Project description:Pyrazinamide (PZA) is one of the first line antibiotics used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). we have used human monocyte and a mouse model of pulmonary TB to investigate whether treatment with PZA, in addition to its known anti-mycobacterial properties, modulate the host immune response during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Mice were infected with Mtb and treatment with PZA was started at 28 days post-infection. At 42 days and 63 days post-infection, group of animals were euthanized and lung tissue was collected to isolate total RNA and used in microarray experiments. Mtb-infected, untreated animals served as controls.
Project description:The emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains, resistant to the frontline anti-tubercular drugs rifampicin and isoniazid, forces treatment with less effective and toxic second-line drugs and stands to derail TB control efforts. However, the immune response to MDR Mtb infection remains poorly understood. Here, we determined the RNA transcriptional profile of in vitro generated macrophages to infection with either drug susceptible Mtb HN878 or MDR Mtb W_7642 infection.
Project description:The identification of multidrug resistant (MDR), extensively and totally drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), in vulnerable sites such as Mumbai, is a grave threat to the control of tuberculosis. The current study aimed at explaining the rapid expression of MDR in Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) compliant patients, represents the first study comparing global transcriptional profiles of 3 pairs of clinical Mtb isolates, collected longitudinally at initiation and completion of DOTS. While the isolates were drug susceptible (DS) at onset and MDR at completion of DOTS, they exhibited identical DNA fingerprints at both points of collection. The whole genome transcriptional analysis was performed using total RNA from H37Rv and 3 locally predominant spoligotypes viz. MANU1, CAS and Beijing, hybridized on MTBv3 (BuG@S) microarray, and yielded 36, 98 and 45 differentially expressed genes respectively. Genes encoding transcription factors (sig, rpoB), cell wall biosynthesis (emb genes), protein synthesis (rpl) and additional central metabolic pathways (ppdK, pknH, pfkB) were found to be down regulated in the MDR isolates as compared to the DS isolate of the same genotype. Up regulation of drug efflux pumps, ABC transporters, trans-membrane proteins and stress response transcriptional factors (whiB) in the MDR isolates was observed. The data indicated that Mtb, without specific mutations in drug target genes may persist in the host due to additional mechanisms like drug efflux pumps and lowered rate of metabolism. Furthermore this population of Mtb, which also showed reduced DNA repair activity, would result in selection and stabilization of spontaneous mutations in drug target genes, causing selection of a MDR strain in the presence of drug pressures. Efflux pump such as drrA may play a significant role in increasing fitness of low level drug resistant cells and assist in survival of Mtb till acquisition of drug resistant mutations with least fitness cost. [Data is also available from http://bugs.sgul.ac.uk/E-BUGS-134]
Project description:Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), latently infects one quarter of the world’s population. The rise of multidrug resistant (MDR) Mtb infections worldwide presents a significant obstacle to curb TB globally. While human studies report dysregulated immune responses in MDR TB patients, there is a lack of clear understanding of the host-pathogen interactions following MDR Mtb infection. We recently showed that Mtb carrying a rifampicin drug resistance (RDR)-conferring single nucleotide polymorphism in the RNA polymerase-B gene (Mtb rpoB-H445Y) can modulate host macrophage metabolic reprogramming by production of Type I IFNs. Here, using a mouse model, we have characterized the host immune response in vivo following RDR Mtb infection. We show that despite establishment of Mtb infection in the lung and dissemination to the peripheral organs, lung myeloid and lymphoid immune responses to RDR Mtb is suppressed through a Type I IFN-dependent mechanism. These results coincide with a muted responses in the bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and progenitors following RDR Mtb infection. These results suggest that host directed therapeutics and vaccines for drug resistant TB may need to be target specific host immune pathways for protection.
Project description:Pyrazinamide (PZA) is one of the first line antibiotics used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). we have used human monocyte and a mouse model of pulmonary TB to investigate whether treatment with PZA, in addition to its known anti-mycobacterial properties, modulate the host immune response during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.
Project description:Efforts to eradicate TB are largely threatened by drug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). It is imperative to find one or more specific biomarkers for diagnosing MDR-TB earlier and declining the incidence. Growing evidences have showed lncRNAs are widely expressed and take part in the genesis and development of many diseases, including tuberculosis. Therefore, to screen the differential lncRNAs among MDR-TB, drug-sensitive tuberculosis(DS-TB) and healthy controls(HCs) is a good strategy to acquire potential biomarkers for MDR-TB diagnosis and partly describe the mechanism of MDR-TB. Here, the present study aimed to investigate the differential expression profile of lncRNAs in serum among patients with MDR-TB ,DS-TB and HCs using lncRNA microarray
Project description:This project provides the first characterization of protein differences in clinical isolates of Mtb after acquisition of resistance to isoniazid (INH), one of the most important drug treatment options against TB. This study determines the global protein differences in a clinical isogenic pair of Mtb, comparing INH susceptibility versus INH resistance.
Project description:The emergence of drug resistance among tuberculosis (TB) patients is often associated with their non-compliance to the length of the chemotherapy, which can reach up to 2 years for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB. Drugs that would kill TB faster and would not lead to the development of drug resistance could shorten chemotherapy significantly. In Escherichia coli, the common mechanism of cell death by bactericidal antibiotics is the generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. Since ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is known to drive the Fenton reaction, we tested whether the Fenton reaction could lead to a bactericidal event in Mycobacterium tuberculosis by treating M. tuberculosis cultures with vitamin C. Here, we report that the addition of vitamin C to drug-susceptible, MDR and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) M. tuberculosis strains results in sterilization of the cultures in vitro. We show that the sterilizing effect of vitamin C on M. tuberculosis was dependent on the production of high ferrous ion levels and reactive oxygen species. Although, this potent sterilizing activity of vitamin C against M. tuberculosis in vitro was not observed in mice, we believe this activity needs further investigation. Comparison of vitamin C treated Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcriptome relative to untreated; Three biological replicates, second is a dye flip