Characterization of Bacillus anthracis Germinant Receptors In Vitro

• DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.23.8055-8062.2005
• Publication Date: 2005-11-16T02:48:42Z
• Authors: Nathan Fisher; Philip Hanna
• Keywords: Bacillus anthracis; Anthrax toxin

Bacillus anthracis begins its infectious cycle as a metabolically dormant cell type, the endospore. Upon entry into host, endospores rapidly differentiate vegetative bacilli through process of germination, thus initiating anthrax. Elucidation signals that trigger germination and receptors recognize them is critical to understanding pathogenesis B. anthracis. Individual mutants deficient in each seven putative germinant receptor-encoding loci were constructed via temperature-dependent, plasmid insertion mutagenesis used correlate these with known molecules. These analyses showed GerK GerL are jointly required for alanine pathway also individually recognition either proline methionine (GerK) or serine valine (GerL) cogerminants combination inosine. The specificity GerS was refined from previous study nonisogenic background since it only response aromatic amino acid cogerminants. gerA gerY found be dispensable all In addition, we show promoter receptor operon, except locus, active during sporulation. A current model endospore presented.