Evaluation of different methods to discriminate Bacillus anthracis from other bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group.

Aims: To evaluate different methods that are useful for rapid and definitive discrimination of Bacillus anthracis from other bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group in environmental samples like letters claimed to contain anthrax spores.

Methods And Results: Characterized strains and bacteria from environmental samples were analysed by microbiological and molecular methods (PCR and restriction analysis). Environmental isolates often shared several microbiological features with B.

Infection of the human monocytic cell line Mono Mac6 with human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 results in long-term production of virus variants with increased cytopathogenicity for CD4+ T cells.

The recently established human monocytic cell line Mono Mac6 expressing distinct characteristics of mature monocytes/macrophages was tested for its susceptibility to infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Inoculation of the cells with the T-cell-tropic human immunodeficiency virus strains human T-lymphotropic virus type IIIB and lymphadenopathy-associated virus type 2 led to a noncytopathic productive infection becoming apparent only after a latency period of up to 56 days. The infectibility of the Mono Mac6 cells was dependent on low levels of CD4 expression, as demonstrated by blocking experiments with various CD4-specific antibodies.