[Correlation of the virulence of Bacillus anthracis with expression of signs, coded for by chromosomal genes].
Clonal analysis of Bacillus anthracis strains showed heterogeneity of the majority of populations by the proteolytic, hemolytic, and pigment-adsorbing activities. Phenotypes isolated within each population were subdivided into 4 subpopulations. The appearance of sub-populations of virulent and vaccine strains (B. anthracis Sterne, Zenkowskii) was due to the ability of clones adsorbing Congo red and possessing high activities of proteolytic and hemolytic enzymes to dissociate with the formation of phenotypes characterized by different expression of proteolysis, hemolysis, pigment adsorption, pigment production, and sporulation signs. A characteristic feature of vaccine strains of B. anthracis CTIl, Wright, and Pasteur is a relative homogeneity of their populations consisting mainly of cells with low activities of proteolytic, hemolytic, and pigment-adsorbing enzymes. Study of the heterogeneity of di-, mono-, and plasmid-free derivatives of B. anthracis showed that the process of phenotype formation did not depend on the plasmids proper. Evaluation of the virulence of clones isolated from highly virulent B. anthracis strain 81/1 showed that the processes associated with loss of sporulation capacity notably decrease the virulence for laboratory animals.
Mikshis
N I
NI
Eremin
S A
SA
Bolotnikova
M F
MF
D000818:Animals; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006461:Hemolysis; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010641:Phenotype; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*