the sporulation phase. The cry2Ab gene was only expressed at a high level in the log phase, but at very low levels in the other phases when compared to the sigma35.Muitos genes estão envolvidos nos mecanismos de esporulação da bactéria Bacillus thuringiensis. A regulação e expressão desses genes resultam em uma produção massiva da proteína Cry, responsável pela morte das larvas de muitos insetos. Neste trabalho monitorou-se a expressão de genes de Bacillus thuringiensis, ao longo de três fases de seu desenvolvimento. Foram construídos macroarrays de DNA dos genes selecionados, cujas seqüências estão disponibilizadas no GenBank. Estes genes foram hibridizados com cDNAs obtidos de B

  5. PCR detection of ansA from marine bacteria and its sequence characteristics from Bacillus tequilensis NIOS4

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nayak, S.; Porob, S.; Fernandes, Areena; Meena, R.M.; Ramaiah, N.

    As many as 71 marine bacterial DNA extracts were PCR screened for L-asparaginase (ansA), a key gene in anti-cancer molecular-searches. Over 62% (44) of them were positive for ansA gene. The positive cultures were from genera Bacillus...

  6. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Journal 2003 Edition

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-08-18

    Building 53 ..............................................................................158 - Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning ( HVAC ) Replacement...Surrogates for Bacillus anthracis - October 9-10, 2002 ....................................454 - Support to the European Union on Medical Preparedness for...radiation necessary to eradicate anthrax spores ; the researchers use a harmless surrogate spore that mimics the biological properties of live anthrax

  7. Mechanisms of DNA uptake by cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacks, S.A.

    1977-01-01

    Three categories of cellular uptake of DNA can be distinguished. First, in the highly transformable bacteria, such as Diplococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Bacillus subtilis, elaborate mechanisms of DNA transport have evolved, presumably for the purpose of genetic exchange. These mechanisms can introduce substantial amounts of DNA into the cell. Second, methods have been devised for the forced introduction of DNA by manipulation of bacterial cells under nonphysiological conditions. By such means small but significant amounts of DNA have been introduced into various bacteria, including Escherichia coli. Third, mammalian cells are able to take up biologically active DNA. This has been most clearly demonstrated with viral DNA, although the mechanism of uptake is not well understood. The intention, here, is to survey current understanding of the various mechanisms of DNA uptake. A review of experience with the bacterial systems may throw some light on the mammalian system and lead to suggestions for enhancing DNA uptake by mammalian cells.

  8. Genetic evidence for a novel competence inhibitor in the industrially important Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muth, Christine; Buchholz, Meike; Schmidt, Christina; Volland, Sonja; Meinhardt, Friedhelm

    2017-12-01

    Natural genetic competence renders bacteria able to take up and, in case there is sufficient homology to the recipient's chromosome, integrate exogenously supplied DNA. Well studied in Bacillus subtilis, genetic competence is-in several aspects-known to be differently regulated in Bacillus licheniformis. We now report on the identification of a novel, chromosomally encoded homolog of a competence inhibitor in B. licheniformis (ComI) that has hitherto only been described as a plasmid borne trait in the ancestral B. subtilis NCIB3610. Bioinformatical analysis that included 80 Bacillus strains covering 20 different species revealed a ComI encoding gene in all of the examined B. licheniformis representatives, and was identified in few among the other species investigated. The predicted ComI of B. licheniformis is a highly conserved peptide consisting of 28 amino acids. Since deletion of comI in B. licheniformis DSM13 resulted in twofold increased transformation efficiency by genetic competence and overexpression resulted in threefold decreased transformability, the function as a competence inhibitor became evident.

  9. Electron Beam Irradiation Dose Dependently Damages the Bacillus Spore Coat and Spore Membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. E. Fiester

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Effective control of spore-forming bacilli begs suitable physical or chemical methods. While many spore inactivation techniques have been proven effective, electron beam (EB irradiation has been frequently chosen to eradicate Bacillus spores. Despite its widespread use, there are limited data evaluating the effects of EB irradiation on Bacillus spores. To study this, B. atrophaeus spores were purified, suspended in sterile, distilled water, and irradiated with EB (up to 20 kGy. Irradiated spores were found (1 to contain structural damage as observed by electron microscopy, (2 to have spilled cytoplasmic contents as measured by spectroscopy, (3 to have reduced membrane integrity as determined by fluorescence cytometry, and (4 to have fragmented genomic DNA as measured by gel electrophoresis, all in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, cytometry data reveal decreased spore size, increased surface alterations, and increased uptake of propidium iodide, with increasing EB dose, suggesting spore coat alterations with membrane damage, prior to loss of spore viability. The present study suggests that EB irradiation of spores in water results in substantial structural damage of the spore coat and inner membrane, and that, along with DNA fragmentation, results in dose-dependent spore inactivation.

  10. Orbito-Maxillofacial Cutaneous Anthrax

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and development of a black eschar were reviewed. Occupational history, falls and/or contact with animal meat was ... and oral ciprofloxacin (500mg BD for 21 days). The culture results isolated Bacillus anthracis highly ... The clinical evolution of cutaneous anthrax is typical with the initial development of minute red macules.

  11. Characterization of microsatellite loci in the stick insects Bacillus rossius rossius, Bacillus rossius redtenbacheri and Bacillus whitei (Insecta : Phasmatodea)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, DH; Pertoldi, C; Loeschcke, V

    2005-01-01

    Five microsatellite markers were obtained from a dinucleotide enriched genomic library of the stick insect Bacillus rossius rossius. The markers were tested in three species of Bacillus. All loci were polymorphic when tested across species. The number of alleles at each locus was low (maximum four...

  12. The resistance of Bacillus atrophaeus spores to the bactericidal activity of peracetic acid is influenced by both the nature of the solid substrates and the mode of contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grand, I; Bellon-Fontaine, M-N; Herry, J-M; Hilaire, D; Moriconi, F-X; Naïtali, M

    2010-11-01

    To evaluate the impact of the mode of contamination in relation with the nature of solid substrates on the resistance of spores of Bacillus atrophaeus -selected as surrogates of Bacillus anthracis- to a disinfectant, peracetic acid. Six materials confronted in urban and military environments were selected for their different structural and physicochemical properties. In parallel, two modes of contamination were examined, i.e. deposition and immersion. Deposition was used to simulate contamination by an aerosol and immersion by an extended contact with liquids. A pronounced difference in the biocontamination levels and spatial organization of spores was observed depending on the mode of contamination and the nature of the solid substrate considered, with consequences on decontamination. Contamination by immersion led to lower efficiency of peracetic acid decontamination than contamination by deposition. Infiltration of spores into porous materials after immersion is one reason. In contrast, the deposition mode aggregates cells at the surface of materials, explaining the similar disinfecting behaviour of porous and nonporous substrates when considering this inoculation route. The inoculation route was shown to be as influential a parameter as material characteristics (porosity and wettability) for decontamination efficacy. These results provide comparative information for the decontamination of B. atrophaeus spores in function of the mode of contamination and the nature of solid substrates. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology. No claim to French government works.

  13. Cooperation between catalytic and DNA binding domains enhances thermostability and supports DNA synthesis at higher temperatures by thermostable DNA polymerases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Andrey R; Pavlova, Nadejda V; Kozyavkin, Sergei A; Slesarev, Alexei I

    2012-03-13

    We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases [Pavlov, A. R., et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.99, 13510-13515]. The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various sequence-nonspecific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of Topo V HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105 °C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding of templates to DNA polymerases.

  14. Cooperation between Catalytic and DNA-binding Domains Enhances Thermostability and Supports DNA Synthesis at Higher Temperatures by Thermostable DNA Polymerases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Andrey R.; Pavlova, Nadejda V.; Kozyavkin, Sergei A.; Slesarev, Alexei I.

    2012-01-01

    We have previously introduced a general kinetic approach for comparative study of processivity, thermostability, and resistance to inhibitors of DNA polymerases (Pavlov et. al., (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 13510–13515). The proposed method was successfully applied to characterize hybrid DNA polymerases created by fusing catalytic DNA polymerase domains with various non-specific DNA binding domains. Here we use the developed kinetic analysis to assess basic parameters of DNA elongation by DNA polymerases and to further study the interdomain interactions in both previously constructed and new chimeric DNA polymerases. We show that connecting Helix-hairpin-Helix (HhH) domains to catalytic polymerase domains can increase thermostability, not only of DNA polymerases from extremely thermophilic species, but also of the enzyme from a faculatative thermophilic bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus. We also demonstrate that addition of TopoV HhH domains extends efficient DNA synthesis by chimerical polymerases up to 105°C by maintaining processivity of DNA synthesis at high temperatures. We also found that reversible high-temperature structural transitions in DNA polymerases decrease the rates of binding of these enzymes to the templates. Furthermore, activation energies and pre-exponential factors of the Arrhenius equation suggest that the mechanism of electrostatic enhancement of diffusion-controlled association plays a minor role in binding templates to DNA polymerases. PMID:22320201

  15. BacillusRegNet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Misirli, Goksel; Hallinan, Jennifer; Röttger, Richard

    2014-01-01

    As high-throughput technologies become cheaper and easier to use, raw sequence data and corresponding annotations for many organisms are becoming available. However, sequence data alone is not sufficient to explain the biological behaviour of organisms, which arises largely from complex molecular...... the associated BacillusRegNet website (http://bacillus.ncl.ac.uk)....

  16. Production, optimization and characterization of fibrinolytic enzyme by Bacillus subtilis RJAS19.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, D J Mukesh; Rakshitha, R; Vidhya, M Annu; Jennifer, P Sharon; Prasad, Sandip; Kumar, M Ravi; Kalaichelvan, P T

    2014-04-01

    The present study aimed at the production, purification and characterization of fibrinolytic nattokinase enzyme from the bacteria isolated from natto food. For the purpose, a fibrinolytic bacterium was isolated and identified as Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The strain was employed for the production and optimization of fibrinolytic enzyme. The strain showed better enzyme production during 72nd h of incubation time with 50 degrees C at the pH 9. The lactose and peptone were found to be increasing the enzyme production rate. The enzyme produced was purified and also characterized with the help of SDS-PAGE analysis. The activity and stability profile of the purified enzyme was tested against different temperature and pH. The observations suggesting that the potential of fibrinolytic enzyme produced by Bacillus subtilis RJAS 19 for its applications in preventive medicines.

  17. Disinfection of Vegetative Cells of Bacillus anthracis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    Peterson, A.; Donlan, R.M.; Arduino , M.J. Chlorine Inactivation of Bacterial Select Agents. Appl. and Environ. Microbial. 2005, 71, 5669–5689...Rose, L.J.; Rice, E.W.; Hodges, L.; Peterson, A.; Arduino , M.J. 2007. Monochloramine Inactivation of Bacterial Select Agents. Appl. and Environ

  18. Heat activation and stability of amylases from Bacillus species

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2007-05-16

    May 16, 2007 ... as Bacillus macerans, Bacillus coagulans Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus circulans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus subtilis. Heat treatment at 70oC denatured the β-amylase component of the amylase source while α-amylase retained its potency at this temperature. Calcium.

  19. DoD Global Emerging Infections System Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2000

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000-01-01

    the hull of the USS Cole during refu- eling at Aden,Yemen, about 200 miles southeast of Hodeidah.Although the team was concerned for its safety, it...Rossi, J Teska, J Ezzell , E Eitzen. “Human Ingestion of Bacillus Anthracis-Contaminated Meat - Minnesota.” MMWR; 49(36):813-816, 2000. Kijek TM, Rossi

  20. Evaluation of personal inhalable aerosol samplers with different filters for use during anthrax responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grinshpun, Sergey A; Weber, Angela M; Yermakov, Michael; Indugula, Reshmi; Elmashae, Yousef; Reponen, Tiina; Rose, Laura

    2017-08-01

    Risk of inhalation exposure to viable Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores has primarily been assessed using short-term, stationary sampling methods which may not accurately characterize the concentration of inhalable-sized spores reaching a person's breathing zone. While a variety of aerosol sampling methods have been utilized during previous anthrax responses, no consensus has yet been established for personal air sampling. The goal of this study was to determine the best sampler-filter combination(s) for the collection and extraction of B. anthracis spores. The study was designed to (1) evaluate the performance of four filter types (one mixed cellulose ester, MCE (pore size = 3 µm), two polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE (1 and 3 µm), and one polycarbonate, PC (3 µm)); and (2) evaluate the best performing filters in two commercially available inhalable aerosol samplers (IOM and Button). Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki [Bt(k)], a simulant for B. anthracis, served as the aerosol challenge. The filters were assessed based on criteria such as ability to maintain low pressure drop over an extended sampling period, filter integrity under various environmental conditions, spore collection and extraction efficiencies, ease of loading and unloading the filters into the samplers, cost, and availability. Three of the four tested collection filters-except MCE-were found suitable for efficient collection and recovery of Bt(k) spores sampled from dry and humid as well as dusty and clean air environments for up to 8 hr. The PC (3 µm) filter was identified as the best performing filter in this study. The PTFE (3 µm) demonstrated a comparable performance, but it is more expensive. Slightly higher concentrations were measured with the IOM inhalable sampler which is the preferred sampler's performance criterion when detecting a highly pathogenic agent with no established "safe" inhalation exposure level. Additional studies are needed to address the effects of

  1. Cell Physiology and Protein Secretion of Bacillus licheniformis Compared to Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voigt, Birgit; Antelmann, Haike; Albrecht, Dirk; Ehrenreich, Armin; Maurer, Karl-Heinz; Evers, Stefan; Gottschalk, Gerhard; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Schweder, Thomas; Hecker, Michael

    2009-01-01

    The genome sequence of Bacillus subtilis was published in 1997 and since then many other bacterial genomes have been sequenced, among them Bacillus licheniformis in 2004. B. subtilis and B. licheniformis are closely related and feature similar saprophytic lifestyles in the soil. Both species can

  2. Aag Hypoxanthine-DNA Glycosylase Is Synthesized in the Forespore Compartment and Involved in Counteracting the Genotoxic and Mutagenic Effects of Hypoxanthine and Alkylated Bases in DNA during Bacillus subtilis Sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayala-García, Víctor M; Valenzuela-García, Luz I; Setlow, Peter; Pedraza-Reyes, Mario

    2016-12-15

    Aag from Bacillus subtilis has been implicated in in vitro removal of hypoxanthine and alkylated bases from DNA. The regulation of expression of aag in B. subtilis and the resistance to genotoxic agents and mutagenic properties of an Aag-deficient strain were studied here. A strain with a transcriptional aag-lacZ fusion expressed low levels of β-galactosidase during growth and early sporulation but exhibited increased transcription during late stages of this developmental process. Notably, aag-lacZ expression was higher inside the forespore than in the mother cell compartment, and this expression was abolished in a sigG-deficient background, suggesting a forespore-specific mechanism of aag transcription. Two additional findings supported this suggestion: (i) expression of an aag-yfp fusion was observed in the forespore, and (ii) in vivo mapping of the aag transcription start site revealed the existence of upstream regulatory sequences possessing homology to σ G -dependent promoters. In comparison with the wild-type strain, disruption of aag significantly reduced survival of sporulating B. subtilis cells following nitrous acid or methyl methanesulfonate treatments, and the Rif r mutation frequency was significantly increased in an aag strain. These results suggest that Aag protects the genome of developing B. subtilis sporangia from the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of base deamination and alkylation. In this study, evidence is presented revealing that aag, encoding a DNA glycosylase implicated in processing of hypoxanthine and alkylated DNA bases, exhibits a forespore-specific pattern of gene expression during B. subtilis sporulation. Consistent with this spatiotemporal mode of expression, Aag was found to protect the sporulating cells of this microorganism from the noxious and mutagenic effects of base deamination and alkylation. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  3. Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase of Bacillus subtilis. Cloning, characterization and chromosomal mapping of the prs gene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Dan; Hove-Jensen, Bjarne

    1987-01-01

    The gene (prs) encoding phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase has been cloned from a library of Bacillus subtilis DNA by complementation of an Escherichia coli prs mutation. Flanking DNA sequences were pruned away by restriction endonuclease and exonuclease BAL 31 digestions, resulting...... in a DNA fragment of approx. 1.8 kb complementing the E. coli prs mutation. Minicell experiments revealed that this DNA fragment coded for a polypeptide, shown to be the PRPP synthetase subunit, with an Mr of approx. 40,000. B. subtilis strains harbouring the prs gene in a multicopy plasmid contained up...... to nine-fold increased PRPP synthetase activity. The prs gene was cloned in an integration vector and the resulting hybrid plasmid inserted into the B. subtilis chromosome by homologous recombination. The integration site was mapped by transduction and the gene order established as purA-guaA-prs-cysA....

  4. Complete Genomes of Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, Two Phylogenetically Distinct Probiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatri, Indu; Sharma, Shailza; Ramya, T N C; Subramanian, Srikrishna

    2016-01-01

    Several spore-forming strains of Bacillus are marketed as probiotics due to their ability to survive harsh gastrointestinal conditions and confer health benefits to the host. We report the complete genomes of two commercially available probiotics, Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, and compare them with the genomes of other Bacillus and Lactobacillus. The taxonomic position of both organisms was established with a maximum-likelihood tree based on twenty six housekeeping proteins. Analysis of all probiotic strains of Bacillus and Lactobacillus reveal that the essential sporulation proteins are conserved in all Bacillus probiotic strains while they are absent in Lactobacillus spp. We identified various antibiotic resistance, stress-related, and adhesion-related domains in these organisms, which likely provide support in exerting probiotic action by enabling adhesion to host epithelial cells and survival during antibiotic treatment and harsh conditions.

  5. Bacillus isabeliae sp. nov., a halophilic bacterium isolated from a sea salt evaporation pond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albuquerque, Luciana; Tiago, Igor; Taborda, Marco; Nobre, M Fernanda; Veríssimo, António; da Costa, Milton S

    2008-01-01

    A low-G+C, Gram-positive isolate, designated strain CVS-8(T), was isolated from a sea salt evaporation pond on the Island of Sal in the Cape Verde Archipelago. This organism was found to be a catalase- and oxidase-positive, non-motile, spore-forming, aerobic, curved rod-shaped organism with an optimum growth temperature of about 35-37 degrees C and an optimum pH between 7.5 and 8.0. Optimal growth occurred in media containing 4-6% (w/v) NaCl and no growth occurred in medium without NaCl. The cell-wall peptidoglycan was of the A1gamma type with meso-diaminopimelic acid, the major respiratory quinone was MK-7, the major fatty acids were iso-15:0, 16:0, anteiso-15:0 and iso-16:0 and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified aminoglycophospholipid. The G+C content of the DNA was 37.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain CVS-8(T) represented a novel species of the genus Bacillus, the highest levels of sequence similarity (mean pairwise similarity values of approximately 97.5 %) being found with respect to the type strains of Bacillus shackletonii and Bacillus acidicola. On the basis of the phylogenetic, physiological and biochemical data, strain CVS-8(T) represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus isabeliae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CVS-8(T) (=LMG 22838(T)=CIP 108578(T)).

  6. Genome engineering using a synthetic gene circuit in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Da-Eun; Park, Seung-Hwan; Pan, Jae-Gu; Kim, Eui-Joong; Choi, Soo-Keun

    2015-03-31

    Genome engineering without leaving foreign DNA behind requires an efficient counter-selectable marker system. Here, we developed a genome engineering method in Bacillus subtilis using a synthetic gene circuit as a counter-selectable marker system. The system contained two repressible promoters (B. subtilis xylA (Pxyl) and spac (Pspac)) and two repressor genes (lacI and xylR). Pxyl-lacI was integrated into the B. subtilis genome with a target gene containing a desired mutation. The xylR and Pspac-chloramphenicol resistant genes (cat) were located on a helper plasmid. In the presence of xylose, repression of XylR by xylose induced LacI expression, the LacIs repressed the Pspac promoter and the cells become chloramphenicol sensitive. Thus, to survive in the presence of chloramphenicol, the cell must delete Pxyl-lacI by recombination between the wild-type and mutated target genes. The recombination leads to mutation of the target gene. The remaining helper plasmid was removed easily under the chloramphenicol absent condition. In this study, we showed base insertion, deletion and point mutation of the B. subtilis genome without leaving any foreign DNA behind. Additionally, we successfully deleted a 2-kb gene (amyE) and a 38-kb operon (ppsABCDE). This method will be useful to construct designer Bacillus strains for various industrial applications. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  7. Host organisms: Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hohman, Hans-Peter; van Dijl, Jan; Krishnappa, Laxmi; Pragai, Zoltan

    2016-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis and its close Bacillus relatives are important bacterial platforms for industrial production of enzymes and fine chemicals such as vitamin B2 and nucleotides. B. subtilis is an attractive bacterial organism for industrial use mainly because of its straightforward genetic

  8. Ability of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts to repair irradiated bacteriophage deoxyribonucleic acid via acquired and natural enzymatic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasbin, R.E.; Andersen, B.J.; Sutherland, B.M.

    1981-01-01

    A novel form of enzyme therapy was achieved by utilizing protoplasts of Bacillus subtilis. Photoreactivating enzyme of Escherichia coli was successfully inserted into the protoplasts of B. subtilis treated with polyethylene glycol. This enzyme was used to photoreactivate ultraviolet-damaged bacteriophage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Furthermore, in polyethylene glycol-treated protoplasts, ultraviolet-irradiated transfecting bacteriophage DNA was shown to be a functional substrate for the host DNA excision repair system. Previous results (R.E. Yasbin, J.D. Fernwalt, and P.I. Fields, J. Bacteriol.; 137: 391-396) showed that ultraviolet-irradiated bacteriophage DNA could not be repaired via the excision repair system of competent cells. Therefore, the processing of bacteriophage DNA by protoplasts and by competent cells must be different. This sensitive protoplast assay can be used to identify and to isolate various types of DNA repair enzymes

  9. Complete Genomes of Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, Two Phylogenetically Distinct Probiotics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramya, T. N. C.; Subramanian, Srikrishna

    2016-01-01

    Several spore-forming strains of Bacillus are marketed as probiotics due to their ability to survive harsh gastrointestinal conditions and confer health benefits to the host. We report the complete genomes of two commercially available probiotics, Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, and compare them with the genomes of other Bacillus and Lactobacillus. The taxonomic position of both organisms was established with a maximum-likelihood tree based on twenty six housekeeping proteins. Analysis of all probiotic strains of Bacillus and Lactobacillus reveal that the essential sporulation proteins are conserved in all Bacillus probiotic strains while they are absent in Lactobacillus spp. We identified various antibiotic resistance, stress-related, and adhesion-related domains in these organisms, which likely provide support in exerting probiotic action by enabling adhesion to host epithelial cells and survival during antibiotic treatment and harsh conditions. PMID:27258038

  10. Complete Genomes of Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, Two Phylogenetically Distinct Probiotics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indu Khatri

    Full Text Available Several spore-forming strains of Bacillus are marketed as probiotics due to their ability to survive harsh gastrointestinal conditions and confer health benefits to the host. We report the complete genomes of two commercially available probiotics, Bacillus coagulans S-lac and Bacillus subtilis TO-A JPC, and compare them with the genomes of other Bacillus and Lactobacillus. The taxonomic position of both organisms was established with a maximum-likelihood tree based on twenty six housekeeping proteins. Analysis of all probiotic strains of Bacillus and Lactobacillus reveal that the essential sporulation proteins are conserved in all Bacillus probiotic strains while they are absent in Lactobacillus spp. We identified various antibiotic resistance, stress-related, and adhesion-related domains in these organisms, which likely provide support in exerting probiotic action by enabling adhesion to host epithelial cells and survival during antibiotic treatment and harsh conditions.

