Fast and sensitive detection of Bacillus anthracis spores by immunoassay.

Bacillus anthracis is one of the most dangerous potential biological weapons, and it is essential to develop a rapid and simple method to detect B. anthracis spores in environmental samples. The immunoassay is a rapid and easy-to-use method for the detection of B.

Extended and global phylogenetic view of the Bacillus cereus group population by combination of MLST, AFLP, and MLEE genotyping data.

The Bacillus cereus group of bacteria includes species that can cause food-poisoning or spoilage, such as B. cereus, as well as Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax. In the present report we have conducted a multi-datatype analysis using tools from the HyperCAT database (http://mlstoslo.

Carbohydrate metabolism differences between subgroup A1 and B2 strains of Bacillus anthracis as assessed by comparative genomics and functional genetics.

In France, Bacillus anthracis subgroup B2 strains do not metabolize starch or glycogen but can use gluconate, whereas subgroup A1 strains show the inverse pattern. Functional genetic analysis revealed that mutations in the amyS and gntK genes encoding an alpha-amylase and a gluconate kinase, respectively, were responsible for these phenotypes.

Spatial localization of bacteria controls coagulation of human blood by 'quorum acting'.

Blood coagulation often accompanies bacterial infections and sepsis and is generally accepted as a consequence of immune responses. Though many bacterial species can directly activate individual coagulation factors, they have not been shown to directly initiate the coagulation cascade that precedes clot formation. Here we demonstrated, using microfluidics and surface patterning, that the spatial localization of bacteria substantially affects coagulation of human and mouse blood and plasma.

Structure of the exosporium and sublayers of spores of the Bacillus cereus family revealed by electron crystallography.

We report on the first step in mapping out the spatial location of structural proteins within the exosporium, namely a description of its three-dimensional architecture. Using electron microscopy and image analysis, we have characterized crystalline fragments from the exosporium of Bacillus cereus, B. thuringiensis and B.

ExsY and CotY are required for the correct assembly of the exosporium and spore coat of Bacillus cereus.

The exosporium-defective phenotype of a transposon insertion mutant of Bacillus cereus implicated ExsY, a homologue of B. subtilis cysteine-rich spore coat proteins CotY and CotZ, in assembly of an intact exosporium. Single and double mutants of B.

Contribution of ExsFA and ExsFB proteins to the localization of BclA on the spore surface and to the stability of the bacillus anthracis exosporium.

Spores of Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax, and the closely related species Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis, possess an exosporium, which is the outermost structure surrounding the mature spore. It consists of a paracrystalline basal layer and a hair-like outer layer. To date, the structural contribution of only one exosporium component, the collagen-like glycoprotein BclA, has been described.

Polymorphism in the collagen-like region of the Bacillus anthracis BclA protein leads to variation in exosporium filament length.

We recently identified a Bacillus anthracis glycoprotein which is a structural constituent of the exosporium filaments (P. Sylvestre, E. Couture-Tosi, and M.

A collagen-like surface glycoprotein is a structural component of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium.

Bacillus anthracis, the aetiological agent of anthrax, is a Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium. The exosporium is the outermost integument surrounding the mature spore. Here, we describe the purification and the characterization of an immunodominant protein of the spore surface.