title: Antibacterial activity of radical scavengers against class Ib ribonucleotide reductase from Bacillus anthracis.
abstract: Bacillus anthracis is a severe mammalian pathogen. The deoxyribonucleotides necessary for DNA replication and repair are provided via the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) enzyme. RNR is also important for spore germination and cell proliferation upon infection. We show that the expression of B. anthracis class Ib RNR responds to the environment that the pathogen encounters upon infection. We also show that several anti-proliferative agents (radical scavengers) specifically inhibit the B. anthracis RNR. Owing to the importance of RNR in the pathogenic infection process, our results highlight a promising potential to inhibit the growth of B. anthracis early during infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.|Cellular Biotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torrents
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Britt-Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases