Biological and Molecular-Genetic Properties of Bacillus anthracis strains Isolated in Siberia and Far East Regions (1959–2013)

Objective – study of biological and molecular-genetic properties of Bacillus anthraciscultures isolated in the supervised Siberian and Far Eastern territory between 1959 and 2013. Materials and methods. 39 B. anthracisstrains isolated from different specimens in 11 Siberian and Far Eastern constituent entities during epizootic and epidemic complications in terms of anthrax and monitoring of the soil foci were studied. The strains were examined using 16 culturalmorphological and 23 biochemical tests, for virulence, plasmid content, 15 VNTR- and 13 SNP-loci. Results and conclusions. Phenotypic and considerable genotypic heterogeneity of B. anthracisstrains found in the supervised territory was demonstrated. It was determined that 87,2 % of the isolates possessed typical cultural-morphological and biochemical properties. Twenty VNTR-profiles and three canonical SNP-clusters belonging to two global genetic branches A and B were revealed by means of molecular-genetic typing. The data can serve as a genetic marker in the investigation of anthrax cases, potential bioterrorist acts and evaluation of epizootic activity of stationary hazardous as regards anthrax areas in the specified administrative territory. The database «Biological properties of Bacillus anthracisstrains isolated in Siberia and Far East» was generated on the basis of systematization and analysis of the data concerning the origin, biological, molecular-genetic properties of the isolates. The Certificate of State Registration was also received. The database structure is replenishable and can be expanded if new technologies and methods are applied.