Recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein associated with mammalian cell entry.

TitleRecombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein associated with mammalian cell entry.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2001
AuthorsChitale S, Ehrt S, Kawamura I, Fujimura T, Shimono N, Anand N, Lu S, Cohen-Gould L, Riley LW
JournalCell Microbiol
Volume3
Issue4
Pagination247-54
Date Published2001 Apr
ISSN1462-5814
KeywordsAntibodies, Bacterial, Bacterial Proteins, Cell Membrane, Escherichia coli, Genes, Bacterial, HeLa Cells, Humans, Immunoblotting, Microscopy, Immunoelectron, Microspheres, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Open Reading Frames, Operon, Recombinant Proteins
Abstract

The ability to gain entry and resist the antimicrobial intracellular environment of mammalian cells is an essential virulence property of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A purified recombinant protein expressed by a 1362 bp locus (mce1) in the M. tuberculosis genome promoted uptake into HeLa cells of polystyrene latex microspheres coated with the protein. N-terminus deletion constructs of Mce1 identified a domain located between amino acid positions 106 and 163 that was needed for this cell uptake activity. Mce1 contained hydrophobic stretches at the N-terminus predictive of a signal sequence, and colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy indicated that the corresponding native protein is expressed on the surface of the M. tuberculosis organism. The complete M. tuberculosis genome sequence revealed that it contained four homologues of mce (mce1, mce2, mce3, mce4) and that they were all located within operons composed of genes arranged similarly at different locations in the chromosome. Recombinant Mce2, which had the highest level of identity (67%) to Mce1, was unable to promote the association of microspheres with HeLa cells. Although the exact function of Mce1 is still unknown, it appears to serve as an effector molecule expressed on the surface of M. tuberculosis that is capable of eliciting plasma membrane perturbations in non-phagocytic mammalian cells.

DOI10.1046/j.1462-5822.2001.00110.x
Alternate JournalCell Microbiol
PubMed ID11298648
Grant ListR01 AI35266 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States

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