The overall goal of this study is to link the molecular genetic evolution of Bacillus anthracis to epidemiological models of North American and African anthrax in an effort to better understand the geographic, biotic, and abiotic conditions responsible for outbreaks of anthrax in the world at large and the sources of this pathogen. Towards this end, Dr. Keim and his collaborators will: (1) study the genetic-molecular epidemiology of Bacillus anthracis isolated from different geographic locations and habitats, (2) ascertain the different factors (parameters) that affect the distribution of the molecular markers they employ in their epidemiology surveys and estimate the values of these parameters in laboratory culture. (3) Using Monte Carlo simulations, they will ascertain how the distribution of these markers within and between populations of Bacillus anthracis will be affected by geographic, genetic and ecological processes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM060795-04
Application #
6636398
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-GEN (01))
Program Officer
Eckstrand, Irene A
Project Start
2000-05-01
Project End
2006-04-30
Budget Start
2003-05-01
Budget End
2006-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$290,343
Indirect Cost
Name
Northern Arizona University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
806345542
City
Flagstaff
State
AZ
Country
United States
Zip Code
86011
Keim, Paul; Gruendike, Jeffrey M; Klevytska, Alexandra M et al. (2009) The genome and variation of Bacillus anthracis. Mol Aspects Med 30:397-405
Kenefic, Leo J; Pearson, Talima; Okinaka, Richard T et al. (2009) Pre-Columbian origins for North American anthrax. PLoS One 4:e4813
Keim, Paul S; Wagner, David M (2009) Humans and evolutionary and ecological forces shaped the phylogeography of recently emerged diseases. Nat Rev Microbiol 7:813-21
Keim, Paul; Mock, Michele; Young, John et al. (2006) The International Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, and B. thuringiensis Conference, ""Bacillus-ACT05"". J Bacteriol 188:3433-41
Pearson, Talima; Busch, Joseph D; Ravel, Jacques et al. (2004) Phylogenetic discovery bias in Bacillus anthracis using single-nucleotide polymorphisms from whole-genome sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:13536-41
Achtman, Mark; Morelli, Giovanna; Zhu, Peixuan et al. (2004) Microevolution and history of the plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:17837-42
Takahashi, Hiroshi; Keim, Paul; Kaufmann, Arnold F et al. (2004) Bacillus anthracis incident, Kameido, Tokyo, 1993. Emerg Infect Dis 10:117-20
Vogler, Amy J; Busch, Joseph D; Percy-Fine, Stephanie et al. (2002) Molecular analysis of rifampin resistance in Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 46:511-3
Keim, P; Smith, K L; Keys, C et al. (2001) Molecular investigation of the Aum Shinrikyo anthrax release in Kameido, Japan. J Clin Microbiol 39:4566-7
Schupp, J M; Klevytska, A M; Zinser, G et al. (2000) vrrB, a hypervariable open reading frame in Bacillus anthracis. J Bacteriol 182:3989-97

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