EA1 is an abundant, highly antigenic, surface layer protein of Bacillus anthracis vegetative cells. Recent studies indicate that EA1 is also a component of B. anthracis spores and a potential marker for spore detection. We show here that EA1 is not a spore component but a persistent contaminant in spore preparations.

Over the course of 2 days, top researchers in the fields of bacterial spore biology and computational biology discussed approaches to determine the cause of spore germination heterogeneity. Biological and mathematical data gaps were identified, and experimental approaches and computational strategies for modeling spore germination were presented and evaluated. As a result of these interactions,...

Airborne and waterborne fungal spores were compared with respect to cytoplasmic viscosity and the presence of ergosterol. These parameters differed markedly between the two spore types and correlated with spore survival. This suggests that the mode of spore dispersal has a bearing on cellular composition, which is relevant for the eradication of industrially relevant fungal propagules.

The lantibiotic nisin inhibits growth of vegetative Gram-positive bacteria by binding to lipid II, which disrupts cell wall biosynthesis and facilitates pore formation. Nisin also inhibits the outgrowth of bacterial spores, including spores of Bacillus anthracis, whose structural and biochemical properties are fundamentally different from those of vegetative bacteria. The molecular basis of nis...

BACKGROUND Bacterial spores have been proposed as vehicles to display heterologous proteins for the development of mucosal vaccines, biocatalysts, bioremediation and diagnostic tools. Two approaches have been developed to display proteins on the spore surface: a recombinant approach, based on the construction of gene fusions between DNA molecules coding for a spore surface protein (carrier) and...

Bacterial spores are resistant to a wide range of chemical and physical insults that are normally lethal for the vegetative form of the bacterium. While the integrity of the protein coat of the spore is crucial for spore survival in vitro, far less is known about how the coat provides protection in vivo against predation by ecologically relevant hosts. In particular, assays had characterized th...

Fungal spores are known to trigger allergic respiratory diseases. Very little is known about airborne fungal spore presence in Trieste. This paper reports the seasonal (June-October) Alternaria (1993-2004) and Epicoccum (1994-2004) spore concentrations during these years, using a Hirst sampler. Daily spore counts fluctuate considerably from one day to the next. Airborne spores of Alternaria and...