title: [Bacillus anthracis: a molecular look at a famous pathogen].
abstract: Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive rod belonging to the Bacillus cereus group, has an extremely monomorphic genome, and presents high structural and physiological similarity with B. cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis. In this work, the new molecular methods for the identification and typing of B. anthracis developed in the last years, based on variable number tandem repeats or on genetic differences detected through sequencing, are described. The molecular aspects of traditional virulence factors: capsule, protective antigen, lethal factor and edema factor are described in depth, together with virulence factors recently proposed, such as the siderophores petrobactin and bacillibactin, the S-layer adhesin and the MntA lipoprotein. It is detailed the molecular organization of megaplasmids pXO1 and pXO2, including the pathogenicity island of pXO1. The genetic skeleton of these plasmids has been observed in related species, and this could be attributed to lateral gene transfer. Finally, the two anthrax toxin protective antigen receptors, ANTXR1/TEM8 and ANTXR2/CMG2, essential for the interaction of the pathogen with the host, are presented. The molecular studies performed in recent years have greatly increased knowledge in different aspects of this microorganism and its relationship with the host, but at the same time they have raised new questions about this noted pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Biochemiq S.A., CABA, C1001AFB. mpavan@biochemiq.com
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pettinari
authors.forename: Fabián
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cairó
authors.forename: Esteban E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: Angel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cataldi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D044404:Genomic Islands / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010957:Plasmids; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: C473287:ANTXR1 protein, human; C447150:ANTXR2 protein, human; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; C030325:anthrax toxin