Functional characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2969c membrane protein

Identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis membrane proteins involved in binding to and invasion of host cells is important in designing subunit-based anti-tuberculosis vaccines. The Rv2969c gene sequence was identified by PCR in M. tuberculosis complex strains, being transcribed in M. tuberculosis H37Rv, M. tuberculosis H37Ra, and M. bovis BCG. Rabbits immunized with synthetic peptides from highly specific conserved regions of this protein produced antibodies recognizing 27 and 29 kDa bands in M. tuberculosis lysate, which is consistent with the molecular weight of the Rv2969c gene product in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed the protein was localized on the bacillus surface. Four and three specific high activity binding peptides (HABPs) to the A549 alveolar epithelial and U937 monocyte cell lines were found, respectively. Two of the HABPs found inhibited M. tuberculosis invasion of A549 cells, suggesting that these peptides might be good candidates to be included in a multiepitopic, subunit-based anti-tuberculosis vaccine.     

Evaluation of Rv0220, Rv2958c,Rv2994 and Rv3347c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for serodiagnosis of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), the leading cause of death among infectious diseases worldwide, is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Early accurate diagnosis means earlier prevention, treatment and control of TB. To confirm efficient diagnostic antigens for M. tuberculosis, the serodiagnosis value of four recombinant proteins including Rv0220, Rv2958c, Rv2994 and Rv3347c was evaluated in this study. The specificities and sensitivities of four recombinant proteins were determined based on enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by screening sera from smear‐positive pulmonary TB patients (n = 92), uninfected individuals (n = 60) and patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (n = 32) that potentially cross‐react with M. tuberculosis. The ELISAs showed that Rv0220, Rv2958c, Rv2994 and Rv3347c exhibited high specificities and sensitivities in detecting immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody, with 98.3/91.3%, 91.7/85.9%, 93.3/89.1% and 93.3/80.4% respectively. According to the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC of the target proteins was 0.988, 0.969, 0.929 and 0.945 respectively. Western blot was established to evaluate the immunoreactivities of target proteins to mice and human sera. Results demonstrated that Rv0220, Rv2958c, Rv2994 and Rv3347c could specifically recognize TB‐positive sera and the sera of mice immunized with the corresponding protein. Thus, Rv0220, Rv2958c, Rv2994 and Rv3347c were valuable potential diagnostic antigens for M. tuberculosis.     

Rv0802c acetyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Rv0802c acetyltransferase is a mycobacterial RNase E-associated protein. 6His and FLAG-tagged acetyltransferase was cloned from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, expressed in Escherichia coli and partially purified. It is a 25 kDa protein showing a modest sequence homology with other acetyltransferases. The R-X-X-G-X-G sequence for acetyl-coenzyme A recognition and binding can be found in the molecule.     

Rv1268c protein peptide inhibiting Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv entry to target cells

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most worrying infectious diseases affecting public health around the world; 8.7 million new TB cases were reported in 2011. The search for an Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv protein sequence which is functionally important in host-pathogen interaction has been proposed for developing a new vaccine which will allow efficient and safe control of the spread of this disease.The present study thus reports the results obtained for the Rv1268c protein described in the M. tuberculosis H37Rv genome as a hypothetical unknown, probably secreted, protein based on a highly robust, specific, sensitive and functional approach to the search for potential epitopes to be included in an anti-tuberculosis vaccine. Rv1268c presence was determined by immunoblotting after obtaining polyclonal sera against mycobacterial total sonicate or subcellular fractions. Such sera were used in electron immunomicroscopy (EIM) for confirming protein localisation on the M. tuberculosis envelop by recognising colloidal gold-labelled immunoglobulin. Screening assays revealed the presence of two sequences having high binding activity: one binding A549 alveolar epithelial cells (¹⁴¹TGMAALEQYLGSGHAVIVSI¹⁶⁰) and other binding U937 monocyte-derived macrophages (²¹AVALGLASPADAAAGTMYGD⁴⁰). Such sequences’ ability to inhibit mycobacterial entry during in vitro assays was analysed. The structure of synthetic peptides binding to target cells was also determined, bearing in mind the structure–function relationship. These results, together with those obtained for other proteins, have been involved in selecting peptides which might be included in a subunit-based anti-tuberculosis vaccine.     

