Macrophage-mediated germination of Bacillus anthracis endospores requires the gerH operon.
The gerHABC operon of Bacillus anthracis, encoding a gerA-like family member of germinant sensors, was shown to be required for endospore germination in the presence of macrophages and in macrophage-conditioned media. The loss of the germination phenotype in macrophage cultures of B. anthracis gerH-null endospores was restored by complementation in trans with a wild-type copy of gerH expressed under the control of its own promoter. Using endospores from both the parental strain B. anthracis Sterne and an isogenic gerH-null strain, we partially characterized germinants secreted by macrophages into the extracellular medium.
Weiner
Matthew A
MA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, USA.
Hanna
Philip C
PC
D000818:Animals; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D007288:Inosine / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009876:Operon; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology
D007288:Inosine