HtrA is a major virulence determinant of Bacillus anthracis

Summary We demonstrate that disruption of the htrA (high temperature requirement A) gene in either the virulent Bacillus anthracis Vollum (pXO1 + , pXO2 + ), or in the ΔVollum (pXO1 ‐ , pXO2 ‐ , nontoxinogenic and noncapsular) strains, affect significantly the ability of the resulting mutants to withstand heat, oxidative, ethanol and osmotic stress. The Δ htrA mutants manifest altered secretion of several proteins, as well as complete silencing...