This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nicholson, W. L.
Right arrow Articles by Galeano, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nicholson, W. L.
Right arrow Articles by Galeano, B.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Nicholson, W. L.
Right arrow Articles by Galeano, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2003, p. 1327-1330, Vol. 69, No. 2
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.2.1327-1330.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

UV Resistance of Bacillus anthracis Spores Revisited: Validation of Bacillus subtilis Spores as UV Surrogates for Spores of B. anthracis Sterne

Wayne L. Nicholson* and Belinda Galeano

Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721

Received 25 July 2002/ Accepted 30 October 2002

Recent bioterrorism concerns have prompted renewed efforts towards understanding the biology of bacterial spore resistance to radiation with a special emphasis on the spores of Bacillus anthracis. A review of the literature revealed that B. anthracis Sterne spores may be three to four times more resistant to 254-nm-wavelength UV than are spores of commonly used indicator strains of Bacillus subtilis. To test this notion, B. anthracis Sterne spores were purified and their UV inactivation kinetics were determined in parallel with those of the spores of two indicator strains of B. subtilis, strains WN624 and ATCC 6633. When prepared and assayed under identical conditions, the spores of all three strains exhibited essentially identical UV inactivation kinetics. The data indicate that standard UV treatments that are effective against B. subtilis spores are likely also sufficient to inactivate B. anthracis spores and that the spores of standard B. subtilis strains could reliably be used as a biodosimetry model for the UV inactivation of B. anthracis spores.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, Building 90, Room 102, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. Phone: (520) 621-2157. Fax: (520) 621-6366. E-mail: WLN{at}u.arizona.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, February 2003, p. 1327-1330, Vol. 69, No. 2
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.2.1327-1330.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Moeller, R., Setlow, P., Reitz, G., Nicholson, W. L. (2009). Roles of Small, Acid-Soluble Spore Proteins and Core Water Content in Survival of Bacillus subtilis Spores Exposed to Environmental Solar UV Radiation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 5202-5208 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rose, L. J., O'Connell, H. (2009). UV Light Inactivation of Bacterial Biothreat Agents. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2987-2990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Weiss, S., Levy, H., Fisher, M., Kobiler, D., Altboum, Z. (2009). Involvement of TLR2 in innate response to Bacillus anthracis infection. Innate Immunity 15: 43-51 [Abstract]  
  • Saikaly, P. E., Barlaz, M. A., de los Reyes, F. L. III (2007). Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection and Quantification of Surrogate Biological Warfare Agents in Building Debris and Leachate. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 6557-6565 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Shafaat, H. S., Ponce, A. (2006). Applications of a Rapid Endospore Viability Assay for Monitoring UV Inactivation and Characterizing Arctic Ice Cores.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6808-6814 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fajardo-Cavazos, P., Nicholson, W. (2006). Bacillus Endospores Isolated from Granite: Close Molecular Relationships to Globally Distributed Bacillus spp. from Endolithic and Extreme Environments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2856-2863 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Newcombe, D. A., Schuerger, A. C., Benardini, J. N., Dickinson, D., Tanner, R., Venkateswaran, K. (2005). Survival of Spacecraft-Associated Microorganisms under Simulated Martian UV Irradiation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8147-8156 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rice, E. W., Adcock, N. J., Sivaganesan, M., Rose, L. J. (2005). Inactivation of Spores of Bacillus anthracis Sterne, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis by Chlorination. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 5587-5589 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Clery-Barraud, C., Gaubert, A., Masson, P., Vidal, D. (2004). Combined Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure and Temperature for Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis Spores. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 635-637 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»