Genetic and Physiological Studies of Bacillus Anthracis Related to Development of an Improved Vaccine
Abstract
During this reporting period most of our effort was spent on studies concerning the biology of the two B. anthracis plasmids, pXOl which carries genes for anthrax toxin synthesis and pXO2 which carries genes for capsule synthesis. Transposon mutagenesis with Tn917 was applied to both plasmids; a library of insertions mutants of each plasmid has been produced and the mutants have been analyzed by restriction analysis to determine the sites of insertion and their locations on the respective physical maps of the two plasmids. The information ha,, led to the discover/ and cloning of a gene on pXO1 that is a positive trans-activator of toxin synthesis. Other results from studies of insertion mutants of pXO1 suggest that a negative regulatory gene is located on the plasmid. Attempts are being made to clone the putative gene. Studies of insertion mutants of pXO2 strongly suggest that some of the mutations are located in genes(s) regulating synthesis of anthrax capsular material. Among such mutants are those that overproduce capsular material, some that no longer require bicarbonate and C02 for capsule synthesis, and some that have lost the ability to synthesize capsules. Attempts are in progress to clone some of these regulatory sequences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 31, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA260696
Entities
People
- Curtis B. Thorne
Organizations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst