Variation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE_PGRS 33 gene among clinical isolates.

ABSTRACT: PE_PGRS 33, one of about 60 PE_PGRS genes in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, encodes a surface-expressed protein that may be involved in the antigenic variation of M. tuberculosis strains and evasion of the host immune system. While genetic differences between the PE_PGRS 33 genes of H37Rv and CDC 1551 have been noted, genetic variation in this gene among clinical isolates has not been evaluated. In order to gain a better understanding of the genetic basis for the role of PE_PGRS in antigenic variation and evasion of the host immune system, we investigated the genetic diversity of the PE_PGRS 33 gene among 123 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates from a population-based study, using PCR and DNA sequencing. The 123 isolates belonged to principal genetic groups 1, 2, and 3 and had IS 611

SUBMITTER: Talarico S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1248487 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature