Exploring<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</Emphasis> infection-induced alterations in gene expression in macrophage by microarray hybridization

Tuberculosis remains a serious threat to public health. Its causative agentMycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen which survives and replicates within cells of the host immune system, primarily macrophages. Knowledge of the bacteria-macrophage interaction can help to develop novel measures to combat the disease. The global gene expression of macrophage following invasion by and growth ofM. tuberculosis was studied by cDNA microarray. Of the 12800 human genes analyzed, totally 473 (3.7%) macrophage genes were differentially expressed after being infected byM. tuberculosis, among which, only 25 (5.2%, corresponding to less than 0.2% of the 12800 genes) genes were up-regulated, while others (94.8%) were down-regulated against the control. Of the 473 genes, 376 genes are registered in the GenBank, and 97 are novel genes. Expression of 5 up-regulated genes has been induced by more than 3-fold. 25 genes were down-regulated by more than 3-fold. Syndecan binding protein has been down-regu- lated up to 12.5-fold. The data gave an insight into the early gene expression in macrophage ensuingM. tuberculosis infection and a basis for further study.