Lecture 13 - Bacillus + Clostridium Flashcards
What are the characteristics that Bacillus and Clostridium share?
Gram+
Endospore forming
Produce Powerful toxins
What are the differing general characterisitics of Bacillus?
Catalase +
Aerobes + Facultative anaerobes
What are the four important baccillus strains important to us?
Anthracis
Cereus
Subtilis
Licheniformis
What is the general cell morphology of bacillus?
Large rectangular rods with square ends
When are bacillus spores formed?
Nutrient deprivation
What type of agar does bacillus like to grow on?
Non-enriched media
Bacillus Catalase/Oxidase results
Postive
Negative
How is virulence carried in bacillus?
Plasmid content
What does B. licheniformis effect? What symptoms are seen?
Sheep/Cattle
Emerging sporadic abortions
What is B. Cereus associated with?
Oppurtunistic infections
What symptoms are seen with B. Cereus?
Abortions + Bovine mastitis
What is seen with B. thuringienisis?
Lepidopetra pathogen
What does it mean to be oxidase negative?
No cytochrome C oxidase
Replace by other cytochrome oxidase in ETC
What is the oxygen preference of bacteria that is oxidase negative?
Aerobic + Faculative anaerobic + Anaerobic
What does it mean to be oxidase positive?
Cyto C in ETC
What is the oxygen preference of a bacteria that is oxidase postive?
Aerobic, O2 is used as the final electron donor
BUT DONT HAVE TO BE STRICT
What is an unique structure of B. antracis?
Antiphagocytic capsule made of polyglutamic acid
What is the S layer NOT?
Not a virulence factor
Does not make slime
Ab’s formed to S-layer NOT protective
What soil type does B. anthracis like?
Alkaline soils with high nitrogen content
What material is essential for spore production?
Calcium
What are the two plasmid types found in B. anthracis?
pX01 + px02
What is pxO2 responsible for?
Capsule, inhibiting phagocytosis
What is pxO1 responsible for?
Toxins
What are the two functional anthrax toxins?
Letx + LdTx
What are the three possible components to px01
PA + LF + EF
What is PA?
Protective antigen
What is LF?
Lethal factor - protease activity
What is EF?
Edema factor - affects adenylate cyclase
What has to accompany LF or EF?
PA
How does PA work?
Adheres to host cell and clipped in two Bound portion forms channel in host cell Toxin (PA attached to LF or EF) taken into cell PA creates pore in endosome EF or LF released into cytosol
What is the mechanism by which LF works?
Binds to MAPK interrupting signal pathway for cell division leading to apoptosis
What is the mechanism by which EF works?
Over production of cAMP, leading to fluid accumulation
What is the overall effect of Antrax toxins?
Edema + Necrosis causing swelling + darkening of tissue
Septicemia –> shock + rapid death
What is the most common method of anthrax infection?
Ingestion
How does B. anthracis enter the body?
Spore enters skin or mucosal membrane
Macrophage eats where anthrax will now grow in phagolysosome
leading to bacteremia + necrosis + edema + death
What is seen post mortem B. anthracis infections?
Widespread hemorrhage, with nonclotting tarry blood
Black, engorged spleen
Bloated carcass
NO RIGOR MORTIS
What is seen in horses that have B. anthracis?
Colic + Diarrhea + Edema
Death by asphyxiation or septicemia
What is seen in swine that have B. antracis?
Localization in pharyngeal tissues + Swelling
Death by asphyxiation
Where should you take samples from if you suspect B. anthracis?
Ear + Eye
What do B. antracis colonies look like?
Nonhemolytic, grey-white with rough texture
What AB is B. anthracis susceptible to?
Penicillin G + Oxytetracycline
What hemolysis occurs with B. cereus?
Beta