Characterisation of two in vivo expressed methyltransferases of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex: antigenicity and genetic regulation

ABSTRACT: Genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members has accelerated the search for new disease control tools. Antigen mining is one area that has benefited enormously from access to genome data. Here genes that were identified by transcriptome analysis as upregulated in response to an in vitro acid shock were screened for their in vivo expression profile and antigenicity. We show that the genes encoding two methyltransferases of Mycobacterium bovis, Mb1438c and Mb1440c, were highly upregulated in a mouse model of infection, and were antigenic in cattle infected with M.bovis. To define the regulation of the genes encoding these antigens we constructed a mutant that was deleted for their putative regulator, and showed that loss of the regulator led to increased expression of the flanking methyltransferases. This work has therefore generated both applied and fundamental outputs, with the description of novel mycobacterial antigens that can now be moved into field trials, but also with the description of a regulatory network that is responsive to both in vivo and in vitro stimuli. Data is also available from BuG@Sbase

ORGANISM(S): Mycobacterium tuberculosis

SUBMITTER: Paul Golby 

PROVIDER: E-BUGS-59 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress