ANN ARBOR, MI - In the age-old battle between man and microbe, it pays
to know your enemy. This is especially true for Bacillus anthracis, the
bacterium that causes anthrax. Tiny spores of this highly infectious
pathogen can survive drought, bitter cold and other harsh conditions for
decades, yet still germinate almost instantly to infect and kill once
inside an animal or human host.
In a collaboration funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the
National Institutes of Health, scientists from three major research
institutions - the University of Michigan, The Institute for Genomic
Research (TIGR), and The Scripps Research Institute - are working
together to identify the genes and proteins involved in anthrax's deadly
metamorphosis. Their work provides information other researchers can use
to develop new vaccines and treatments targeted at specific points in
the complex process of anthrax growth and spore formation.
The first results of the collaboration's work will be published as the
cover story in the Jan. 1, 2004 issue of the Journal of Bacteriology and
posted Dec. 18, 2003 on the journal's web site. This study is the first
analysis of a bacterial pathogen using the combined investigative tools
of genomics and proteomics. It is also the first study to document, at a
molecular level, all the genes and proteins involved in B.anthracis
spore formation.
Major findings of the study include:
- When compared to other bacteria, anthrax spore formation is an
unusually
complex and intricate process.
- Up to one-third of all the genes in the Bacillus anthracis genome are
involved
in spore production.
- Genes are expressed in five discrete phases over a five-hour time
period.
- Each mature anthrax spore contains about 750 individual proteins.
"The most surprising result of this study is the degree of dedication
this organism devotes to maki
'"/>
Contact: Sally Pobojewski
pobo@umich.edu
734-615-6912
University of Michigan Health System
16-Dec-2003
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Related biology news :1.
Scientists to prototype cyberinfrastructure for research and education access to ocean observatories2.
Scientists sequence genome of kind of organism central to biospheres carbon cycle3.
Scientists find nanowires capable of detecting individual viruses4.
Scientists discover potential new way to control drug-resistant bacteria5.
Scientists explore genome of methane-breathing microbe6.
Scientists decipher genetic code of biothreat pathogen7.
Stuck on you: Scientists lay bare secrets of bacterial attachment proteins8.
Scientists discover proteins involved in spread of HIV-1 infection9.
Scientists fear new Ebola outbreak may explain sudden gorilla disappearance10.
Scientists reinvent DNA as template to produce organic molecules11.
Scientists visualise cellular handmaiden that restores shape to proteins