Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-9-2
pubmed:databankReference
pubmed:abstractText
The spores of Bacillus anthracis, the agent of anthrax disease, germinate within professional phagocytes, such as murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells and alveolar macrophages. We identified a cluster of germination genes extending for 3608 nucleotides between the pag and atxA genes on the B. anthracis virulence plasmid pXO1. The three predicted proteins (40, 55 and 37 kDa in size) have significant sequence similarities to B. subtilis, B. cereus and B. megaterium germination proteins. Northern blot analysis of total RNA from sporulating cells indicated that the gerX locus was organized as a tricistronic operon (gerXB, gerXA and gerXC). Primer extension analysis identified a major potential transcriptional start site 31 bp upstream from the translation initiation codon of gerXB. Expression of the gerX operon was studied using a gerXB-lacZ transcriptional fusion. Expression began 2.5-3 h after the initiation of sporulation and was detected exclusively in the forespore compartment. A gerX null mutant was constructed. It was less virulent than the parental strain and did not germinate efficiently in vivo or in vitro within phagocytic cells. These data strongly suggest that gerX-encoded proteins are involved in the virulence of B. anthracis.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0950-382X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
33
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
407-14
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Identification and characterization of a germination operon on the virulence plasmid pXO1 of Bacillus anthracis.
pubmed:affiliation
Unité Toxines et Pathogénie Bactériennes, CNRS URA1858, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France. rontani@pasteur.fr
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article