Association of the encapsulation of Bacillus anthracis with a 60 megadalton plasmid

Virulent typical strains (Shikan, Morioka, Shizuoka) and Pasteur vaccine strains (no. 1, no. 2-H, no. 2-17JB) of Bacillus anthracis harboured two plasmid species with molecular masses of 110 MDal and 60 MDal. All of the 110 MDal plasmids isolated from the various strains showed indistinguishable patterns of digestion with restriction endonucleases. All the 60 MDal plasmids were also indistinguishable. Strain Davis, which is encapsulated but is asporogenous and avirulent, harboured only the 60 MDal plasmid while three non-encapsulated vaccine strains (34F2, Smith, Mukteswer) harboured only the 110 MDal plasmid. Four non-encapsulated variant strains obtained from the encapsulated strains Shikan, Pasteur no. 1, Pasteur no. 2-17JB and Davis had lost the 60 MDal plasmid, suggesting that encapsulation of B. anthracis may be associated with the 60 MDal plasmid.