A bacteriolytic agent that detects and kills Bacillus
anthracis.
Schuch R, Nelson D, Fischetti VA.
The dormant and durable spore form of Bacillus anthracis is an ideal biological
weapon of mass destruction. Once inhaled, spores are transported by alveolar
macrophages to lymph nodes surrounding the lungs, where they germinate;
subsequent vegetative expansion causes an overwhelming flood of bacteria and
toxins into the blood, killing up to 99% of untreated victims. Natural and
genetically engineered antibiotic-resistant bacilli amplify the threat of spores
being used as weapons, and heighten the need for improved treatments and
spore-detection methods after an intentional release. We exploited the inherent
binding specificity and lytic action of bacteriophage enzymes called lysins for
the rapid detection and killing of B. anthracis. Here we show that the PlyG
lysin, isolated from the gamma phage of B. anthracis, specifically kills B.
anthracis isolates and other members of the B. anthracis 'cluster' of bacilli in
vitro and in vivo. Both vegetative cells and germinating spores are susceptible.
The lytic specificity of PlyG was also exploited as part of a rapid method for
the identification of B. anthracis. We conclude that PlyG is a tool for the
treatment and detection of B. anthracis.
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