Molecular characterization of secretory proteins Rv3619c and Rv3620c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Rv3619c and Rv3620c are the secretory, antigenic proteins of the ESAT-6/CFP-10 family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. In this article, we show that Rv3619c interacts with Rv3620c to form a 1 : 1 heterodimeric complex with a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 4.8 × 10(-7) M. The thermal unfolding of the heterodimer was completely reversible, with a T(m) of 48 °C. The comparative thermodynamics and thermal unfolding analysis of the Rv3619c-Rv3620c dimer, the ESAT-6-CFP-10 dimer and another ESAT family heterodimer, Rv0287-Rv0288, revealed that the binding strength and stability of Rv3619c-Rv3620c are relatively lower than those of the other two pairs. Molecular modeling and docking studies predict the structure of Rv3619c-Rv3620c to be similar to that of ESAT-6-CFP-10. Spectroscopic studies revealed that, in an acidic environment, Rv3619c and Rv3620c lose their secondary structure and interact weakly to form a complex with a lower helical content, indicating that Rv3619c-Rv3620c is destabilized at low pH. These results, combined with those of previous studies, suggest that unfolding of the proteins is required for dissociation of the complex and membrane binding. In the presence of membrane mimetics, the α-helical contents of Rv3619c and Rv3620 increased by 42% and 35%, respectively. In mice, the immune response against Rv3619c protein is characterized by increased levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-12 and IgG(2a) , indicating a dominant Th1 response, which is mandatory for protection against mycobacterial infection. This study therefore emphasizes the potential of Rv3619c as a subunit vaccine candidate.     

Structural characterization of the multidomain regulatory protein Rv1364c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The open reading frame rv1364c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which regulates the stress-dependent σ factor, σ(F), has been analyzed structurally and functionally. Rv1364c contains domains with sequence similarity to the RsbP/RsbW/RsbV regulatory system of the stress-response σ factor of Bacillus subtilis. Rv1364c contains, sequentially, a PAS domain (which shows sequence similarity to the PAS domain of the B. subtilis RsbP protein), an active phosphatase domain, a kinase (anti-σ(F) like) domain and?a C-terminal anti-σ(F) antagonist like domain. The crystal structures of two PAS domain constructs (at 2.3 and 1.6??) and a phosphatase/kinase dual domain construct (at 2.6??) are described. The PAS domain is shown to bind palmitic acid but to have 100 times greater affinity for palmitoleic acid. The full-length protein can exist in solution as both monomer and dimer. We speculate that a switch between monomer and dimer, possibly resulting from fatty acid binding,?affects the accessibility of the serine of the C-terminal, anti-σ(F) antagonist domain for dephosphorylation by the phosphatase domain thus indirectly altering the availability of σ(F).     

结核分枝杆菌蛋白Rv3425对细菌表型及毒力影响的研究

为探索蛋白Rv3425在结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,M. tuberculosis)中的功能,本研究以耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis,M. smegmatis)为模式菌株,构建重组了耻垢分枝杆菌Ms-Rv3425。分别将构建菌株(Ms-Rv3425)、野生株(Ms)及空载对照(Ms-Pact)接种于7H9-OADC培养基中37 ℃培养,观察Ms-Rv3425与Ms及Ms-Pact之间在生长速率、菌落形态、生物膜以及聚集度方面的差异。分别用低pH值以及含有十二烷基磺酸钠(sodium dodecyl sulfate,SDS)、氨苄西林、异烟肼及利福平的培养基进行培养,计算存活率以分析抗逆和抗药能力;用上述压力条件培养结核分枝杆菌标准株H37Ra,分析Rv3425内源表达量的变化;进行THP-1细胞感染和BALB/c小鼠攻毒实验分析菌株的毒性变化。结果显示,与Ms及Ms-Pact相比,Ms-Rv3425的菌落形态更为粗糙且隆起,成膜及聚集能力增强;在压力条件下,Ms-Rv3425表现出更高的抗逆和抗药能力,H37Ra中Rv3425的表达量也显著上调;胞内存活率及小鼠致死率更高,各脏器病理损伤更为严重。综上所述,过表达Rv3425能够改变耻垢分枝杆菌的表型,提高抗逆性、抗药性和毒力。深入探讨PPE家族蛋白Rv3425的功能,将为结核病的防治带来新的视角。     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1886c的原核表达及其免疫生物学特性

摘要:【目的】Rv1886c基因编码的Ag85B是结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,M．tb)感染早期的分泌蛋白,本研究对其所诱导的免疫应答特性进行了探索。【方法】对Ag85B进行原核表达和鉴定,并通过夹心ELISA、间接ELISA及ELISPOT方法测定其诱导的细胞免疫和体液免疫应答水平。【结果】SDS-PAGE及Western blot鉴定结果表明,以包涵体形式表达的Ag85B蛋白,经变性、复性后能与结核病人的抗血清及免疫重组李斯特菌LM-Ag85B的小鼠抗血清发生特异性反应,表明His-Ag85B融合蛋白具有较好的免疫活性。将纯化的Ag85B 蛋白皮下免疫C57BL/6小鼠,夹心ELISA的测定结果表明,Ag85B蛋白免疫组诱导小鼠产生的特异性IFN-γ水平显著高于IL-4的水平(P＜0.001),呈现Th1型细胞免疫应答趋势;以结核菌素PPD作为包被抗原,通过间接ELISA测定的血清抗体效价达到1∶6400,表明Ag85B也能诱导有效的体液免疫应答。此外,以尾静脉途径初次免疫小鼠42天时,ELISPOT测定结果显示,结核分枝杆菌H37Rv诱导小鼠产生Ag85B240－259特异性的IFN-γ水平极显著高于卡介苗(BCG)免疫组(P＜0.001)。【结论】Ag85B蛋白能激发小鼠产生较强的Th1型细胞免疫应答和较好的体液免疫应答;BCG单次免疫后诱导小鼠产生的Ag85B特异的细胞免疫应答水平较低。本研究为揭示结核分枝杆菌的致病机理、新型疫苗的研制和早期诊断试剂的开发奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的克隆及其原核表达

目的:构建结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的原核表达质粒,获得结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的表达蛋白。方法:制备结核分枝杆菌基因组DNA,采用聚合酶链反应技术扩增目的基因片段;通过pGEX-4T-1构建质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,经序列测定证实正确后转化大肠杆菌DH5α,再经IPTG诱导表达GST-1884融合蛋白;用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析重组蛋白的相对分子质量及表达形式。结果:扩增出了结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因,构建了具有正确基因序列的质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,转化大肠杆菌DH5α后经诱导产生了高水平的表达产物。结论:构建了pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c质粒载体,并诱导表达了GST-1884融合蛋白,为进一步研究Rv1884c蛋白的活性及其功能,探讨结核分枝杆菌快速促生长作用奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1168c蛋白的基因表达、纯化及结构分析

【目的】应用原核表达体系对结核分枝杆菌PPE蛋白家族Rv1168c进行高效表达,进一步进行蛋白纯化和结构分析。【方法】以结核分枝杆菌H37Rv基因组为模板,扩增Rv1168c基因,构建pET32a-Rv1168c重组质粒;转化重组质粒到大肠杆菌DH5α并在BL21(DE3)诱导表达,通过十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺电泳(SDS-PAGE)鉴定Rv1168c在大肠杆菌中的表达情况;Ni-NTAHis﹡Bind Resin纯化重组蛋白Rv1168c;SDS-PAGE和质谱分析测定相对分子量后,用圆二色光谱(CD)和同源模建方法分析和检测重组蛋白Rv1168c的二级和三级结构。【结果】成功克隆了971bp的目的基因Rv1168c,并获得了高纯度的重组蛋白Rv1168c。重组蛋白的分子量为51.5kDa(含载体蛋白)。25℃时重组蛋白Rv1168c的二级结构包括34.4%α螺旋,33.7%β转角,31.9%无规则卷曲,它的三维模型显示为(β/α)5结构。【结论】成功得到高纯度的重组目的Rv1168c蛋白,并初步进行了结构分析,为进一步对Rv1168c结构和功能研究奠定了基础。     

Rv1106c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

New approaches are required to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), especially the multi-drug resistant and extremely drug resistant organisms (MDR-TB and XDR-TB). There are many reports that mycobacteria oxidize 3beta-hydroxysterols to 3-ketosteroids, but the enzymes responsible for this activity have not been identified in mycobacterial species. In this work, the Rv1106c gene that is annotated as a 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in Mtb has been cloned and heterologously expressed. The purified enzyme was kinetically characterized and found to have a pH optimum between 8.5 and 9.5. The enzyme, which is a member of the short chain dehydrogenase superfamily, uses NAD+ as a cofactor and oxidizes cholesterol, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone to their respective 3-keto-4-ene products. The enzyme forms a ternary complex with NAD+ binding before the sterol. The enzyme shows no substrate preference for dehydroepiandrosterone versus pregnenolone with second-order rate constants (kcat/Km) of 3.2 +/- 0.4 and 3.9 +/- 0.9 microM-1 min-1, respectively, at pH 8.5, 150 mM NaCl, 30 mM MgCl2, and saturating NAD+. Trilostane is a competitive inhibitor of dehydroepiandrosterone with a Ki of 197 +/- 8 microM. The expression of the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in Mtb is intracellular. Disruption of the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene in Mtb abrogates mycobacterial cholesterol oxidation activity. These data are consistent with the Rv1106c gene being the one responsible for 3beta-hydroxysterol oxidation in Mtb.     

