Phenotypic profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EspA point mutants reveals that blockage of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 secretion in vitro does not always correlate with attenuation of virulence.

ABSTRACT: The EspA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for the type VII ESX-1 protein secretion apparatus, which delivers the principal virulence factors ESAT-6 and CFP-10. In this study, site-directed mutagenesis of EspA was performed to elucidate its influence on the ESX-1 system. Replacing Trp(55) (W55) or Gly(57) (G57) residues in the putative W-X-G motif of EspA with arginines impaired ESAT-6 and CFP-10 secretion in vitro and attenuated M. tuberculosis. Replacing the Phe(50) (F50) and Lys(62) (K62) residues, which flank the W-X-G motif, with arginine and alanine, respectively, destabilized EspA, abolished ESAT-6 and CFP-10 secretion in vitro, and attenuated M. tuberculosis. Likewise, replacing the Phe(5) (F5) and Lys(41) (K41) residues with arginine and alanine, respectively, als

SUBMITTER: Chen JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3889621 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature