Protective anthrax

The anthrax toxin is a tripartite toxin and consists ofthe binding component protective antigen (PA), the lethal factor (LF), which is a metalloprotease, and the edema factor (EF), which is a calmodulin-dependent adenylyl-cyclase. Both enzyme components are translocated via PA into target cells. PA is activated by furin-induced cleavage and forms heptamers, which are similar to the binding components of C2 toxin and iota toxin. In the low pH compartment of endosomes, the heptamers form pores to allow translocation of LF and EF. LF cleaves six of the seven MEKs (MAPK-kinases) thereby inhibiting these enzymes. The functional consequence is the blockade of the MAPK pathways that control cell proliferation, differentiation, inflammation, stress response, and survival. Whether this is the reason for the LT-induced cell death of macrophages is not clear [1]. 

Anthrax Medium from cuitures of B. anthracis 1 Separation of protective antigen from medium 2 Adsorption 3 + 3 quantal assay in guinea-pigs using challenge with B. anthracis Exclusion of live 6. anthracis and of anthrax toxin... 

Rhie GE, Roehrl MH, Mourez M et al (2003) A dually active anthrax vaccine that confers protection against both bacilli and toxins. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100 10925-10930... 

Anthrax protective antigen Pag tml/tmA Prrn PpsbA/TpsbA 4-5% Daniell... 

The anthrax bioterrorist attacks that followed the events of September 11th 2001 resulted in a renewed interest BadUus anthracis, the causative agent of this disease. Research has focused on the development of better vaccines than the one currently available. It has been estimated that the aerosolized release of 100 kg of anthrax spores upwind of Washington DC would cause mortalities of 130,000-3,000,000 [63]. Nonetheless, wild-type Bacillus anthracis is susceptible to conventional antibiotics, including penicillin, oxyfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The problem lies not with the bacterial infection itself, but with three proteins released by the bacteria - protective antigen (PA, 83 kDa), lethal factor (LF, 90 kDa) and edema factor (EF, 89 kDa) -known as anthrax toxins [63]. 

A number of conditions must be considered when selecting protective equipment for individuals at the scene of a release. For instances such as "anthrax" letters when the mechanism... 

The lack of financial profit of the production of orphan drug production is the main obstacle in achievement of the protection task. NBC orphan drugs (NBC-OD) are necessary in large amount, only in critical situations (war, natural or technological disaster, terrorist attack etc ). Practically all NBC-OD, with very few exceptions, like anthrax vaccine, have no civil use, as drugs. 

The advent of immunoproteomics made possible the identification of highly immunogenic proteins that can be used for vaccine development. Proteins that have the greatest potential for eliciting a protective immune response are collectively referred to as the pathogen s immunome. Immunoproteomics has been utilized to characterize the immu-nome of B. anthracis for the development of a safer and equally efficacious vaccine. The immunoreactive proteins are first identified by using 2DE Western blot analysis in conjunction with mass spectrometry. In B. anthracis, for example, antisera from humans post-infected with anthrax were used to probe Western blots of its various... 

Field First Aid Remove victim(s) to an area of safety (away from the Hot Zone). Remember patients may contaminate you and/or other emergency responders if you fail to don proper personal protective equipment. Provide victims with emergency medical care as soon as possible. Unless otherwise recommended, remove victim(s) clothing, shoes, and personnel belongings for later return. If the victim was obviously in contact with infectious substance(s), flush skin and eyes for fifteen to twenty minutes. Route victim(s) to hospital for a physician s professional opinion. Ensure that hospital staff is fully aware of the medical situation and the poison or infectious substance that may be involved. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test (ELISA) is now approved for anthrax use in hospital laboratories. 

Decontamination/cleanup workers working in environments known to be contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores may be at risk for inhalational anthrax. These workers should wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow appropriate procedures, as outlined in other CDC Guidance documents. 

Tiemo, P.M., Jr., Protect Yourself against Bioterrorism Everything You Need to Know about Anthrax, Plague, Botulism, Smallpox, Encephalitis, Cholera, Hemorrhagic Fevers, Ricin, and More, Pocket Books, New York, 2002. 

Anthrax Anthrax is a toxin with three separate components a protective antigen (PA), an edema factor (EF), and a lethal factor (LF). 

Melnyk R.A., Hewitt K.M., Lacy D.B., Lin H.C., Gessner C.R., Li S., Woods V.L. Jr, Collier R.J. Structural determinants for the binding of anthrax lethal factor to oligomeric protective antigen. J. Biol. Chem. 

Anthrax toxin is a bacterial toxin from Bacillus anthracis consisting of three parts protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). Both LF and EF compete for binding sites on the PA protein. The PA protein binds with high affinity to an as yet unknown receptor on macrophages and related cell types. When PA is internalized by the target cells, it functions as a shuttle protein for either EF or LF. Intracellularly, in the acidic environment of the endosome, EF and LF are capable of entering the cytosol by pH-dependent pore formation [139]. 

Allergic reactions (e.g., rashes, urticaria, and eosino-philia) have been observed. These drugs have occasionally been associated with cholestatic jaundice, blood dyscrasias, hemolytic anemia, hypoglycemia, and nephrotoxicity. Recently the use of ciprofloxacin for prophylaxis protection against anthrax infection has been associated with damage to muscle ligaments. 

Koya, V., Moayeri, M., Leppla, S.H., and Daniell, H. (2005). Plant-based vaccine mice immunized with chloroplast-derived anthrax protective antigen survive anthrax lethal toxin challenge. Infect. Immun. 73(12) 8266-8274. 

Azhar, A.M., Singh, S., Anand Kumar, R, and Bhutnagar, R. (2002). Expression of protective antigen in transgenic plants a step towards an edible vaccine against anthrax. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 299(3) 345-351. 

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