Crystal structure of Rv2118c: an AdoMet-dependent methyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Rv2118c belongs to the class of conserved hypothetical proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The crystal structure of Rv2118c in complex with S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) has been determined at 1.98 A resolution. The crystallographic asymmetric unit consists of a monomer, but symmetry-related subunits interact extensively, leading to a tetrameric structure. The structure of the monomer can be divided functionally into two domains: the larger catalytic C-terminal domain that binds the cofactor AdoMet and is involved in the transfer of methyl group from AdoMet to the substrate and a smaller N-terminal domain. The structure of the catalytic domain is very similar to that of other AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases. The N-terminal domain is primarily a beta-structure with a fold not found in other methyltransferases of known structure. Database searches reveal a conserved family of Rv2118c-like proteins from various organisms. Multiple sequence alignments show several regions of high sequence similarity (motifs) in this family of proteins. Structure analysis and homology to yeast Gcd14p suggest that Rv2118c could be an RNA methyltransferase, but further studies are required to establish its functional role conclusively. Copyright 12001 Academic Press.     

结核分枝杆菌脂蛋白Rv1016c增强细菌成膜能力和抑制自噬

目的研究结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mtb)脂蛋白Rv1016c在Mtb感染和结核病发病中的作用和机制。方法将Mtb脂蛋白Rv1016c基因导入野生耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis, MS)构建重组菌株MS-Rv1016c,比较脂蛋白Rv1016c对菌体生长、成膜能力、细菌聚集、毒力等方面的影响,评估重组菌株MS-Rv1016c对自噬的影响。结果 Rv1016c基因的导入,因过表达脂蛋白使得MS的菌落变大、褶皱增加,使菌体聚集度降低,使细菌成膜速度加快、生物被膜产量增加;Rv1016c显著抑制巨噬细胞自噬,促进细菌在细胞内持留。结论 Rv1016c能够促进MS生物被膜形成,抑制细胞自噬,增强细菌毒力。为研究脂蛋白在Mtb致病机理中的作用提供理论依据。     

Structural insight into the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv0020c protein and its interaction with the PknB kinase

The protein Rv0020c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also called FhaA, is one of the major substrates of the essential Ser/Thr protein kinase (STPK) PknB. The protein is composed of three domains and is phosphorylated on a unique site in its N terminus. We solved the solution structure of both N- and C-terminal domains and demonstrated that the approximately 300 amino acids of the intermediate domain are not folded. We present evidence that the FHA, a phosphospecific binding domain, of Rv0020c does not interact with the phosphorylated catalytic domains of PknB, but with the phosphorylated juxtamembrane domain that links the catalytic domain to the mycobacterial membrane. We also demonstrated that the degree and the pattern of phosphorylation of this juxtamembrane domain modulates the affinity of the substrate (Rv0020c) toward its kinase (PknB).     

Expression and characterization of the carboxyl esterase Rv3487c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Rv3487c (lipF), a member of the lipase family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is related to virulence of this pathogen. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that Rv3487c was induced at low pH in M. tuberculosis cultured in vitro. The gene of Rv3487c was cloned and expressed as fusion protein in Escherichia coli. After removal of the N-terminal domain of the fusion partner by enterokinase treatment, the effect of pH, temperature, and detergents on the purified enzyme activity and stability was characterized. Rv3487c could efficiently hydrolyze short chain esters. The catalytic triad of Rv3487c consists of residues Ser90, Glu189, and His219 as demonstrated by amino acid sequence alignment, three-dimensional modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis.     

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis membrane protein Rv2560--biochemical and functional studies

The characterization of membrane proteins having no identified function in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is important for a better understanding of the biology of this pathogen. In this work, the biological activity of the Rv2560 protein was characterized and evaluated. Primers used in PCR and RT-PCR assays revealed that the gene encoding protein Rv2560 is present in M. tuberculosis complex strains, but transcribed in only some of them. Sera obtained from rabbits inoculated with polymer peptides from this protein recognized a 33 kDa band in the M. tuberculosis lysate and a membrane fraction corresponding to the predicted molecular mass (33.1 kDa) of this protein. Immunoelectron microscopy analysis found this protein on the mycobacterial membrane. Sixteen peptides covering its entire length were chemically synthesized and tested for their ability to bind to A549 and U937 cells. Peptide 11024 (121VVALSDRATTAYTNTSGVSS140) showed high specific binding to both cell types (dissociation constants of 380 and 800 nm, respectively, and positive receptor-ligand interaction cooperativity), whereas peptide 11033 (284LIGIPVAALIHVYTYRKLSGG304) displayed high binding activity to A549 cells only. Cross-linking assays showed the specific binding of peptide 11024 to a 54 kDa membrane protein on U937. Invasion inhibition assays, in the presence of shared high-activity binding peptide identified for U937 and A549 cells, presented maximum inhibition percentages of 50.53% and 58.27%, respectively. Our work highlights the relevance of the Rv2560 protein in the M. tuberculosis invasion process of monocytes and epithelial cells, and represents a fundamental step in the rational selection of new antigens to be included as components in a multiepitope, subunit-based, chemically synthesized, antituberculosis vaccine.