국내 분리 fariffur anthracis를 포함한 B. anthracis 17주의 gyrB 전체 유전자 1,923 bp의 염기서열 분석을 수행한 결과 모두 완전히 일치함을 확인하였다. 이중 1,194 bp를 Bacillus속에 속하는 B. cereus, B. thuringiensis 및 B. mycoides의 균주들과 비교하였을 때 각각 92.3%, 86.9%와 86.1%의 일치도를 보였다. 이러한 gyrB 염기서열의 차이를 이용한 중합효소반응(PCR)에 의해 탄저균 여부에 대한 신속한 1차 스크리닝 검사가 가능하며, 또한 gyrB 유전자가 multiplex PCR에서 유용한 chromosomal marker로 활용될 수 있음을 제시하였다.
Bacillus anthracis is generally accepted as the most potent biological warfare agent because of its highly pathogenic nature and transmission efficiency. Identification of chromosomal markers for the rapid detection of B. anthracis is difficult since significant chromosomal homology exists among B. anthracis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. In this study, we tested whether the gyrB sequence could be used as the target for the PCR detection of B. anthracis. The gyrB sequence, composed of 1,923 bp, was identical in 17 Korean B. anthracis isolates. The comparison of gyrB sequence between B. anthracis and B. cereus type strain showed 8.8% difference (105 bp among 1,194 bp), and the gyrB sequence similarities of B. cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. mycoides with B. anthracis were 92.3%, 86.9% and 86.1%, respectively. When polymerase chain reaction was designed and performed based on the gyrB sequence, a specific amplicon (351 bp) could be amplified. These results indicate that gyrB could be useful as a chromosomal marker for the rapid screening of B. anthracis by PCR or differentiation of B. anthracis from other related species by multiplex PCR with other plasmid markers.
