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The Release Of Calcium In Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenicity, Natiera Magnuson, Manomita Patra, Maria Elena Reynaga, Ernesto Abel-Santos
The Release Of Calcium In Bacillus Anthracis Pathogenicity, Natiera Magnuson, Manomita Patra, Maria Elena Reynaga, Ernesto Abel-Santos
McNair Poster Presentations
Bacillus anthracis spores form in response to starvation and can withstand extremes of heat, radiation, and chemical toxins, making B. anthracis spores ideal vehicles for infections.1 The resistance and dormancy of bacterial spores are dependent on a largely dehydrated core.2 The spore core is not only devoid of water, but contains between 0.8 to 1M calcium complexed with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, DPA). The DPA-calcium complex (CaDPA) helps protect DNA, RNA, and the metabolic enzymes needed for the establishment of a vegetative cell cytoplasm.3 An anthrax infection starts with the germination of B. anthracis spores in a macrophage.4 The germinated …