title: Anthrax Pathogenesis.
abstract: Anthrax is caused by the spore-forming, gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The bacterium's major virulence factors are (a) the anthrax toxins and (b) an antiphagocytic polyglutamic capsule. These are encoded by two large plasmids, the former by pXO1 and the latter by pXO2. The expression of both is controlled by the bicarbonate-responsive transcriptional regulator, AtxA. The anthrax toxins are three polypeptides-protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF)-that come together in binary combinations to form lethal toxin and edema toxin. PA binds to cellular receptors to translocate LF (a protease) and EF (an adenylate cyclase) into cells. The toxins alter cell signaling pathways in the host to interfere with innate immune responses in early stages of infection and to induce vascular collapse at late stages. This review focuses on the role of anthrax toxins in pathogenesis. Other virulence determinants, as well as vaccines and therapeutics, are briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; email: mmoayeri@niaid.nih.gov , sleppla@niaid.nih.gov , catherine.vrentas@gmail.com , apomerantsev@niaid.nih.gov , shliu@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moayeri
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; email: mmoayeri@niaid.nih.gov , sleppla@niaid.nih.gov , catherine.vrentas@gmail.com , apomerantsev@niaid.nih.gov , shliu@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Leppla
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; email: mmoayeri@niaid.nih.gov , sleppla@niaid.nih.gov , catherine.vrentas@gmail.com , apomerantsev@niaid.nih.gov , shliu@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vrentas
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; email: mmoayeri@niaid.nih.gov , sleppla@niaid.nih.gov , catherine.vrentas@gmail.com , apomerantsev@niaid.nih.gov , shliu@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Andrei P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pomerantsev
authors.affiliation: Microbial Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; email: mmoayeri@niaid.nih.gov , sleppla@niaid.nih.gov , catherine.vrentas@gmail.com , apomerantsev@niaid.nih.gov , shliu@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C030325:anthrax toxin
keywords: anthrax toxins; edema factor; lethal factor; protective antigen