{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44886"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44886","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Analysis of Peptidoglycan Structural Changes and Cortex Lytic Enzymes during Germination of<i> Bacillus anthracis</i> Spores","abstract":"Sporulation is a process of differentiation that allows capable cells to go into a dormant and resistant stage of life. To become active again, the spores must germinate into vegetative cells. One key process in spore germination is hydrolysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. This process has been studied in a variety of sporulating species; however, it has not been studied in <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>. A clear understanding of cortex degradation may provide information that will allow for better cleanup of spore contaminated sites. The structure of cortex peptidoglycan of <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> was characterized. The peptidoglycan of the dormant spores was extracted, digested with Mutanolysin, and analyzed using HPLC to determine the structure. The analyses revealed that the cortex peptidoglycan of <i>B. anthracis</i> was very similar to other <i>Bacillus sp.</i>. Spores were stimulated to germinate and cortex peptidoglycan was extracted and analyzed at various times. <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> appeared to hydrolyze its cortex more rapidly than other <i>Bacillus </i>species. While the spores of three species release the spore solute dipicolinic acid and resume metabolism at similar rates, the <i>B. anthracis </i> spores released 75% their cortex material within 10 minutes while the other species released only 20% in the same time frame. This suggests that the <i>B. anthracis</i> spore coats are more permeable to cortex fragments than those of the other species, or that <i>B. anthracis</i> rapidly cleaves the cortex into smaller fragments. Novel cortex fragments analyzed during <i>B. anthracis</i> germination were produced by a glucosaminidase; however, additional studies need to be performed for confirmation.","abstract_html":"Sporulation is a process of differentiation that allows capable cells to go into a dormant and resistant stage of life. To become active again, the spores must germinate into vegetative cells. One key process in spore germination is hydrolysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. This process has been studied in a variety of sporulating species; however, it has not been studied in &lt;i&gt;Bacillus anthracis&lt;/i&gt;. A clear understanding of cortex degradation may provide information that will allow for better cleanup of spore contaminated sites. The structure of cortex peptidoglycan of &lt;i&gt;Bacillus anthracis&lt;/i&gt; was characterized. The peptidoglycan of the dormant spores was extracted, digested with Mutanolysin, and analyzed using HPLC to determine the structure. The analyses revealed that the cortex peptidoglycan of &lt;i&gt;B. anthracis&lt;/i&gt; was very similar to other &lt;i&gt;Bacillus sp.&lt;/i&gt;. Spores were stimulated to germinate and cortex peptidoglycan was extracted and analyzed at various times. &lt;i&gt;Bacillus anthracis&lt;/i&gt; appeared to hydrolyze its cortex more rapidly than other &lt;i&gt;Bacillus &lt;/i&gt;species. While the spores of three species release the spore solute dipicolinic acid and resume metabolism at similar rates, the &lt;i&gt;B. anthracis &lt;/i&gt; spores released 75% their cortex material within 10 minutes while the other species released only 20% in the same time frame. This suggests that the &lt;i&gt;B. anthracis&lt;/i&gt; spore coats are more permeable to cortex fragments than those of the other species, or that &lt;i&gt;B. anthracis&lt;/i&gt; rapidly cleaves the cortex into smaller fragments. Novel cortex fragments analyzed during &lt;i&gt;B. anthracis&lt;/i&gt; germination were produced by a glucosaminidase; however, additional studies need to be performed for confirmation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dowd, Melissa Margaret"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":"Biology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Popham, David L."],"committee_members":["Seyler, Richard","Yang, Zhaomin"],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-09-05","date_published":"2005-09-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:06Z","subjects":["Bacillus anthracis","peptidoglycan","cortex","germination"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09202005-091222"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-09202005-091222","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44886","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Popham, David L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Seyler, Richard","Yang, Zhaomin"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dowd, Melissa Margaret"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:46:24Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:46:24Z","2005-09-28"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005-09-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Bacillus anthracis","peptidoglycan","cortex","germination"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09202005-091222"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44886"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Sporulation is a process of differentiation that allows capable cells to go into a dormant and resistant stage of life. To become active again, the spores must germinate into vegetative cells. One key process in spore germination is hydrolysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. This process has been studied in a variety of sporulating species; however, it has not been studied in <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>. A clear understanding of cortex degradation may provide information that will allow for better cleanup of spore contaminated sites. The structure of cortex peptidoglycan of <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> was characterized. The peptidoglycan of the dormant spores was extracted, digested with Mutanolysin, and analyzed using HPLC to determine the structure. The analyses revealed that the cortex peptidoglycan of <i>B. anthracis</i> was very similar to other <i>Bacillus sp.</i>. Spores were stimulated to germinate and cortex peptidoglycan was extracted and analyzed at various times. <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> appeared to hydrolyze its cortex more rapidly than other <i>Bacillus </i>species. While the spores of three species release the spore solute dipicolinic acid and resume metabolism at similar rates, the <i>B. anthracis </i> spores released 75% their cortex material within 10 minutes while the other species released only 20% in the same time frame. This suggests that the <i>B. anthracis</i> spore coats are more permeable to cortex fragments than those of the other species, or that <i>B. anthracis</i> rapidly cleaves the cortex into smaller fragments. Novel cortex fragments analyzed during <i>B. anthracis</i> germination were produced by a glucosaminidase; however, additional studies need to be performed for confirmation."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Analysis of Peptidoglycan Structural Changes and Cortex Lytic Enzymes during Germination of<i> Bacillus anthracis</i> Spores"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Popham, David L."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Seyler, Richard","Yang, Zhaomin"],"dc:contributor.department":["Biology"],"dc:creator":["Dowd, Melissa Margaret"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:46:24Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:46:24Z","2005-09-28"],"dc:date.issued":["2005-09-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["Sporulation is a process of differentiation that allows capable cells to go into a dormant and resistant stage of life. To become active again, the spores must germinate into vegetative cells. One key process in spore germination is hydrolysis of the cortex peptidoglycan. This process has been studied in a variety of sporulating species; however, it has not been studied in <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>. A clear understanding of cortex degradation may provide information that will allow for better cleanup of spore contaminated sites. The structure of cortex peptidoglycan of <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> was characterized. The peptidoglycan of the dormant spores was extracted, digested with Mutanolysin, and analyzed using HPLC to determine the structure. The analyses revealed that the cortex peptidoglycan of <i>B. anthracis</i> was very similar to other <i>Bacillus sp.</i>. Spores were stimulated to germinate and cortex peptidoglycan was extracted and analyzed at various times. <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> appeared to hydrolyze its cortex more rapidly than other <i>Bacillus </i>species. While the spores of three species release the spore solute dipicolinic acid and resume metabolism at similar rates, the <i>B. anthracis </i> spores released 75% their cortex material within 10 minutes while the other species released only 20% in the same time frame. This suggests that the <i>B. anthracis</i> spore coats are more permeable to cortex fragments than those of the other species, or that <i>B. anthracis</i> rapidly cleaves the cortex into smaller fragments. Novel cortex fragments analyzed during <i>B. anthracis</i> germination were produced by a glucosaminidase; however, additional studies need to be performed for confirmation."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-09202005-091222"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44886"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Bacillus anthracis","peptidoglycan","cortex","germination"],"dc:title":["Analysis of Peptidoglycan Structural Changes and Cortex Lytic Enzymes during Germination of<i> Bacillus anthracis</i> Spores"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:06Z"}