  11. Methods for Confirming the Gram Reaction of Gram-variable Bacillus Species Isolated from Tobacco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morin A

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus is a predominant genus of bacteria isolated from tobacco. The Gram stain is the most commonly used and most important of all diagnostic staining techniques in microbiology. In order to help confirm the Gram positivity of Bacillus isolates from tobacco, three methods using the chemical differences of the cell wall and membrane of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were investigated: the KOH (potassium hydroxide, the LANA (L-alanine-4-nitroanilide, and the vancomycin susceptibility tests. When colonies of Gram-negative bacteria are treated with 3% KOH solution, a slimy suspension is produced, probably due to destruction of the cell wall and liberation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA. Gram-positive cell walls resist KOH treatment. The LANA test reveals the presence of a cell wall aminopeptidase that hydrolyzes the L-alanine-4-nitroanilide in Gram-negative bacteria. This enzyme is absent in Gram-positive bacteria. Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic inhibiting the cell wall peptido-glycan synthesis of Gram-positive microorganisms. Absence of lysis with KOH, absence of hydrolysis of LANA, and susceptibility to vancomycin were used with the Gram reaction to confirm the Gram positivity of various Bacillus species isolated from tobacco. B. laevolacticus excepted, all Bacillus species tested showed negative reactions to KOH and LANA tests, and all species were susceptible to vancomycin (5 and 30 µg.

  12. Fluorene biodegradation potentials of Bacillus strains isolated from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fluorene biodegradation potentials of Bacillus strains isolated from tropical ... Bacillus strains, putatively identified as Bacillus subtilis BM1 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BR1 were ... African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(14), 1554-1559 ...

  13. Binding and entry of DNA in bacterial transformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacks, S.A.

    1976-01-01

    Bacterial transformation in relation to DNA transport and competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called Diplococcus pneumoniae) is discussed. This species will serve as a model with which to compare transformation in other bacterial species, particularly Bacillus subtilis and Haemophilus influenzae, with emphasis on the many similarities as well as differences.

  14. Mechanism of transcription activation at the comG promoter by the competence transcription factor ComK of Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Susanna, KA; van der Werff, AF; den Hengst, CD; Calles, B; Salas, M; Venema, G; Hamoen, LW; Kuipers, OP

    The development of genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis is regulated by a complex signal transduction cascade, which results in the synthesis of the competence transcription factor, encoded by comK. ComK is required for the transcription of the late competence genes that encode the DNA binding

  15. Safety assesment of Bacillus clausii UBBC07, a spore forming probiotic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suvarna G. Lakshmi

    Full Text Available Probiotics are vital bacteria that colonize the intestine and modify its microflora with benefits for the host. Very few members of the Bacillus group are recognized as safe for use and hence only a few strains are available as commercial preparations for application in humans and animals. Acute and subacute studies in rats were conducted to establish safety of Bacillus clausii (B. clausii UBBC07. In the acute toxicity study, the oral LD50 for B. clausii UBBC07 was found to be >5000 mg/kg (630 billion cfu/kg body weight. The NOAEL for B. clausii UBBC07 was found to be 1000 (126 billion cfu mg/kg body weight/day by oral route in the subacute toxicity study. There were no significant differences between control and treated groups in any of the endpoints assessed using an OECD443 or OECD407 protocol.B. clausii UBBC07 was found to be resistant to three antibiotics −clindamycin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol. Analysis of the whole genome sequence of B. clausii UBBC07 revealed that the antibiotic resistance genes are present in chromosomal DNA which is intrinsic and not transferable. Toxin genes were also found to be absent. These results suggest consumption of B. clausii UBBC07 is safe for humans. Keywords: Acute toxicity, Subacute toxicity, NOAEL, Bacillus clausii UBBC07, Whole genome

  16. Cloning of the Bacillus thuringiensis serovar sotto chitinase (Schi gene and characterization of its protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-Fang Zhong

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Chitinase plays a positive role in the pathogenicity of Bacillus thuringiensis to insect pests. We used touchdown PCR to clone the chitinase (Schi gene from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar sotto (Bt sotto chromosomal DNA. Our DNA sequencing analysis revealed that the Bt sotto Schi gene consists of an open reading frame (ORF of 2067 nucleotides with codes for the chitinase precursor. We also found that the putative promoter consensus sequences (the -35 and -10 regions of the Bt soto Schi gene are identical to those of the chiA71 gene from Bt Pakistani, the chiA74 gene from Bt kenyae and the ichi gene from Bt israelensis. The Schi chitinase precursor is 688 amino acids long with an estimated molecular mass of 75.75 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.74, and contains four domains, which are, in sequence, a signal peptide, an N-terminal catalytic domain, a fibronectin type III like domain and a C-terminal chitin-binding domain. Sequence comparison and the evolutionary relationship of the Bt sotto Schi chitinase to other chitinase and chitinase-like proteins are also discussed.

  17. Isolation and characterization of Tn917lac-generated competence mutants of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahn, J.; Albano, M.; Dubnau, D.

    1987-01-01

    The authors isolated 28 mutants of Bacillus subtilis deficient in the development of competence by using the transposon Tn917lacZ as a mutagen. The mutant strains were poorly transformable with plasmid and chromosomal DNAs but were normally transducible and exhibited wild-type resistance to DNA-damaging agents. The mutations were genetically mapped, and the mutants were characterized with respect to their abilities to bind and take up radiolabeled DNA. All were defective in uptake, and some failed to bind significantly amounts of DNA. The abilities of the mutant strains to resolve into two buoyant density classes on Renografin gradients were studied. Most resolved normally, but several banded in Renografin only at the buoyant density of noncompetent cells. The genetic mapping studies and the other analyses suggested that the mutations define a minimum of seven distinct com genes

  18. Occurrence of Natural Bacillus thuringiensis Contaminants and Residues of Bacillus thuringiensis-Based Insecticides on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederiksen, Kristine; Rosenquist, Hanne; Jørgensen, Kirsten; Wilcks, Andrea

    2006-01-01

    A total of 128 Bacillus cereus-like strains isolated from fresh fruits and vegetables for sale in retail shops in Denmark were characterized. Of these strains, 39% (50/128) were classified as Bacillus thuringiensis on the basis of their content of cry genes determined by PCR or crystal proteins visualized by microscopy. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and plasmid profiling indicated that 23 of the 50 B. thuringiensis strains were of the same subtype as B. thuringiensis strains used as commercial bioinsecticides. Fourteen isolates were indistinguishable from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD1 present in the products Dipel, Biobit, and Foray, and nine isolates grouped with B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai present in Turex. The commercial strains were primarily isolated from samples of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. A multiplex PCR method was developed to simultaneously detect all three genes in the enterotoxin hemolysin BL (HBL) and the nonhemolytic enterotoxin (NHE), respectively. This revealed that the frequency of these enterotoxin genes was higher among the strains indistinguishable from the commercial strains than among the other B. thuringiensis and B. cereus-like strains isolated from fruits and vegetables. The same was seen for a third enterotoxin, CytK. In conclusion, the present study strongly indicates that residues of B. thuringiensis-based insecticides can be found on fresh fruits and vegetables and that these are potentially enterotoxigenic. PMID:16672488

  19. Isolation, Fermentation Optimization and Performance Studies of a Novel Biosurfactant Producing Strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, W.; Zhang, X.; Cui, H.

    2015-01-01

    In this research, biosurfactant-producing bacteria were isolated from the outlet sludge of a canteen and one promising strain was identified through 16S rDNA sequence as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. This strain can utilize water-soluble carbon source and the FT-IR analysis indicated the biosurfactant was probably glycolipids. Further factors (fermentation time, temperature, carbon source, nitrogen source, ion concentration) affecting the biosurfactant production were determined. The optimum fe...

  20. Effect of Ultrasonic Waves on the Heat Resistance of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis Spores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgos, J.; Ordóñez, J. A.; Sala, F.

    1972-01-01

    Heat resistance of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis spores in quarter-strength Ringer solution decreases markedly after ultrasonic treatments which are unable to kill a significant proportion of the spore population. This effect does not seem to be caused by a loss of Ca2+ or dipicolinic acid. The use of ultrasonics to eliminate vegetative cells or to break aggregates in Bacillus spore suspensions to be used subsequently in heat resistance experiments appears to be unadvisable. PMID:4627969

  1. Induction of prophages in spores of Bacillus subtilis by ultraviolet irradiation from synchrotron orbital radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadaie, Y.; Kada, T.; Ohta, Y. (National Inst. of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka (Japan)); Kobayashi, K.; Hieda, K.; Ito, T.

    1984-06-01

    Prophages were induced from Bacillus subtilis spores lysogenic with SP02 by ultraviolet (160 nm to 240 nm) irradiation from synchrotron orbital radiation (SR UV). SR UV at around 220 nm was most effective in the inactivation of spores and prophage induction from lysogenic spores, suggesting that the lesions are produced on the DNA molecule which eventually induces signals to inactivate the phage repressor.

  2. Induction of prophages in spores of Bacillus subtilis by ultraviolet irradiation from synchrotron orbital radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadaie, Y.; Kada, T.; Ohta, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Hieda, K.; Ito, T.

    1984-01-01

    Prophages were induced from Bacillus subtilis spores lysogenic with SP02 by ultraviolet (160 nm to 240 nm) irradiation from synchrotron orbital radiation (SR UV). SR UV at around 220 nm was most effective in the inactivation of spores and prophage induction from lysogenic spores, suggesting that the lesions are produced on the DNA molecule which eventually induces signals to inactivate the phage repressor. (author)

  3. Characteristics of bacillus strains with antifungal activity against phytopathogens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young Keun; Senthilkumar, M. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-12-15

    Four bacterial isolates that showed antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata and other phytopathogens were isolates from bean rhizosphere. 16S rDNA analysis and phylogenetic relationship indicated that these isolates belong to Genus Bacillus. Isolate A1 clustered with Bacillus licheniformis while other isolates A2, A3 and A4 clustered together with B.pumilus. n-Butanol extract of these isolates strongly inhibited the growth of A. alternata while, chloroform extract of isolate A2 and ethyl acetate extract of A1,A3, and A4 inhibited the test fungus partially. All the isolates except A4 produced chitinase enzyme. None of the isolates solubilized mineral phosphate. Radiation sensitivity of isolates A1, A2, A3 and A4 were assessed and the LD{sub 99} values are determined as 0.50, 6.69, 11,60, 1.53 kGy, respectively. Mutant libraries of each isolate were prepared by exposing them to gamma radiation at their respective LD{sub 99} dose. Crude metabolite caused drastic changes on A. alternata hyphal morphology. Appearance of shrunken and collapsed hyphae could be due to the leak of cell wall or changes in membrane permeability.

  4. Characteristics of bacillus strains with antifungal activity against phytopathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Young Keun; Senthilkumar, M.

    2009-01-01

    Four bacterial isolates that showed antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata and other phytopathogens were isolates from bean rhizosphere. 16S rDNA analysis and phylogenetic relationship indicated that these isolates belong to Genus Bacillus. Isolate A1 clustered with Bacillus licheniformis while other isolates A2, A3 and A4 clustered together with B.pumilus. n-Butanol extract of these isolates strongly inhibited the growth of A. alternata while, chloroform extract of isolate A2 and ethyl acetate extract of A1,A3, and A4 inhibited the test fungus partially. All the isolates except A4 produced chitinase enzyme. None of the isolates solubilized mineral phosphate. Radiation sensitivity of isolates A1, A2, A3 and A4 were assessed and the LD 99 values are determined as 0.50, 6.69, 11,60, 1.53 kGy, respectively. Mutant libraries of each isolate were prepared by exposing them to gamma radiation at their respective LD 99 dose. Crude metabolite caused drastic changes on A. alternata hyphal morphology. Appearance of shrunken and collapsed hyphae could be due to the leak of cell wall or changes in membrane permeability

  5. Lactoferricin B inhibits bacterial macromolecular synthesis in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulvatne, Hilde; Samuelsen, Ørjan; Haukland, Hanne H; Krämer, Manuela; Vorland, Lars H

    2004-08-15

    Most antimicrobial peptides have an amphipathic, cationic structure, and an effect on the cytoplasmic membrane of susceptible bacteria has been postulated as the main mode of action. Other mechanisms have been reported, including inhibition of cellular functions by binding to DNA, RNA and proteins, and the inhibition of DNA and/or protein synthesis. Lactoferricin B (Lfcin B), a cationic peptide derived from bovine lactoferrin, exerts slow inhibitory and bactericidal activity and does not lyse susceptible bacteria, indicating a possible intracellular target. In the present study incorporation of radioactive precursors into DNA, RNA and proteins was used to demonstrate effects of Lfcin B on macromolecular synthesis in bacteria. In Escherichia coli UC 6782, Lfcin B induces an initial increase in protein and RNA synthesis and a decrease in DNA synthesis. After 10 min, the DNA-synthesis increases while protein and RNA-synthesis decreases significantly. In Bacillus subtilis, however, all synthesis of macromolecules is inhibited for at least 20 min. After 20 min RNA-synthesis increases. The results presented here show that Lfcin B at concentrations not sufficient to kill bacterial cells inhibits incorporation of radioactive precursors into macromolecules in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

  6. A Cumulative Spore Killing Approach: Synergistic Sporicidal Activity of Dilute Peracetic Acid and Ethanol at Low pH Against Clostridium difficile and Bacillus subtilis Spores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nerandzic, Michelle M; Sankar C, Thriveen; Setlow, Peter; Donskey, Curtis J

    2016-01-01

    Background.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are the primary method of hand hygiene in healthcare settings, but they lack activity against bacterial spores produced by pathogens such as Clostridium difficile and Bacillus anthracis. We previously demonstrated that acidification of ethanol induced rapid sporicidal activity, resulting in ethanol formulations with pH 1.5-2 that were as effective as soap and water washing in reducing levels of C difficile spores on hands. We hypothesized that the addition of dilute peracetic acid (PAA) to acidified ethanol would enhance sporicidal activity while allowing elevation of the pH to a level likely to be well tolerated on skin (ie, >3). Methods.  We tested the efficacy of acidified ethanol solutions alone or in combination with PAA against C difficile and Bacillus subtilis spores in vitro and against nontoxigenic C difficile spores on hands of volunteers. Results.  Acidification of ethanol induced rapid sporicidal activity against C difficile and to a lesser extent B subtilis. The addition of dilute PAA to acidified ethanol resulted in synergistic enhancement of sporicidal activity in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro. On hands, the addition of 1200-2000 ppm PAA enhanced the effectiveness of acidified ethanol formulations, resulting in formulations with pH >3 that were as effective as soap and water washing. Conclusions.  Acidification and the addition of dilute PAA induced rapid sporicidal activity in ethanol. Our findings suggest that it may be feasible to develop effective sporicidal ethanol formulations that are safe and tolerable on skin.

  7. Diversity in the antibacterial potential of probiotic cultures Bacillus licheniformis MCC2514 and Bacillus licheniformis MCC2512.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shobharani, Papanna; Padmaja, Radhakrishnan J; Halami, Prakash M

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristic diversity and stability of antimicrobial compounds produced by two probiotic strains of Bacillus licheniformis (MCC2514 and MCC2512). Antimicrobial compounds from the two strains notably varied, related to stability and potency. The inhibitory spectrum of B. licheniformis MCC2512 was higher than MCC2514, but, related to the effect on Micrococcus luteus ATCC9341, MCC2514 (LD50 = 450 AU ml(-1)) was more potent than MCC2512 (LD50 = 750 AU ml(-1)). The compounds were thermo-resistant and stable at a wide range of pH and exhibited considerable resistance to digestive enzymes and bile salts (anionic biological detergents), contributing to their appropriate application in various food systems. The isolate B. licheniformis MCC2512 gave a positive response to Bacillus subtilis-based biosensors BSF2470 and BS168.BS2, confirming the mode of action on the cell wall and subtilin-type, respectively. For B. licheniformis MCC2514, the mode of action was characterized by constructing B. subtilis reporters that interfered in five major biosynthetic pathways, i.e., biosynthesis of DNA, RNA, protein, the cell wall and fatty acids. B. licheniformis MCC2514 responded to the yvgS reporter, indicating it as an RNA synthesis inhibitor. Overall, the investigation reveals variability of the antimicrobial compounds from B. licheniformis of different origins and for their possible application as biopreservative agents. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection and Quantification of Surrogate Biological Warfare Agents in Building Debris and Leachate▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saikaly, Pascal E.; Barlaz, Morton A.; de los Reyes, Francis L.

    2007-01-01

    Evaluation of the fate and transport of biological warfare (BW) agents in landfills requires the development of specific and sensitive detection assays. The objective of the current study was to develop and validate SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) assays for the specific detection and quantification of surrogate BW agents in synthetic building debris (SBD) and leachate. Bacillus atrophaeus (vegetative cells and spores) and Serratia marcescens were used as surrogates for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and Yersinia pestis (plague), respectively. The targets for SYBR green Q-PCR assays were the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) region and recA gene for B. atrophaeus and the gyrB, wzm, and recA genes for S. marcescens. All assays showed high specificity when tested against 5 ng of closely related Bacillus and Serratia nontarget DNA from 21 organisms. Several spore lysis methods that include a combination of one or more of freeze-thaw cycles, chemical lysis, hot detergent treatment, bead beat homogenization, and sonication were evaluated. All methods tested showed similar threshold cycle values. The limit of detection of the developed Q-PCR assays was determined using DNA extracted from a pure bacterial culture and DNA extracted from sterile water, leachate, and SBD samples spiked with increasing quantities of surrogates. The limit of detection for B. atrophaeus genomic DNA using the ITS and B. atrophaeus recA Q-PCR assays was 7.5 fg per PCR. The limits of detection of S. marcescens genomic DNA using the gyrB, wzm, and S. marcescens recA Q-PCR assays were 7.5 fg, 75 fg, and 7.5 fg per PCR, respectively. Quantification of B. atrophaeus vegetative cells and spores was linear (R2 > 0.98) over a 7-log-unit dynamic range down to 101 B. atrophaeus cells or spores. Quantification of S. marcescens (R2 > 0.98) was linear over a 6-log-unit dynamic range down to 102 S. marcescens cells. The developed Q-PCR assays are highly specific and sensitive and can

  9. Identification of Bacillus Probiotics Isolated from Soil Rhizosphere Using 16S rRNA, recA, rpoB Gene Sequencing and RAPD-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohkam, Milad; Nezafat, Navid; Berenjian, Aydin; Mobasher, Mohammad Ali; Ghasemi, Younes

    2016-03-01

    Some Bacillus species, especially Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus groups, have highly similar 16S rRNA gene sequences, which are hard to identify based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. To conquer this drawback, rpoB, recA sequence analysis along with randomly amplified polymorphic (RAPD) fingerprinting was examined as an alternative method for differentiating Bacillus species. The 16S rRNA, rpoB and recA genes were amplified via a polymerase chain reaction using their specific primers. The resulted PCR amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis was employed by MEGA 6 software. Identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing was underpinned by rpoB and recA gene sequencing as well as RAPD-PCR technique. Subsequently, concatenation and phylogenetic analysis showed that extent of diversity and similarity were better obtained by rpoB and recA primers, which are also reinforced by RAPD-PCR methods. However, in one case, these approaches failed to identify one isolate, which in combination with the phenotypical method offsets this issue. Overall, RAPD fingerprinting, rpoB and recA along with concatenated genes sequence analysis discriminated closely related Bacillus species, which highlights the significance of the multigenic method in more precisely distinguishing Bacillus strains. This research emphasizes the benefit of RAPD fingerprinting, rpoB and recA sequence analysis superior to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for suitable and effective identification of Bacillus species as recommended for probiotic products.

  10. Determining the source of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis isolated from raw milk, pasteurized milk and yoghurt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banykó, J; Vyletelová, M

    2009-03-01

    Strain-specific detection of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus licheniformis in raw and pasteurized milk, and yoghurt during processing. Randomly selected isolates of Bacillus spp. were subjected to PCR analysis, where single primer targeting to the repetitive sequence Box elements was used to fingerprint the species. The isolates were separated into six different fingerprint patterns. The results show that isolates clustered together at about the 57% similarity level with two main groups at the 82% and 83% similarity levels, respectively. Contamination with identical strains both of B. cereus and B. licheniformis in raw and pasteurized milk was found as well as contaminated with different strains (in the case of raw milk and yoghurt/pasteurized milk and yoghurt). Several BOX types traced in processed milk samples were not discovered in the original raw milk. BOX-PCR fingerprinting is useful for characterizing Bacillus populations in a dairy environment. It can be used to confirm environmental contamination, eventually clonal transfer of Bacillus strains during the technological processing of milk. Despite the limited number of strains analysed, the two Bacillus species yielded adequately detectable banding profiles, permitting differentiation of bacteria at the strain level and showing their diversity throughout dairy processing.

  11. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, and Bacillus siamensis Form an "Operational Group B. amyloliquefaciens" within the B. subtilis Species Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Ben; Blom, Jochen; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Borriss, Rainer

    2017-01-01

    The plant growth promoting model bacterium FZB42 T was proposed as the type strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum (Borriss et al., 2011), but has been recently recognized as being synonymous to Bacillus velezensis due to phylogenomic analysis (Dunlap C. et al., 2016). However, until now, majority of publications consider plant-associated close relatives of FZB42 still as " B. amyloliquefaciens ." Here, we reinvestigated the taxonomic status of FZB42 and related strains in its context to the free-living soil bacterium DSM7 T , the type strain of B. amyloliquefaciens . We identified 66 bacterial genomes from the NCBI data bank with high similarity to DSM7 T . Dendrograms based on complete rpoB nucleotide sequences and on core genome sequences, respectively, clustered into a clade consisting of three tightly linked branches: (1) B. amyloliquefaciens , (2) Bacillus siamensis , and (3) a conspecific group containing the type strains of B. velezensis, Bacillus methylotrophicus , and B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum . The three monophyletic clades shared a common mutation rate of 0.01 substitutions per nucleotide position, but were distantly related to Bacillus subtilis (0.1 substitutions per nucleotide position). The tight relatedness of the three clusters was corroborated by TETRA, dDDH, ANI, and AAI analysis of the core genomes, but dDDH and ANI values were found slightly below species level thresholds when B. amyloliquefaciens DSM7 T genome sequence was used as query sequence. Due to these results, we propose that the B. amyloliquefaciens clade should be considered as a taxonomic unit above of species level, designated here as "operational group B. amyloliquefaciens " consisting of the soil borne B. amyloliquefaciens , and plant associated B. siamensis and B. velezensis , whose members are closely related and allow identifying changes on the genomic level due to developing the plant-associated life-style.

  12. Effects of microbial DNA on human DNA profiles generated using the PowerPlex® 16 HS system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dembinski, Gina M; Picard, Christine J

    2017-11-01

    Most crime scenes are not sterile and therefore may be contaminated with environmental DNA, especially if a decomposing body is found. Collecting biological evidence from this individual will yield DNA samples mixed with microbial DNA. This also becomes important if postmortem swabs are collected from sexually assaulted victims. Although genotyping kits undergo validation tests, including bacterial screens, they do not account for the diverse microbial load during decomposition. We investigated the effect of spiking human DNA samples with known concentrations of DNA from 17 microbe species associated with decomposition on DNA profiles produced using the Promega PowerPlex ® HS system. Two species, Bacillus subtilis and Mycobacterium smegmatis, produced an extraneous allele at the TPOX locus. When repeated with the PowerPlex ® Fusion kit, the extra allele no longer amplified with these two species. This experiment demonstrates that caution should be exhibited if microbial load is high and the PowerPlex ® 16HS system is used. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  13. Role of the Water–Metal Ion Bridge in Mediating Interactions between Quinolones and Escherichia coli Topoisomerase IV

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Although quinolones have been in clinical use for decades, the mechanism underlying drug activity and resistance has remained elusive. However, recent studies indicate that clinically relevant quinolones interact with Bacillus anthracis (Gram-positive) topoisomerase IV through a critical water–metal ion bridge and that the most common quinolone resistance mutations decrease drug activity by disrupting this bridge. As a first step toward determining whether the water–metal ion bridge is a general mechanism of quinolone–topoisomerase interaction, we characterized drug interactions with wild-type Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) topoisomerase IV and a series of ParC enzymes with mutations (S80L, S80I, S80F, and E84K) in the predicted bridge-anchoring residues. Results strongly suggest that the water–metal ion bridge is essential for quinolone activity against E. coli topoisomerase IV. Although the bridge represents a common and critical mechanism that underlies broad-spectrum quinolone function, it appears to play different roles in B. anthracis and E. coli topoisomerase IV. The water–metal ion bridge is the most important binding contact of clinically relevant quinolones with the Gram-positive enzyme. However, it primarily acts to properly align clinically relevant quinolones with E. coli topoisomerase IV. Finally, even though ciprofloxacin is unable to increase levels of DNA cleavage mediated by several of the Ser80 and Glu84 mutant E. coli enzymes, the drug still retains the ability to inhibit the overall catalytic activity of these topoisomerase IV proteins. Inhibition parallels drug binding, suggesting that the presence of the drug in the active site is sufficient to diminish DNA relaxation rates. PMID:25115926

  14. DNA strand scission by the novel antitumor antibiotic leinamycin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hara, Mitsunobu; Saitoh, Yutaka; Nakano, Hirofumi

    1990-01-01

    Leinamycin is a recently discovered antitumor antibiotic with an unusual 1,3-dioxo-1,2-dithiolane structure. It preferentially inhibits the incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into the acid-insoluble fraction of Bacillus subtilis. In vitro, leinamycin causes single-strand cleavage of supercoiled double-helical pBR322 DNA in the presence of thiol cofactors. Scavengers of oxygen radical did not suppress the DNA-cleaving activity. Thiol-activated leinamycin binds calf thymus DNA at 4 degree C and thermal treatment of the leinamycin-DNA adduct released a chemically modified leinamycin from the complex. The lack of cytotoxicity and DNA-cleaving activity for S-deoxyleinamycin indicates that the 1,3-dioxo-1,2-dithiolane moiety is essential for the activity of leinamycin. Thus, the primary cellular target of leinamycin appears to be DNA. It binds DNA and causes single-strand break at low concentrations, which may account for the potent antitumor activity

  15. An Evaluation of Blood Cholinesterase Testing Methods for Military Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-05-01

    Bacillus anthracis Bacterial Endotoxin Biological Weapons Candida species Clostridium difficile Chlamydia trachomatis Cholera ( Vibrio cholerae ...to characterize the AChE variability of workers at a pesticide formulation plant in Mexico . They discovered the AChE coefficient of variation (CV...communities in Mexico ; their results suggested that the poorest communities were at greater risk of health effects from pesticide exposures. While the

  16. Descriptive Summaries of the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army Appropriation. Supporting Data FY 1994, Budget Estimates Submitted to Congress, April 1993

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-04-01

    Investigate the genetics and physiology of Yersinia pestis, Brucella Sp., Q-fever, Vibrio cholerae , Francisella tularensis and Bacillus anthracis "* (U) Conduct...New Mexico State University, NM; Optimetrics, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA; Mission Research Corporation...Laboratory (ARL), Adelphi, MD. Contractors include: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM; Dynamic Sciences, Inc., Phoenix, AZ; Honeywell

  17. Treatment of Anthrax Disease Frequently Asked Questions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Judd, Kathleen S.; Young, Joan E.; Lesperance, Ann M.; Malone, John D.

    2010-05-14

    This document provides a summary of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the treatment of anthrax disease caused by a wide-area release of Bacillus anthracis spores as an act bioterrorism. These FAQs are intended to provide the public health and medical community, as well as others, with guidance and communications to support the response and long-term recovery from an anthrax event.

  18. Production of amylolytic enzymes by bacillus spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawood, Elham Shareif

    1997-12-01

    Sixty six bacteria and twenty fungi were isolated from various sources. These varied from rotten fruites to local drinks and soil samples from different parts of Sudan. On the basis of index of amylolytic activity, forty one bacteria and twelve fungi were found to hydrolyse strach. The best ten strach hydrolysing isolates were identified all as bacilli (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K 1 , SUD-K 2 , SUD-K 4 , SUD-O, SUD-SRW, SUD-BRW, SUD-By, Bacillus subtilis SUD-K 3 , and Bacillus circulans SUD-D and SUD-K 7 ). Their amylase productivity was studied with respect to temperature and time. Amylolytic activity was measured by spectrophotometer, the highest activity was produced in around 24 hours of growth in all; six of which gave the highest amylase activity at 50 deg C and the rest at 45C. Based on the thermal production six isolates were chosen for further investigation. These were Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K 1 , SUD-K 2 , SUD-K 4 , SUD-O, Bacillus subtilis SUD-K 3 and Bacillus circulans SUD-K 7 . The inclusion of strach and Mg ++ ions in the culture medium gave the highest enzyme yield. The Ph 9.0 was found to be the optimum for amylase production for all isolates except Bacillus subtilis SUD-K 3 which had an optimum at pH 7.0. Three isolates (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K 1 , SUD-K 4 and SUD-O recorded highestamylase production in a medium supplemented with peptone while the rest (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K 2 , Bacillus subtilis SUD-K 3 and Bacillus circulans SUD-K 7 ) gave highest amylase productivity in a medium supplemented with malt extract. Four isolates (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K 1 and Bacillus subtilis SUD-K 3 gave maximum amylase production in a medium containing 0.5% soluble strach while the rest (gave maximum amylase production at 2%. Soluble strach was found to be best substrate among the different carbon sources tested. The maximum temperature for amylase activity ranged from 60-70 deg C and 1% strach concentration was optimum for all isolates

  19. Rapid and high-throughput detection of highly pathogenic bacteria by Ibis PLEX-ID technology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Jacob

    Full Text Available In this manuscript, we describe the identification of highly pathogenic bacteria using an assay coupling biothreat group-specific PCR with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS run on an Ibis PLEX-ID high-throughput platform. The biothreat cluster assay identifies most of the potential bioterrorism-relevant microorganisms including Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei and pseudomallei, Brucella species, and Coxiella burnetii. DNA from 45 different reference materials with different formulations and different concentrations were chosen and sent to a service screening laboratory that uses the PCR/ESI-MS platform to provide a microbial identification service. The standard reference materials were produced out of a repository built up in the framework of the EU funded project "Establishment of Quality Assurances for Detection of Highly Pathogenic Bacteria of Potential Bioterrorism Risk" (EQADeBa. All samples were correctly identified at least to the genus level.

  20. L-Glutamic acid production by Bacillus spp. isolated from vegetable ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ogiri” (fermented vegetable proteins) in Nigeria. The isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis (6), (27.3%), Bacillus pumilus (5), (22.7%), Bacillus licheniformis (5), (27.3%) and Bacillus polymyxa (6), (22.7%). Four species of the Bacillus isolates ...

  1. Role of fatty acids in Bacillus environmental adaptation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Esther Diomande

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The large bacterial genus genus Bacillus is widely distributed in the environment and is able to colonize highly diverse niches. Some Bacillus species harbour pathogenic characteristics. The fatty acid (FA composition is among the essential criteria used to define Bacillus species. Some elements of the FA pattern composition are common to Bacillus species, whereas others are specific and can be categorized in relation to the ecological niches of the species. Bacillus species are able to modify their FA patterns to adapt to a wide range of environmental changes, including changes in the growth medium, temperature, food processing conditions, and pH. Like many other Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus strains display a well-defined FA synthesis II system that is equilibrated with a FA degradation pathway and regulated to efficiently respond to the needs of the cell. Like endogenous FAs, exogenous FAs may positively or negatively affect the survival of Bacillus vegetative cells and the spore germination ability in a given environment. Some of these exogenous FAs may provide a powerful strategy for preserving food against contamination by the Bacillus pathogenic strains responsible for foodborne illness.

  2. Nucleotide sequences of two cellulase genes from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain N-4 and their strong homology.

    OpenAIRE

    Fukumori, F; Sashihara, N; Kudo, T; Horikoshi, K

    1986-01-01

    Two genes for cellulases of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. strain N-4 (ATCC 21833) have been sequenced. From the DNA sequences the cellulases encoded in the plasmids pNK1 and pNK2 consist of 488 and 409 amino acids, respectively. The DNA and protein sequences of the pNK1-encoded cellulase are related to those of the pNK2-encoded cellulase. The pNK2-encoded cellulase lacks the direct repeat sequence of a stretch of 60 amino acids near the C-terminal end of the pNK1-encoded cellulase. The duplicatio...

  3. Effect of garlic solution to Bacillus sp. removal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zainol, N.; Rahim, S. R.

    2018-04-01

    Biofilm is a microbial derived sessile community characterized by cells that are irreversibly attached to a substratum or interface to each other, embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances that they have produced. Bacillus sp. was used as biofilm model in this study. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Garlic solution in term of ratio of water and Garlic solution (W/G) and ratio of Garlic solution to Bacillus sp. (GS/B) on Bacillus sp removal. Garlic solution was used to remove Bacillus sp. In this study, Garlic solution was prepared by crushing the garlic and mixed it with water. the Garlic solution was added into Bacillus sp. mixture and mixed well. The mixture then was spread on nutrient agar. The Bacillus sp. weight on agar plate was measured by using dry weight measurement method. In this study, initially Garlic solution volume and Garlic solution concentration were studied using one factor at time (OFAT). Later two-level-factorial analysis was done to determine the most contributing factor in Bacillus sp. removal. Design Expert software (Version 7) was used to construct experimental table where all the factors were randomized. Bacilus sp removal was ranging between 42.13% to 99.6%. The analysis of the results showed that at W/G of 1:1, Bacillus sp. removal increased when more Garlic solution was added to Bacillus sp. Effect of Garlic solution to Bacillus sp. will be understood which in turn may be beneficial for the industrial purpose.

  4. ABILITY OF BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM: Bacillus coagulans, Bacilus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Nitrosomonas sp. and Pseudomonas putida IN BIOREMEDIATION OF WASTE WATER IN CISIRUNG WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ratu SAFITRI

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted in order to determine the ability of bacterial consortium: Bacillus coagulans, Bacilus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Nitrosomonas sp., and Pseudomonas putida in bioremediation of wastewater origin Cisirung WWTP. This study uses an experimental method completely randomized design (CRD, which consists of two treatment factors (8x8 factorial design. The first factor is a consortium of bacteria (K, consisting of 8 level factors (k1, k2, k3, k4, k5, k6, k7, and k8. The second factor is the time (T, consisting of a 7 level factors (t0, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, and t7. Test parameters consist of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand, COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand, TSS (Total Suspended Solid, Ammonia and Population of Microbes during bioremediation. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by Duncan test. The results of this study showed that the consortium of Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, Nitrosomonas sp., and Pseudomonas putida with inoculum concentration of 5% (k6 is a consortium of the most effective in reducing BOD 71.93%, 64.30% COD, TSS 94.85%, and 88.58% of ammonia.

