Anthrax Lethal Toxin-Inducd Gene Expression Changes in Mouse Lung

Enhanced susceptibility of A/J mice to death by systemic anthrax lethal toxin (LeTx) administration compared to the C57BL/6 strain was observed. In this study we investigated whether systemic exposure of mice to LeTx would induce gene expression changes associated with vascular/capillary leakage in lung tissue. Lungs of the less susceptible C57BL/6 strain showed 80% fewer differentially expressed genes compared to lungs of the more sensitive A/J strain. Total RNA obtained from lung tissue of C57Bl/6 and A/J strain mice exposed for 6 and 12 hrs to wild-type and mutant Bacillus anthracis.