Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Aug 19:11:1731.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01731. eCollection 2020.

You Can't B. cereus - A Review of Bacillus cereus Strains That Cause Anthrax-Like Disease

Affiliations
Review

You Can't B. cereus - A Review of Bacillus cereus Strains That Cause Anthrax-Like Disease

Victoria M Baldwin. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Emerging strains of Bacillus cereus, traditionally considered a self-limiting foodborne pathogen, have been associated with anthrax-like disease in mammals, including humans. The strains have emerged by divergent evolution and, as exchange of genetic material in the Bacillus genus occurs naturally, it is possible that further isolates will be identified in the future. The strains vary in their genotypes and phenotypes, combining traits of both B. cereus and B. anthracis species. Cases of anthrax-like disease associated with these strains result in similar symptoms and mortality rates as those caused by B. anthracis. The strains are susceptible to frontline antibiotics used in the treatment of anthrax and existing vaccines provide protection in animal models. The emergence of these strains has reignited the debate surrounding classification of the B. cereus sensu lato group and serves as a reminder that the field of medical microbiology is constantly changing and remains an important and ongoing area of research.

Keywords: Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus cereus; anthrax; emerging disease; virulence plasmid.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Organization of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, showing distribution of different strains in Clade 1 (blue), Clade 2 (orange) and Clade 3 (purple). These are further subdivided into seven groups. Triangle size is relative to the number of taxa analyzed per group. Bacillus anthracis, atypical Bacillus cereus and Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis are indicated in bold. Not shown are additional strains that are not assigned to a group.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Distribution of atypical and Bcbva strains in Clade 1 of the B. cereus sensu lato group in relation to B. anthracis Ames.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Domain organization of lethal factor from B. anthracis and certhrax from B. cereus G9241. Each contains a protective antigen (PA) binding domain and mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase (mART) domain. This is inactivated in lethal factor by an insertion. Lethal factor derives its toxicity from a metalloprotease domainwhich is absent in certhrax.

References

    1. Agaisse H., Gominet M., Okstad O. A., Kolstø A. B., Lereclus D. (1999). PlcR is a pleiotropic regulator of extracellular virulence factor gene expression in Bacillus thuringiensis. Mol. Microbiol. 32 1043–1053. 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1999.01419.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Agata N., Ohta M., Yokoyama K. (2002). Production of Bacillus cereus emetic toxin (cereulide) in various foods. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 73 23–27. 10.1016/s0168-1605(01)00692-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Antonation K. S., Grützmacher K., Dupke S., Mabon P., Zimmermann F., Lankester F., et al. (2016). Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in Sub-Saharan Africa-chromosomal monophyly and broad geographic distribution. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 10:e0004923. 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004923 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Antonini J. M., Lewis A. B., Roberts J. R., Whaley D. A. (2003). Pulmonary effects of welding fumes: review of worker and experimental animal studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43 350–360. 10.1002/ajim.10194 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Avashia S. B., Riggins W. S., Lindley C., Hoffmaster A., Drumgoole R., Nekomoto T., et al. (2007). Fatal pneumonia among metalworkers due to inhalation exposure to Bacillus cereus containing Bacillus anthracis toxin genes. Clin. Infect. Dis. 44 414–416. 10.1086/510429 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources