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J Med Microbiol 58 (2009), 816-825; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.008656-0
© 2009 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 0022-2615

Effects of altering the germination potential of Bacillus anthracis spores by exogenous means in a mouse model

C. K. Cote1, J. Bozue1, N. Twenhafel2 and S. L. Welkos1

1 Bacteriology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA

2 Pathology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA

Correspondence
C. K. Cote
Christopher.cote2{at}us.army.mil

Received December 16, 2008
Accepted February 17, 2009

Inhalational anthrax is the most severe form of anthrax. It has been shown in small-animal and non-human primate models that relatively large pools of ungerminated Bacillus anthracis spores can remain within the alveolar spaces for days to weeks post-inhalation or until transported to areas more favourable for germination and bacillary outgrowth. In this study, spores of the Ames strain that were exposed to germination-inducing media prior to intranasal delivery were significantly less infectious than spores delivered in either water or germination-inhibitory medium. The effect of manipulating the germination potential of these spores within the lungs of infected mice by exogenous germination-altering media was examined. The data suggested that neither inducing germination nor inhibiting germination of spores within the lungs protected mice from the ensuing infection. Germination-altering strategies could, instead, significantly increase the severity of disease in a mouse model of inhalational anthrax when implemented in vivo. It was shown that germination-altering strategies, in this study, were not beneficial to the infected host and are impractical as in vivo countermeasures.

Abbreviations: H&E, haematoxylin and eosin.






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