Coatings Capable of Germinating and Neutralizing Bacillus anthracis Endospores

Abstract

Endospores are formed by various bacterial families, including Bacillus and Clostridium, in response to environmental stresses as a means to survive conditions inhospitable to vegetative growth. Although metabolically inert, the endospore must interact with its environment to determine an optimal time to return to a vegetative state, a process known as germination. Germination has been shown to occur in response to a variety of chemical stimuli from specific nutrient germinants including amino acids, sugars and nucleosides. This process is known to be mediated primarily by the GerA family of spore-specific receptor proteins which initiates a signal transduction cascade that results in a return of oxidative metabolism in response to germinant receptor interactions. Herein, we report the development of a novel coating system capable of germinating B. anthracis endospores, followed by rapid killing of the vegetative bacteria by a novel incorporated amphiphilic biocide. The most effective formulation tested exhibited an ability to germinate and kill B. anthracis endospores and vegetative bacteria, respectively. The formulation reported resulted in a 90% reduction in as little as 5 min, and a 6 log reduction by 45 min.