  5. EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCTION BY DROUGHT TOLERANT BACILLUS SPP. AND EFFECT ON SOIL AGGREGATION UNDER DROUGHT STRESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandhya Vardharajula

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Exopolysaccharides (EPS of microbial origin with novel functionality, reproducible physico-chemical properties, are important class of polymeric materials. EPS are believed to protect bacterial cells from dessication, produce biofilms, thus enhancing the cells chances of bacterial colonizing special ecological niches. In rhizosphere, EPS are known to be useful to improve the moisture-holding capacity. Three Bacillus spp. strains identified by 16s rDNA sequence analysis as B. amyloliquefaciens strain HYD-B17; B. licheniformis strain HYTAPB18; B. subtilis strain RMPB44 were studied for the ability to tolerate matric stress and produce EPS under different water potentials. EPS production in all the three Bacillus spp strains increased with increasing water stress indicating correlation between drought stress tolerance and EPS production. Among the isolates, strain HYD-17 showed highest production of EPS. The exopolysaccharide composition of the three strains was further analyzed by HPLC. Drought stress influenced the ratio of sugars in EPS and glucose was found as major sugar in strains HYTAPB18 and RMPB44 whereas raffinose was major sugar found in strain HYD-B17. Inoculation of EPS producing Bacillus spp. strains in soil resulted in good soil aggregation under drought stress conditions at different incubation periods. This study shows that exposure to water stress conditions affects the composition and ratios of sugars in EPS produced by Bacillus spp. strains HYD-B17, HYTAPB18 and RMPB44 influencing abiotic stress tolerance of the microorganisms.

  6. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, and Bacillus siamensis Form an “Operational Group B. amyloliquefaciens” within the B. subtilis Species Complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Ben; Blom, Jochen; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Borriss, Rainer

    2017-01-01

    The plant growth promoting model bacterium FZB42T was proposed as the type strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum (Borriss et al., 2011), but has been recently recognized as being synonymous to Bacillus velezensis due to phylogenomic analysis (Dunlap C. et al., 2016). However, until now, majority of publications consider plant-associated close relatives of FZB42 still as “B. amyloliquefaciens.” Here, we reinvestigated the taxonomic status of FZB42 and related strains in its context to the free-living soil bacterium DSM7T, the type strain of B. amyloliquefaciens. We identified 66 bacterial genomes from the NCBI data bank with high similarity to DSM7T. Dendrograms based on complete rpoB nucleotide sequences and on core genome sequences, respectively, clustered into a clade consisting of three tightly linked branches: (1) B. amyloliquefaciens, (2) Bacillus siamensis, and (3) a conspecific group containing the type strains of B. velezensis, Bacillus methylotrophicus, and B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum. The three monophyletic clades shared a common mutation rate of 0.01 substitutions per nucleotide position, but were distantly related to Bacillus subtilis (0.1 substitutions per nucleotide position). The tight relatedness of the three clusters was corroborated by TETRA, dDDH, ANI, and AAI analysis of the core genomes, but dDDH and ANI values were found slightly below species level thresholds when B. amyloliquefaciens DSM7T genome sequence was used as query sequence. Due to these results, we propose that the B. amyloliquefaciens clade should be considered as a taxonomic unit above of species level, designated here as “operational group B. amyloliquefaciens” consisting of the soil borne B. amyloliquefaciens, and plant associated B. siamensis and B. velezensis, whose members are closely related and allow identifying changes on the genomic level due to developing the plant-associated life-style. PMID:28163698

  7. Evidence for the Involvement of Membranous Bodies in the Processes Leading to Genetic Transformation in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolstenholme, David R.; Vermeulen, Cornelius A.; Venema, Gerhardus

    1966-01-01

    Wolstenholme, David R. (Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, Tübingen, Germany), Cornelius A. Vermeulen, and Gerhardus Venema. Evidence for the involvement of membranous bodies in the processes leading to genetic transformation in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 92:1111–1121. 1966.—Data obtained from electron microscopic autoradiographs of profiles of cells of a Bacillus subtilis population exposed to H3-thymidine-labeled donor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during the phase of maximal competence indicated that molecules originating from absorbed DNA are closely associated with membranous bodies, particularly with those situated in the cytoplasm, but that most if not all of the radioactive molecules are outside the bodies. It is suggested that membranous bodies produce enzymes essential to the eventual incorporation of transforming DNA into the bacterial genome, or to the breakdown and utilization or expulsion of absorbed DNA not incorporated as transformant (or to both processes). During the phase of maximal competence, the total number of membranous bodies seen in profiles increased continuously to as much as 2.3 times the numbers found during earlier stages of culture. This increase was not accounted for by a decrease in bacterial cell volume, but resulted from an actual increase in total volume of membranous bodies. The number of membranous bodies visibly connecting plasma membrane and nuclear region increased during maximal competence to as much as 30 times the numbers found in earlier stages. As both increases were found in the absence of donor DNA and only began after maximal competence was attained, it seemed most probable that they were an expression of a physiological state influenced by the continuing deficiency of nutrients in the growth medium during this phase of culture. Images PMID:4959042

  8. Production of amylolytic enzymes by bacillus spp

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dawood, Elham Shareif [Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum (Sudan)

    1997-12-01

    Sixty six bacteria and twenty fungi were isolated from various sources. These varied from rotten fruites to local drinks and soil samples from different parts of Sudan. On the basis of index of amylolytic activity, forty one bacteria and twelve fungi were found to hydrolyse strach. The best ten strach hydrolysing isolates were identified all as bacilli (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K{sub 1}, SUD-K{sub 2}, SUD-K{sub 4}, SUD-O, SUD-SRW, SUD-BRW, SUD-By, Bacillus subtilis SUD-K{sub 3}, and Bacillus circulans SUD-D and SUD-K{sub 7}). Their amylase productivity was studied with respect to temperature and time. Amylolytic activity was measured by spectrophotometer, the highest activity was produced in around 24 hours of growth in all; six of which gave the highest amylase activity at 50 deg C and the rest at 45C. Based on the thermal production six isolates were chosen for further investigation. These were Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K{sub 1}, SUD-K{sub 2}, SUD-K{sub 4}, SUD-O, Bacillus subtilis SUD-K{sub 3} and Bacillus circulans SUD-K{sub 7}. The inclusion of strach and Mg{sup ++} ions in the culture medium gave the highest enzyme yield. The Ph 9.0 was found to be the optimum for amylase production for all isolates except Bacillus subtilis SUD-K{sub 3} which had an optimum at pH 7.0. Three isolates (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K{sub 1}, SUD-K{sub 4} and SUD-O recorded highestamylase production in a medium supplemented with peptone while the rest (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K{sub 2}, Bacillus subtilis SUD-K{sub 3} and Bacillus circulans SUD-K{sub 7}) gave highest amylase productivity in a medium supplemented with malt extract. Four isolates (Bacillus licheniformis SUD-K{sub 1} and Bacillus subtilis SUD-K{sub 3} gave maximum amylase production in a medium containing 0.5% soluble strach while the rest (gave maximum amylase production at 2%. Soluble strach was found to be best substrate among the different carbon sources tested. The maximum temperature for amylase activity

  9. High molecular weight DNA assembly in vivo for synthetic biology applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juhas, Mario; Ajioka, James W

    2017-05-01

    DNA assembly is the key technology of the emerging interdisciplinary field of synthetic biology. While the assembly of smaller DNA fragments is usually performed in vitro, high molecular weight DNA molecules are assembled in vivo via homologous recombination in the host cell. Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are the main hosts used for DNA assembly in vivo. Progress in DNA assembly over the last few years has paved the way for the construction of whole genomes. This review provides an update on recent synthetic biology advances with particular emphasis on high molecular weight DNA assembly in vivo in E. coli, B. subtilis and S. cerevisiae. Special attention is paid to the assembly of whole genomes, such as those of the first synthetic cell, synthetic yeast and minimal genomes.

  10. Bacillus anthracis infections – new possibilities of treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorota Żakowska

    2015-05-01

    Recently, progress has been achieved in inhalation anthrax treatment. The most promising new possibilities include: new antibiotics, peptides and bacteriophages enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, antigen PA mutants, and inter alpha inhibitors applications. In the case of the possibility of bioterrorist attacks, the examination of inhalation anthrax treatment should be intensively continued.

  11. Effective antiprotease-antibiotic treatment of experimental anthrax

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MacAfee Rebecca

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Inhalation anthrax is characterized by a systemic spread of the challenge agent, Bacillus anthracis. It causes severe damage, including multiple hemorrhagic lesions, to host tissues and organs. It is widely believed that anthrax lethal toxin secreted by proliferating bacteria is a major cause of death, however, the pathology of intoxication in experimental animals is drastically different from that found during the infectious process. In order to close a gap between our understanding of anthrax molecular pathology and the most prominent clinical features of the infectious process we undertook bioinformatic and experimental analyses of potential proteolytic virulence factors of B. anthracis distinct from lethal toxin. Methods Secreted proteins (other than lethal and edema toxins produced by B. anthracis were tested for tissue-damaging activity and toxicity in mice. Chemical protease inhibitors and rabbit immune sera raised against B. anthracis proteases were used to treat mice challenged with B. anthracis (Sterne spores. Results B. anthracis strain delta Ames (pXO1-, pXO2- producing no lethal and edema toxins secrets a number of metalloprotease virulence factors upon cultivation under aerobic conditions, including those with hemorrhagic, caseinolytic and collagenolytic activities, belonging to M4 and M9 thermolysin and bacterial collagenase families, respectively. These factors are directly toxic to DBA/2 mice upon intratracheal administration at 0.5 mg/kg and higher doses. Chemical protease inhibitors (phosphoramidon and 1, 10-phenanthroline, as well as immune sera against M4 and M9 proteases of B. anthracis, were used to treat mice challenged with B. anthracis (Sterne spores. These substances demonstrate a substantial protective efficacy in combination with ciprofloxacin therapy initiated as late as 48 h post spore challenge, compared to the antibiotic alone. Conclusion Secreted proteolytic enzymes are important pathogenic

  12. Primary structure of the tms and prs genes of Bacillus subtilis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Dan; Hove-Jensen, Bjarne; Arnvig, Kirsten

    1989-01-01

    The nucleotide sequence was determined of a 3211 nucleotide pair EcoRI-PvuII DNA fragment containing the tms and prs genes as well as a part of the ctc gene of Bacillus subtilis. The prs gene encodes phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase, whereas the functioning of the tms and ctc gene...... products remains to be established. The prs gene contains an open reading frame of 317 codons resulting in a subunit Mr of 34828. An open reading frame comprising the tms gene contained 456 codons resulting in a putative translation product with an Mr of 49,554. Comparison of the deduced B. subtilis PRPP...

  13. Molecular detection of TasA gene in endophytic Bacillus species ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Molecular detection of TasA gene in endophytic Bacillus species and characterization of the gene in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PEBA20 and 7 strains of Bacillus subtilis, ...

  14. Key Planning Factors for Recovery from a Biological Terrorism Incident

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-30

    number of people (particularly the elderly, very young, and immunocompromised ) may become ill from an exposure as small as 2 to 4 spores (based of...Gastrointestinal anthrax requires spores to be ingested. If untreated, mortality also is very high, but with antibiotic treatment mortality rates are low...anthrax cases (although in fewer numbers). Prophylaxis ( antibiotics ) and vaccines are available for most strains of Bacillus anthracis. The

  15. Cardiac-specific catalase overexpression rescues anthrax lethal toxin-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction: role of oxidative stress and autophagy

    OpenAIRE

    Kandadi, Machender R; Yu, Xuejun; Frankel, Arthur E; Ren, Jun

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background 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. Methods Wild type (WT) and cardiac-specific catalase overexpression mice were challenged...

  16. Capture of Aerosols by Iodinated Fiber Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-09-15

    fibrous media if provided with 70-80% relative humidity and atmospheric dust (Maus et al., 2000). Spore -forming bacteria such as Bacillus anthracis are...States. The anthrax spores sent out during these attacks were classified as being highly concentrated and processed to be disseminated and inhaled...media, and produce more undesirable bioaerosols. This phenomenon has been reported in many studies in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ( HVAC

  17. Scalable Emergency Response System for Oceangoing Assets Report on Brainstorming Concept Evaluations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-04-11

    biological agents is of Report on Brainstorming Concept Evaluations 19 great importance to Navy. For example, isolating and testing Bacillus anthracis at...cleanup involved sensitive government areas a warren of tight spaces, HVAC systems, and enclosed areas including the tunnels USPS Trenton facility 1...Ekaterinaberg, Russia Suspected Anthrax spores released by bioweapons lab in the city affecting at least 94 killing 64 of them biological weapon

  18. Meningoencephalitis due to anthrax: CT and MR findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yildirim, Hanefi; Koc, Mustafa; Murat, Ayse [Firat University, Department of Radiology, Elazig (Turkey); Kabakus, Nimet; Incekoey Girgin, Feyza [Firat University, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Elazig (Turkey)

    2006-11-15

    Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores, but it also causes cutaneous, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in humans. Bacillus anthracis is an uncommon cause of meningitis and generally produces a haemorrhagic meningoencephalitis. We present the CT and MR findings of anthrax meningoencephalitis due to the cutaneous form of anthrax in a 12-year-old boy. They showed focal intracerebral haemorrhage with leptomeningeal enhancement. (orig.)

  19. Bacillus and biopolymer: Prospects and challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Mohapatra

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The microbially derived polyhydroxyalkanoates biopolymers could impact the global climate scenario by replacing the conventional non-degradable, petrochemical-based polymer. The biogenesis, characterization and properties of PHAs by Bacillus species using renewable substrates have been elaborated by many for their wide applications. On the other hand Bacillus species are advantageous over other bacteria due to their abundance even in extreme ecological conditions, higher growth rates even on cheap substrates, higher PHAs production ability, and the ease of extracting the PHAs. Bacillus species possess hydrolytic enzymes that can be exploited for economical PHAs production. This review summarizes the recent trends in both non-growth and growth associated PHAs production by Bacillus species which may provide direction leading to future research towards this growing quest for biodegradable plastics, one more critical step ahead towards sustainable development.

  20. DNA fingerprinting of spore-forming bacterial isolates, using Bacillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    Full Length Research Paper ... resulted in a search for better techniques for classifying ... only a few laboratories worldwide are able to perform a ... MATERIALS AND METHODS. Bacterial ... s with distilled water and blotted dry with tissue paper (Kimberly- ... A test on the quality and quantity of DNA extracted was conducted.

  1. Development of an Efficient Genome Editing Tool in Bacillus licheniformis Using CRISPR-Cas9 Nickase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kaifeng; Cai, Dongbo; Wang, Zhangqian; He, Zhili; Chen, Shouwen

    2018-03-15

    Bacillus strains are important industrial bacteria that can produce various biochemical products. However, low transformation efficiencies and a lack of effective genome editing tools have hindered its widespread application. Recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 techniques have been utilized in many organisms as genome editing tools because of their high efficiency and easy manipulation. In this study, an efficient genome editing method was developed for Bacillus licheniformis using a CRISPR-Cas9 nickase integrated into the genome of B. licheniformis DW2 with overexpression driven by the P43 promoter. The yvmC gene was deleted using the CRISPR-Cas9n technique with homology arms of 1.0 kb as a representative example, and an efficiency of 100% was achieved. In addition, two genes were simultaneously disrupted with an efficiency of 11.6%, and the large DNA fragment bacABC (42.7 kb) was deleted with an efficiency of 79.0%. Furthermore, the heterologous reporter gene aprN , which codes for nattokinase in Bacillus subtilis , was inserted into the chromosome of B. licheniformis with an efficiency of 76.5%. The activity of nattokinase in the DWc9nΔ7/pP43SNT-S sacC strain reached 59.7 fibrinolytic units (FU)/ml, which was 25.7% higher than that of DWc9n/pP43SNT-S sacC Finally, the engineered strain DWc9nΔ7 (Δ epr Δ wprA Δ mpr Δ aprE Δ vpr Δ bprA Δ bacABC ), with multiple disrupted genes, was constructed using the CRISPR-Cas9n technique. Taken together, we have developed an efficient genome editing tool based on CRISPR-Cas9n in B. licheniformis This tool could be applied to strain improvement for future research. IMPORTANCE As important industrial bacteria, Bacillus strains have attracted significant attention due to their production of biological products. However, genetic manipulation of these bacteria is difficult. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has been applied to genome editing in some bacteria, and CRISPR-Cas9n was proven to

  2. Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis S141, a New Strain of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Isolated from Soybean Rhizosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibponkrung, Surachat; Kondo, Takahiko; Tanaka, Kosei; Tittabutr, Panlada; Boonkerd, Nantakorn; Teaumroong, Neung; Yoshida, Ken-Ichi

    2017-11-30

    Bacillus velezensis strain S141 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium isolated from soybean ( Glycine max ) rhizosphere that enhances soybean growth, nodulation, and N 2 fixation efficiency by coinoculation with Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110. The S141 genome was identified to comprise a 3,974,582-bp-long circular DNA sequence encoding at least 3,817 proteins. Copyright © 2017 Sibponkrung et al.

  3. Arsenite Oxidation and Arsenite Resistance by Bacillus sp. PNKP-S2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pranee Pattanapipitpaisal

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Arsenic causes human health problems after accumulate in the body for 10-15 years and arsenite [As(III] is generally regarded as being more mobile and toxic than other oxidation states. In this study, two-hundred and three bacterial strains were isolated from groundwater and soil samples collecting in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand. All strains were screened for arsenic tolerant efficiency at 1-10 mM of sodium arsenite. Eighteen selected strains which had the highest resistance to 10 mM of As(III were further studied for their As(III-oxidizing activity and growth in enrichment and growth medium (EG medium supplemented with 0.58 mM of As(III. It was found that strain PNKP-S2 was able to grow in the medium with As(III as a sole energy source and had 89.11% As(III removal within 48 h. The PCR-based 16S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed that the strain PNKP-S2 was closed relative to Bacillus sp. This is the first report on Bacillus sp. chemolithoautotrophic As(III-oxidizer and this strain could be a potential candidate for application in arsenic remediation of contaminated water.

  4. DnaK and GroEL chaperones are recruited to the Bacillus subtilis membrane after short-term ethanol stress

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Seydlová, G.; Halada, Petr; Fišer, R.; Toman, O.; Ulrych, Aleš; Svobodová, J.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 112, č. 4 (2012), s. 765-774 ISSN 1364-5072 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC07017 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : Bacillus subtilis * ethanol stress * membrane Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.196, year: 2012

  5. Identification of the sigmaB regulon of Bacillus cereus and conservation of sigmaB-regulated genes in low-GC-content gram-positive bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schaik, van W.; Voort, van der M.; Molenaar, D.; Moezelaar, R.; Vos, de W.M.; Abee, T.

    2007-01-01

    The alternative sigma factor B has an important role in the acquisition of stress resistance in many gram-positive bacteria, including the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. Here, we describe the identification of the set of B-regulated genes in B. cereus by DNA microarray analysis of the

  6. Genome Sequence of Bacillus endophyticus and Analysis of Its Companion Mechanism in the Ketogulonigenium vulgare-Bacillus Strain Consortium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nan Jia

    Full Text Available Bacillus strains have been widely used as the companion strain of Ketogulonigenium vulgare in the process of vitamin C fermentation. Different Bacillus strains generate different effects on the growth of K. vulgare and ultimately influence the productivity. First, we identified that Bacillus endophyticus Hbe603 was an appropriate strain to cooperate with K. vulgare and the product conversion rate exceeded 90% in industrial vitamin C fermentation. Here, we report the genome sequencing of the B. endophyticus Hbe603 industrial companion strain and speculate its possible advantage in the consortium. The circular chromosome of B. endophyticus Hbe603 has a size of 4.87 Mb with GC content of 36.64% and has the highest similarity with that of Bacillus megaterium among all the bacteria with complete genomes. By comparing the distribution of COGs with that of Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus and B. megaterium, B. endophyticus has less genes related to cell envelope biogenesis and signal transduction mechanisms, and more genes related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, as well as lipid transport and metabolism. Genome-based functional studies revealed the specific capability of B. endophyticus in sporulation, transcription regulation, environmental resistance, membrane transportation, extracellular proteins and nutrients synthesis, which would be beneficial for K. vulgare. In particular, B. endophyticus lacks the Rap-Phr signal cascade system and, in part, spore coat related proteins. In addition, it has specific pathways for vitamin B12 synthesis and sorbitol metabolism. The genome analysis of the industrial B. endophyticus will help us understand its cooperative mechanism in the K. vulgare-Bacillus strain consortium to improve the fermentation of vitamin C.

  7. In Vitro Whole Genome DNA Binding Analysis of the Bacterial Replication Initiator and Transcription Factor DnaA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janet L Smith

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available DnaA, the replication initiation protein in bacteria, is an AAA+ ATPase that binds and hydrolyzes ATP and exists in a heterogeneous population of ATP-DnaA and ADP-DnaA. DnaA binds cooperatively to the origin of replication and several other chromosomal regions, and functions as a transcription factor at some of these regions. We determined the binding properties of Bacillus subtilis DnaA to genomic DNA in vitro at single nucleotide resolution using in vitro DNA affinity purification and deep sequencing (IDAP-Seq. We used these data to identify 269 binding regions, refine the consensus sequence of the DnaA binding site, and compare the relative affinity of binding regions for ATP-DnaA and ADP-DnaA. Most sites had a slightly higher affinity for ATP-DnaA than ADP-DnaA, but a few had a strong preference for binding ATP-DnaA. Of the 269 sites, only the eight strongest binding ones have been observed to bind DnaA in vivo, suggesting that other cellular factors or the amount of available DnaA in vivo restricts DnaA binding to these additional sites. Conversely, we found several chromosomal regions that were bound by DnaA in vivo but not in vitro, and that the nucleoid-associated protein Rok was required for binding in vivo. Our in vitro characterization of the inherent ability of DnaA to bind the genome at single nucleotide resolution provides a backdrop for interpreting data on in vivo binding and regulation of DnaA, and is an approach that should be adaptable to many other DNA binding proteins.

  8. DNA repair in B. subtilis: an inducible dimer-specific W-reactivation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fields, P.I.; Yasbin, R.E.

    1982-01-01

    The W-reactivation system of Bacillus subtilis can repair pyrimidine dimers in bacteriophage DNA. This inducible repair system can be activated by treatment of the bacteria with uv, alkylating agents, cross-linking agents and gamma irradiation. However, bacteriophage treated with agents other than those that cause pyrimidine dimers to be produced was not repaired by this unique form of W-reactivation. In contrast, the W-reactivation system of Escherichia coli can repair a variety of damages placed in the bacteriophage DNA

  9. DNA-binding proteins essential for protein-primed bacteriophage ø29 DNA replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margarita Salas

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis phage Φ29 has a linear, double-stranded DNA 19 kb long with an inverted terminal repeat of 6 nucleotides and a protein covalently linked to the 5’ ends of the DNA. This protein, called terminal protein (TP, is the primer for the initiation of replication, a reaction catalyzed by the viral DNA polymerase at the two DNA ends. The DNA polymerase further elongates the nascent DNA chain in a processive manner, coupling strand displacement with elongation. The viral protein p5 is a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB that binds to the single strands generated by strand displacement during the elongation process. Viral protein p6 is a double-stranded DNA binding protein (DBP that preferentially binds to the origins of replication at the Φ29 DNA ends and is required for the initiation of replication. Both SSB and DBP are essential for Φ29 DNA amplification. This review focuses on the role of these phage DNA-binding proteins in Φ29 DNA replication both in vitro and in vivo, as well as on the implication of several B. subtilis DNA-binding proteins in different processes of the viral cycle. We will revise the enzymatic activities of the Φ29 DNA polymerase: TP-deoxynucleotidylation, processive DNA polymerization coupled to strand displacement, 3’-5’ exonucleolysis and pyrophosphorolysis. The resolution of the Φ29 DNA polymerase structure has shed light on the translocation mechanism and the determinants responsible for processivity and strand displacement. These two properties have made Φ29 DNA polymerase one of the main enzymes used in the current DNA amplification technologies. The determination of the structure of Φ29 TP revealed the existence of three domains: the priming domain, where the primer residue Ser232, as well as Phe230, involved in the determination of the initiating nucleotide, are located, the intermediate domain, involved in DNA polymerase binding, and the N-terminal domain, responsible for DNA binding

  10. Bacillus subtilis EdmS (formerly PgsE) participates in the maintenance of episomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashiuchi, Makoto; Yamashiro, Daisuke; Yamamoto, Kento

    2013-09-01

    Extrachromosomal DNA maintenance (EDM) is an important process in molecular breeding and for various applications in the construction of genetically engineered microbes. Here we describe a novel Bacillus subtilis gene involved in EDM function called edmS (formerly pgsE). Functional gene regions were identified using molecular genetics techniques. We found that EdmS is a membrane-associated protein that is crucial for EDM. We also determined that EdmS can change a plasmid vector with an unstable replicon and worse-than-random segregation into one with better-than-random segregation, suggesting that the protein functions in the declustering and/or partitioning of episomes. EdmS has two distinct domains: an N-terminal membrane-anchoring domain and a C-terminal assembly accelerator-like structure, and mutational analysis of edmS revealed that both domains are essential for EDM. Further studies using cells of Bacillus megaterium and itsedmS (formerly capE) gene implied that EdmS has potential as a molecular probe for exploring novel EDM systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Roles of Bacillus subtilis DprA and SsbA in RecA-mediated genetic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Tribhuwan; Carrasco, Begoña; Serrano, Ester; Alonso, Juan C

    2014-10-03

    Bacillus subtilis competence-induced RecA, SsbA, SsbB, and DprA are required to internalize and to recombine single-stranded (ss) DNA with homologous resident duplex. RecA, in the ATP · Mg(2+)-bound form (RecA · ATP), can nucleate and form filament onto ssDNA but is inactive to catalyze DNA recombination. We report that SsbA or SsbB bound to ssDNA blocks the RecA filament formation and fails to activate recombination. DprA facilitates RecA filamentation; however, the filaments cannot engage in DNA recombination. When ssDNA was preincubated with SsbA, but not SsbB, DprA was able to activate DNA strand exchange dependent on RecA · ATP. This work demonstrates that RecA · ATP, in concert with SsbA and DprA, catalyzes DNA strand exchange, and SsbB is an accessory factor in the reaction. In contrast, RecA · dATP efficiently catalyzes strand exchange even in the absence of single-stranded binding proteins or DprA, and addition of the accessory factors marginally improved it. We proposed that the RecA-bound nucleotide (ATP and to a lesser extent dATP) might dictate the requirement for accessory factors. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Characterization of Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao, a traditional fermented soybean food in northern Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inatsu, Y; Nakamura, N; Yuriko, Y; Fushimi, T; Watanasiritum, L; Kawamoto, S

    2006-09-01

    To clarify the diversity of Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao that produce high concentrations of products useful in food manufacturing and in health-promoting compounds. Production of amylase, protease, subtilisin NAT (nattokinase), and gamma-polyglutamic acid (PGA) by the Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao was measured. Productivity of protease NAT by these strains tended to be higher than by Japanese commercial natto-producing strains. Molecular diversity of isolated strains was analysed via randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR fingerprinting. The strains were divided into 19 types, including a type with the same pattern as a Japanese natto-producing strain. B. subtilis strains that could be a resource for effective production of protease, amylase, subtilisin NAT, or PGA were evident in Thua nao produced in various regions in northern Thailand. This study clearly demonstrated the value of Thua nao as a potential resource of food-processing enzymes and health-promoting compounds.

  13. Mutation Induction with UV- and X-radiations in spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanooka, H.; Munakata, N.; Kitahara, S.

    1978-01-01

    Spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis strains with various defects in DNA-repair capacities (hcr - , ssp - , hcr - ssp - ) were irradiated with UV radiation or X-rays. Induced mutation frequency was determined from the observed frequency of prototrophic reversion of a suppressible auxotropic mutation. At equal physical dose, after either UV- or X-irradiation, spores were more resistant to mutations as well as to killing than were vegetative cells. However, quantitative comparison revealed that, at equally lethal doses, spores and vegetative cells were almost equally mutable by X-rays whereas spores were considerably less mutable by UV than were vegetative cells. Thus, as judged from their mutagenic efficiency relative to the lethality, X-ray-induced damage in the spore DNA and the vegetative DNA were equally mutagenic, while UV-induced DNA photoproducts in the spore were less mutagenic than those in vegetative cells. Post-treatment of UV-irradiated cells with caffeine decreased the survival and the induced mutation frequency for either spores or vegetative cells for all the strains. In X-irradiated spores however, a similar suppressing effect of caffeine was observed only for mutability of a strain lacking DNA polymerase I activity

  14. Prevalence and distribution of soil-borne zoonotic pathogens in Lahore district of Pakistan

    OpenAIRE

    Shabbir, Muhammad Z.; Jamil, Tariq; Ali, Asad A.; Ahmad, Arfan; Naeem, Muhammad; Chaudhary, Muhammad H.; Bilal, Muhammad; Ali, Muhammad A.; Muhammad, Khushi; Yaqub, Tahir; Bano, Asghari; Mirza, Ali I.; Shabbir, Muhammad A. B.; McVey, Walter R.; Patel, Ketan

    2015-01-01

    A multidisciplinary, collaborative project was conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of soil-borne zoonotic pathogens in Lahore district of Pakistan and ascertain its Public Health Significance. Using a grid-based sampling strategy, soil samples (n = 145) were collected from villages (n = 29, 5 samples/village) and examined for Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia mallei/pseudomallei, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis using real time PCR assays. Chemi...

  15. Degradation and detection of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis DNA and proteins in flour of three genetically modified rice events submitted to a set of thermal processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaofu; Chen, Xiaoyun; Xu, Junfeng; Dai, Chen; Shen, Wenbiao

    2015-10-01

    This study aimed to investigate the degradation of three transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes (Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, and Cry1Ab/Ac) and the corresponding encoded Bt proteins in KMD1, KF6, and TT51-1 rice powder, respectively, following autoclaving, cooking, baking, or microwaving. Exogenous Bt genes were more stable than the endogenous sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) gene, and short DNA fragments were detected more frequently than long DNA fragments in both the Bt and SPS genes. Autoclaving, cooking (boiling in water, 30 min), and baking (200 °C, 30 min) induced the most severe Bt protein degradation effects, and Cry1Ab protein was more stable than Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab/Ac protein, which was further confirmed by baking samples at 180 °C for different periods of time. Microwaving induced mild degradation of the Bt and SPS genes, and Bt proteins, whereas baking (180 °C, 15 min), cooking and autoclaving led to further degradation, and baking (200 °C, 30 min) induced the most severe degradation. The findings of the study indicated that degradation of the Bt genes and proteins somewhat correlated with the treatment intensity. Polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lateral flow tests were used to detect the corresponding transgenic components. Strategies for detecting transgenic ingredients in highly processed foods are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Human anthrax as a re-emerging disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doganay, Mehmet; Demiraslan, Hayati

    2015-01-01

    Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores and the etiological agent is B. anthracis which is a gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, and rod shaped bacterium. Bacillus anthracis spores are highly resistant to heat, pressure, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, chemical agents and disinfectants. For these reasons, B. anthracis spores are an attractive choice as biological agents for the use of bioweapon and/or bioterrorism. Soil is the main reservoir for the infectious agent. The disease most commonly affects wild and domestic mammals. Human are secondarily infected by contact with infected animals and contaminated animal products or directly expose to B. anthracis spores. Anthrax occurs worldwide. This infection is still endemic or hyperendemic in both animals and humans in some part of areas of the world; particularly in Middle East, West Africa, Central Asia, some part of India, South America. However, some countries are claiming free of anthrax, and anthrax has become a re-emerging disease in western countries with the intentional outbreak. Currently, anthrax is classified according to its setting as (1) naturally occurring anthrax, (2) bioterrorism-related anthrax. Vast majority of human anthrax are occurring as naturally occurring anthrax in the world. It is also a threaten disease for western countries. The aim of this paper is to review the relevant patents, short historical perspective, microbiological and epidemiological features, clinical presentations and treatment.

  17. Impacts of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis and Bacillus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study assessed the impact of bio-larvicides- Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) and B. sphaericus (Bs) on anopheline mosquito larval densities in four selected areas of Lusaka urban district. Larval densities were determined using a standard WHO protocol at each study area prior to and after larviciding.

  18. Extraction of PCR-amplifiable genomic DNA from Bacillus anthracisspores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torok, Tamas

    2003-05-19

    Bacterial endospore disruption and nucleic acid extractionresulting in DNA of PCR-amplifiable quality and quantity are not trivial.Responding to the needs of the Hazardous Materials Response Unit (HMRU),Laboratory Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, protocols weredeveloped to close these gaps. Effectiveness and reproducibility of thetechniques were validated with laboratory grown pure spores of Bacillusanthracis and its close phylogenetic neighbors, and with spiked soils anddamaged samples.

  19. A Novel Mode of Regulation of the Staphylococcus aureus Catabolite Control Protein A (CcpA) Mediated by Stk1 Protein Phosphorylation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leiba, Jade; Hartmann, Torsten; Cluzel, Marie-Eve; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Delolme, Frédéric; Bischoff, Markus; Molle, Virginie

    2012-01-01

    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 and Bacillus anthracis were not affected by the Stk1 orthologue PrkC. Mass spectrometry and mutational analyses identified Thr-18 and Thr-33 as the phosphoacceptors; both are located in the DNA binding domain of this protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the CcpA DNA binding activity was completely abrogated for the phosphorylated CcpA. The physiological relevance of CcpA phosphorylation was assessed by generating CcpA phosphoablative (T18A/T33A) or phosphomimetic (T18D/T33D) mutants. In contrast to the wild-type and phosphoablative ccpA alleles, introduction of the phosphomimetic ccpA allele in a ΔccpA mutant failed to restore the parental biofilm formation profile and the transcription of citZ and hla to levels seen with the wild type. The strong up regulation of ccpA transcripts and CcpA level in the ccpA mutant trans-complemented with the phosphomimetic CcpA variant suggest furthermore that CcpA acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. Together, these findings demonstrate that Stk1-driven phosphorylation of CcpA inhibits its DNA binding activity toward its regulon in S. aureus, representing a novel regulatory mechanism of CcpA activity in addition to the well known regulation via HprKP/Hpr in this clinically important pathogen. PMID:23132867

  20. A novel mode of regulation of the Staphylococcus aureus catabolite control protein A (CcpA) mediated by Stk1 protein phosphorylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leiba, Jade; Hartmann, Torsten; Cluzel, Marie-Eve; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Delolme, Frédéric; Bischoff, Markus; Molle, Virginie

    2012-12-21

    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 and Bacillus anthracis were not affected by the Stk1 orthologue PrkC. Mass spectrometry and mutational analyses identified Thr-18 and Thr-33 as the phosphoacceptors; both are located in the DNA binding domain of this protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the CcpA DNA binding activity was completely abrogated for the phosphorylated CcpA. The physiological relevance of CcpA phosphorylation was assessed by generating CcpA phosphoablative (T18A/T33A) or phosphomimetic (T18D/T33D) mutants. In contrast to the wild-type and phosphoablative ccpA alleles, introduction of the phosphomimetic ccpA allele in a ΔccpA mutant failed to restore the parental biofilm formation profile and the transcription of citZ and hla to levels seen with the wild type. The strong up regulation of ccpA transcripts and CcpA level in the ccpA mutant trans-complemented with the phosphomimetic CcpA variant suggest furthermore that CcpA acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. Together, these findings demonstrate that Stk1-driven phosphorylation of CcpA inhibits its DNA binding activity toward its regulon in S. aureus, representing a novel regulatory mechanism of CcpA activity in addition to the well known regulation via HprKP/Hpr in this clinically important pathogen.