Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Antibiotic Selection

Antibiotic Selection

Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA

Bacterial Transformation

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...

Inhalation Anthrax

Inhalation Anthrax

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. It primarily affects herbivorous animals but can be transmitted to humans through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation of spores.Cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, typically results from direct contact with bacterial spores through skin abrasions and is generally less severe. Gastrointestinal anthrax results from eating undercooked or contaminated meat. It affects the mouth, throat, or...

Diphtheria

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an acute, toxin-mediated infectious disease that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a Gram-positive, pleomorphic rod that lacks spore-forming capability and exhibits a characteristic club-shaped morphology under microscopic examination. While C. diphtheriae can asymptomatically colonize mucosal surfaces, clinical disease manifests only when the bacterial strain is lysogenized by a specific β-corynephage. This phage...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cytolethal distending toxin B as a cell-killing component of tumor-targeted anthrax toxin fusion proteins.

Cell death & disease·2014

Same author

Intracellular delivery of a novel multiepitope peptide vaccine by an amphipathic peptide carrier enhances cytotoxic T-cell responses in HLA-A*201 mice.

The journal of peptide research : official journal of the American Peptide Society·2005

Same author

A cationic lipid-formulated plasmid DNA vaccine confers sustained antibody-mediated protection against aerosolized anthrax spores.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2004

Same author

Specificity of an immunochromatographic test for anthrax.

Australian veterinary journal·2004

Same author

Phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C and sphingomyelinase activities in bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group.

Infection and immunity·2003

Same author

Production, recovery and immunogenicity of the protective antigen from a recombinant strain of Bacillus anthracis.

Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology·2002

Same journal

<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> infection causes lysosomal dysfunction in the cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelium.

Infection and immunity·2026

Same journal

The role of probiotics in restoring and maintaining vaginal microbiome health: a review.

Infection and immunity·2026

Same journal

Pathological or preventative? Amyloid-β as an effector of innate immunity.

Infection and immunity·2026

Same journal

Effluxosomes and the evolution of metal resistance in <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>.

Infection and immunity·2026

Same journal

Characterization of an isogenic <i>bimA</i> mutant in the ATS2021 strain of <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i>.

Infection and immunity·2026

Same journal

HnRNPA2B1 tunes antimycobacterial immune responses in macrophages through alternative splicing of <i>Irgm1</i>.

Infection and immunity·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 1, 2012

Protection against anthrax lethal toxin challenge by genetic immunization with a plasmid encoding the lethal factor

B M Price¹, A L Liner, S Park

¹Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43017-1292.

Infection and Immunity

|June 13, 2001

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Genetic vaccination using DNA plasmids encoding anthrax protective antigen (PA) or lethal factor (LF) protected mice against lethal toxin challenge. DNA immunization alone provides complete protection against anthrax toxin.

More Related Videos

Analyzing Dynamic Protein Complexes Assembled On and Released From Biolayer Interferometry Biosensor Using Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microscopy

Analyzing Dynamic Protein Complexes Assembled On and Released From Biolayer Interferometry Biosensor Using Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microscopy

Published on: August 6, 2018

Homogeneous Glycoconjugate Produced by Combined Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation and Click-Chemistry for Vaccine Purposes

Homogeneous Glycoconjugate Produced by Combined Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation and Click-Chemistry for Vaccine Purposes

Published on: December 19, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy

Visualization of Bacterial Toxin Induced Responses Using Live Cell Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: October 1, 2012

Analyzing Dynamic Protein Complexes Assembled On and Released From Biolayer Interferometry Biosensor Using Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microscopy

Analyzing Dynamic Protein Complexes Assembled On and Released From Biolayer Interferometry Biosensor Using Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microscopy

Published on: August 6, 2018

Homogeneous Glycoconjugate Produced by Combined Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation and Click-Chemistry for Vaccine Purposes

Homogeneous Glycoconjugate Produced by Combined Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation and Click-Chemistry for Vaccine Purposes

Published on: December 19, 2020

Area of Science:

Immunology
Molecular Biology
Vaccinology

Background:

Anthrax toxin poses a significant biothreat.
Developing effective vaccines against anthrax toxin is crucial for public health and security.
Genetic vaccination offers a novel approach to induce protective immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficacy of genetic vaccination against a lethal challenge of anthrax toxin.
To assess the protective potential of DNA immunization targeting protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF).

Main Methods:

BALB/c mice were immunized with DNA plasmids encoding PA or LF fragments via gene gun.
Immunizations were administered three times at 2-week intervals.
Mice were challenged intravenously with lethal doses of anthrax lethal toxin (PA + LF).

Main Results:

Antibody titers against PA and LF were significantly higher in mice immunized with a combination of both antigens.
All mice immunized with DNA plasmids (either PA, LF, or both) survived the lethal toxin challenge.
Unimmunized control mice did not survive the challenge.

Conclusions:

DNA-based immunization alone can confer protection against lethal anthrax toxin challenge.
Genetic vaccination targeting the lethal factor (LF) antigen alone provides complete protection.
This study demonstrates the potential of DNA vaccines for anthrax prophylaxis.