HrpA, a new ribosome-associated protein which appears in heat-stressed Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin.

A novel 18-kDa heat shock protein, HrpA, has been identified from Mycobacterium bovis BCG. HrpA was rapidly synthesized in membrane and ribosome fractions but not in the cytoplasmic fraction under heat shock stress. HrpA bound tightly to 70S ribosomes, mainly in 30S subunits. HrpA might be involved in the initiation step of translation at high temperature.     

High-viability lyophilized Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine produced by deep-culture technique.

Evidence suggests that Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for use in cancer immunotherapy should have the following characteristics: high viability which is maintained on storage; high ratio of live to dead cells; high proportion of single cells; and low content of soluble antigen. The production of a vaccine with these characteristics was accomplished by use of a deep-culture technique. The medium was modified Proskauer and Beck medium containing Tween 80 and glucose. The mass culture was grown in a Wheaton double-side-arm bottle (6 liters of medium in an 8-liter container), aerated by means of an aquarium aerator and mixed by a magnetic stirrer. The culture was incubated 7 to 9 days at 37 degrees C, concentrated 11 to 15 times by ultrafiltration, diluted with equal parts of 25% lactose, and then lyophilized. The lyophilized ampoules, stored at -70 degrees C, were cultured at intervals ranging from 3 days to 450 days, and no loss in viability was observed. The mean number of viable BCG per ml of reconstituted vaccine was 8.75 log10. The viable count was 90% of the total bacterial count. Moreover, 85% of the cells were present as single bacilli.     

Dehalogenation of haloalkanes by Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and other mycobacteria

Haloalkane dehalogenases convert haloalkanes to their corresponding alcohols by a hydrolytic mechanism. To date, various haloalkane dehalogenases have been isolated from bacteria colonizing environments that are contaminated with halogenated compounds. A search of current databases with the sequences of these known haloalkane dehalogenases revealed the presence of three different genes encoding putative haloalkane dehalogenases in the genome of the human parasite Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The ability of M. tuberculosis and several other mycobacterial strains to dehalogenate haloaliphatic compounds was therefore studied. Intact cells of M. tuberculosis H37Rv were found to dehalogenate 1-chlorobutane, 1-chlorodecane, 1-bromobutane, and 1,2-dibromoethane. Nine isolates of mycobacteria from clinical material and four strains from a collection of microorganisms were found to be capable of dehalogenating 1,2-dibromoethane. Crude extracts prepared from two of these strains, Mycobacterium avium MU1 and Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 4622, showed broad substrate specificity toward a number of halogenated substrates. Dehalogenase activity in the absence of oxygen and the identification of primary alcohols as the products of the reaction suggest a hydrolytic dehalogenation mechanism. The presence of dehalogenases in bacterial isolates from clinical material, including the species colonizing both animal tissues and free environment, indicates a possible role of parasitic microorganisms in the distribution of degradation genes in the environment.     

Dehalogenation of Haloalkanes by Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Other Mycobacteria

Haloalkane dehalogenases convert haloalkanes to their corresponding alcohols by a hydrolytic mechanism. To date, various haloalkane dehalogenases have been isolated from bacteria colonizing environments that are contaminated with halogenated compounds. A search of current databases with the sequences of these known haloalkane dehalogenases revealed the presence of three different genes encoding putative haloalkane dehalogenases in the genome of the human parasite Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The ability of M. tuberculosis and several other mycobacterial strains to dehalogenate haloaliphatic compounds was therefore studied. Intact cells of M. tuberculosis H37Rv were found to dehalogenate 1-chlorobutane, 1-chlorodecane, 1-bromobutane, and 1,2-dibromoethane. Nine isolates of mycobacteria from clinical material and four strains from a collection of microorganisms were found to be capable of dehalogenating 1,2-dibromoethane. Crude extracts prepared from two of these strains, Mycobacterium avium MU1 and Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 4622, showed broad substrate specificity toward a number of halogenated substrates. Dehalogenase activity in the absence of oxygen and the identification of primary alcohols as the products of the reaction suggest a hydrolytic dehalogenation mechanism. The presence of dehalogenases in bacterial isolates from clinical material, including the species colonizing both animal tissues and free environment, indicates a possible role of parasitic microorganisms in the distribution of degradation genes in the environment.     

结核分枝杆菌H37Rv新基因Rv2742克隆表达及纯化

Rv2742是本课题组前期基于蛋白质基因组学策略从结核分枝杆菌Mycobacteriumtuberculosis H37Rv中发现、鉴定的遗漏注释基因。文中旨在建立结核分枝杆菌H37Rv漏注释蛋白Rv2742的可溶性诱导表达、纯化体系,为进一步探索Rv2742基因参与的生物学功能奠定基础。前期实验发现构建的pGEX-4T-2-Rv2742、pET-28a-Rv2742、pET-32a-Rv2742及pMAL-c2X-Rv2742原核表达载体均无法实现目的蛋白的诱导表达。但经密码子优化后,仅有pMAL-c2X-Rv2742载体能够实现目的蛋白的可溶性诱导表达。此外,通过比较不同宿主菌、温度及IPTG浓度对目的蛋白表达量的影响,发现目的蛋白在Rosetta (DE3)中,16℃及0.5mmol/LIPTG诱导条件下表达量最高。直链淀粉树脂(Amyloseresin)亲和层析柱纯化获得较纯的产物,经LC-MS/MS验证确认是Rv2742融合蛋白肽段序列。成功获得结核分枝杆菌H37Rv新基因Rv2742的重组蛋白,可进一步开展其潜在相互作用及免疫原性研究工作。     

Characterization of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase encoded by open reading frame Rv1014c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

The enzyme peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase (Pth, EC 3.1.1.29) is essential for the viability of bacteria. The ORF Rv1014c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, designated as the mtpth gene, was cloned and over-expressed and the product was purified. Generation of polyclonal antibodies against the purified recombinant protein, termed MtPth, facilitated detection of endogenously expressed MtPth in M. tuberculosis H37Rv cell lysate. MtPth could release diacetyl-[(3)H]-lysine from diacetyl-[(3)H]-lysyl-tRNA(Lys) with Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters of K (m)=0.7+/-0.2 microM and k (cat)=1.22+/-0.2 s(-1). Transformation of a pTrc99c/mtpth vector allowed the growth of E. coli thermosensitive Pth(ts) mutant strain AA7852 at the non-permissive temperature of 42 degrees C, demonstrating the in vivo activity of MtPth. In addition, at 39 degrees C, over-expression of MtPth in AA7852 cells allowed the cells to remain viable in the presence of up to 200 microg/ml erythromycin. A 3D fold based on NMR and a structural model based on the E. coli Pth crystal structure were generated for MtPth. The essential nature of conserved active-site residues N12, H22 and D95 of MtPth for catalysis was demonstrated by mutagenesis and complementation in E. coli mutant strain AA7852. Thermal and urea/guanidinium chloride (GdmCl)-induced unfolding curves for MtPth indicate a simple two-state unfolding process without any intermediates.     

Studies on the cross-resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, strain H37Rv, to aminoglycoside- and peptide-antibiotics

Various phenotypes of the resistance to aminoglycoside- and peptide-antibodies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv were produced by single- and/or two-step selection of the parent strain. Mutants obtained by single-step selection with antibiotics were classified into ten phenotypes; one of single resistance, two of triple resistance, three of quadruple resistance, and four of sextuple resistance. There were two kinds of sextuple resistance (high resistance to enviomycin, viomycin, capreomycin, kanamycin, lividomycin). One was isolated from the parent strain by single-step selection and could be eliminated by mutation to isoniazid resistance, the other was obtained by two-step selections and was not eliminated by mutation to isoniazid resistance. Interaction between mutation to streptomycin resistance and mutation to quadruple resistance (4R phenotype) was observed. Streptomycin resistance interfered with the formation of the 4R phenotype and produced a different phenotype, KR instead of the 4R phenotype. The existence of mutation of the 4R phenotype did not usually interfere with mutation to streptomycin resistance, but a small portion of the mutants with the 4R phenotype were altered in their phenotype from 4R to KR after addition of the mutation to streptomycin resistance. This effect of the mutation to streptomycin resistance was not observed in mutants which already had a mutation to klR phenotype (mutation to low concentrations of kanamycin only).     

利用抑制消减杂交技术研究结核分支杆菌强毒株H37Rv和弱毒株H37Ra的基因差异

为了解结核病的致病分子机理和筛选结核病致病菌的毒力基因,利用抑制消减杂交（SSH）技术分析了结核分支杆菌强毒株H37Rv和弱毒株H37Ra间的基因组DNA间差异。通过Southern杂交验证及序列分析得到仅在强毒株H37Rv基因组中有的DNA片段8个,其中一个编码已知的毒力因子mce蛋白,1个编码PE家族蛋白,1个编码purC合成酶,和4个潜在蛋白,另一个为非编码区片段。其中有2个基因经PCR方法已证实在强毒株H37Rv和临床分离的强毒株中存在,而在H37Ra和临床弱毒株中无;仅在弱毒株H37Ra基因组中的DNA片段3个,其中2个为新基因片段,已被GenBank收录。     

Structural studies of prephenate dehydratase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by SAXS, ultracentrifugation, and computational analysis

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infectious diseases known to man and responsible for millions of human deaths in the world. The increasing incidence of TB in developing countries, the proliferation of multidrug resistant strains, and the absence of resources for treatment have highlighted the need of developing new drugs against TB. The shikimate pathway leads to the biosynthesis of chorismate, a precursor of aromatic amino acids. This pathway is absent from mammals and shown to be essential for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB. Accordingly, enzymes of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway represent promising targets for structure-based drug design. The first reaction in phenylalanine biosynthesis involves the conversion of chorismate to prephenate, catalyzed by chorismate mutase. The second reaction is catalyzed by prephenate dehydratase (PDT) and involves decarboxylation and dehydratation of prephenate to form phenylpyruvate, the precursor of phenylalanine. Here, we describe utilization of different techniques to infer the structure of M. tuberculosis PDT (MtbPDT) in solution. Small angle X-ray scattering and ultracentrifugation analysis showed that the protein oligomeric state is a tetramer and MtbPDT is a flat disk protein. Bioinformatics tools were used to infer the structure of MtbPDT. A molecular model for MtbPDT is presented and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that MtbPDT is stable. Experimental and molecular modeling results were in agreement and provide evidence for a tetrameric state of MtbPDT in solution.     

Molecular cloning, overexpression and biochemical characterization of hypothetical beta-lactamases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Aim:  Molecular cloning, overexpression and biochemical characterization of the genes from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv genome having hypothetical β-lactamases activity.
Methods and Results:  Analysis of the M. tuberculosis H37Rv genome revealed that Rv 2068c , Rv 0406 c and Rv 3677 c gene products were predicted to exhibit β-lactamases activity. All the three genes were cloned in pET28a vector and overexpressed in C41 (DE3) Escherichia coli cells. The His-tagged recombinant proteins were confirmed by immunoblotting and were shown to have β-lactamase activity by the hydrolysis of nitrocefin and other β-lactams. Catalytic parameters for all the recombinant proteins were derived followed by the enzyme inhibition studies. Antibiotic susceptibility studies using the recombinant strains showed an increased resistance against different classes of β-lactam antibiotics.
Conclusion:  The study revealed the possibility of more than one gene in M. tuberculosis , encoding proteins having β-lactamase or β-lactamase-like activity, giving wide spectrum of resistance against β-lactams.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Systematic study of hypothetical β-lactamases of M. tuberculosis and related species and their correlation with β-lactam and inhibitor susceptibility profile might be useful in developing new antibiotic regime for the treatment of tuberculosis caused by multiple drug resistant (MDR) strains.     

Genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv downregulated in the attenuated strain H37Ra are restricted to M. tuberculosis complex species

By comparing gene expression of virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and attenuated strain H37Ra, we previously detected six genes that appear to be markedly downregulated in the attenuated strain compared with the virulent one. Three of these genes, i.e. Rv1345, Rv2770c, and Rv0288, code for proteins that can be predictively associated to immunological or pathogenetic aspects of M. tuberculosis infection; the other genes, i.e. Rv2336, Rv1320c, and Rv2819c, code for proteins with unknown functions (Rindi et al., 1999). In this paper we searched for the above mentioned genes in Pvu II-digested genomic DNA of a number of mycobacterial species by southern blot analysis employing PCR-generated probes in high-stringency conditions. Hybridization signals were only found in species belonging to the M. tuberculosis complex, i.e., M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, including the BCG strain, and M. microti, but not in other mycobacterial species, including M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. malmoense, M. xenopi, M. kansasii, M. simiae, M. marinum, M. scrofulaceum, M. gordonae, M. fortuitum, and M. smegmantis. These results indicate that genes Rv1345, Rv2770c, Rv0288, Rv2336, Rv1320c, and Rv2819c are associated with the most virulent mycobacteria and further support their potential role in M. tuberculosis virulence.