title: Bacillus anthracis factors for phagosomal escape.
abstract: The mechanism of phagosome escape by intracellular pathogens is an important step in the infectious cycle. During the establishment of anthrax, Bacillus anthracis undergoes a transient intracellular phase in which spores are engulfed by local phagocytes. Spores germinate inside phagosomes and grow to vegetative bacilli, which emerge from their resident intracellular compartments, replicate and eventually exit from the plasma membrane. During germination, B. anthracis secretes multiple factors that can help its resistance to the phagocytes. Here the possible role of B. anthracis toxins, phospholipases, antioxidant enzymes and capsules in the phagosomal escape and survival, is analyzed and compared with that of factors of other microbial pathogens involved in the same type of process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience of the National Research Council, 35131 Padua, Italy. fiorella.tonello@cnr.it
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zornetta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000166:cytology / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000975:Antioxidants; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C030325:anthrax toxin; C498000:anthrolysin O, Bacillus anthracis; D010740:Phospholipases