Construction of Bacillus thuringiensis Simulant Strains Suitable for Environmental Release.

For a surrogate bacterium to be used in outdoor studies, it is important to consider environmental and human safety and ease of detection. Recently, , a popular bioinsecticide bacterium, has been gaining attention as a surrogate bacterium for use in biodefense. In this study, we constructed simulant strains of with enhanced characteristics for environmental studies.

A role for Toll-like receptor 4 in the host response to the lung infection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in mice.

Although a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) lung infection model has been developed to study Y. pestis pathogenesis, it is still necessary to establish a new animal model to mimic the pathophysiological features induced by Y. pestis infection.

Nod2 and Rip2 contribute to innate immune responses in mouse neutrophils.

Nod-like receptors are a family of innate immune receptors that link cytosolic sensing of microbial and danger stimuli to the activation of immune responses. Two Nod-like receptor family members, Nod1 and Nod2, recognize bacterial peptidoglycan and activate immune responses via nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The function of Nod1 and Nod2 has been largely studied in macrophages, but the role of these receptors in other innate immune cells remains unclear.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (Nod2) is dispensable for the innate immune responses of macrophages against Yersinia enterocolitica.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (Nod2) is a cytosolic sensor for muramyl dipeptide, a component of bacterial peptidoglycan. In this study, we have examined whether Nod2 mediates the immune response of macrophages against Yersinia enterocolitica. Bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were isolated from WT and Nod2-deficient mice and were infected with various strains of Y.

Generation of a specific marker to discriminate Gacillus anthracis from other bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group.

Bacillus anthracis is a soil pathogen capable of causing anthrax that is closely related to several environmental species, including B. cereus, B. mycoides, and B.

Protection by a transdermal patch containing physostigmine and procyclidine of soman poisoning in dogs.

The prophylactic efficacy of a combinational patch system containing physostigmine and procyclidine against soman intoxication was evaluated using dogs. Female beagle dogs (body weights 9-10 kg) were shaved on the abdominal side, attached with a matrix-type patch (7x7 cm) containing 1.5% of physostigmine plus 6% procyclidine for 2 days, and challenged with subcutaneous injection of serial doses (2-10 LD50) of soman.