title: Mechanism of killing of spores of Bacillus anthracis in a high-temperature gas environment, and analysis of DNA damage generated by various decontamination treatments of spores of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine how hydrated Bacillus anthracis spores are killed in a high-temperature gas environment (HTGE), and how spores of several Bacillus species including B. anthracis are killed by UV radiation, dry heat, wet heat and desiccation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hydrated B. anthracis spores were HTGE treated at c. 220°C for 50 ms, and the treated spores were tested for germination, mutagenesis, rupture and loss of dipicolinic acid. Spores of this and other Bacillus species were also examined for mutagenesis by UV, wet and dry heat and desiccation. There was no rupture of HTGE-treated B. anthracis spores killed 90-99·9%, no mutagenesis, and release of DPA and loss of germination were much slower than spore killing. However, killing of spores of B. anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus subtilis by UV radiation or dry heat, but not wet heat in water or ethanol, was accompanied by mutagenesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It appears likely that HTGE treatment kills B. anthracis spores by damage to spore core proteins. In addition, various killing regimens inactivate spores of a number of Bacillus species by the same mechanisms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work indicates how hydrated spores treated in a HTGE such as might be used to destroy biological warfare agent stocks are killed. The work also indicates that mechanisms whereby different agents kill spores are similar with spores of different Bacillus species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Setlow
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parish
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y-Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Setlow
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics; D004249:DNA Damage; D003666:Decontamination; D005740:Gases; D006358:Hot Temperature; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010848:Picolinic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D010848:Picolinic Acids; C004860:dipicolinic acid
keywords: Bacillus; Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus thuringiensis; spore killing; spore mutagenesis; spores