Erp, an extracellular protein family specific to mycobacteria.
Erp (exported repeated protein) was originally characterized as a virulence factor in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and was thought to be present only in Mycobacterium leprae and members of the TB complex. Here it is shown that Erp is a ubiquitous extracellular protein found in all of the mycobacterial species tested. Erp proteins have a modular organization and contain three domains: a highly conserved amino-terminal domain which includes a signal sequence, a central variable region containing repeats based on the motif PGLTS, and a conserved carboxy-terminal domain rich in proline and alanine. The number and fidelity of PGLTS repeats of the central region differ considerably between mycobacterial species. This region is, however, identical in all of the clinical M. tuberculosis strains tested. In addition, it is shown here that a Mycobacterium smegmatis erp::aph mutant displays altered colony morphology which is complemented by all the Erp orthologues tested. The genome sequence flanking the erp gene includes cell-wall-related ORFs and displays extensive conservation between saprophytic and pathogenic mycobacteria.
de Mendonça-Lima
Leila
L
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Picardeau
Mathieu
M
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Raynaud
Catherine
C
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Rauzier
Jean
J
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Goguet de la Salmonière
Yves-Olivier
YO
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Barker
Lucia
L
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Bigi
Fabiana
F
Instituto de Biotecnologia, CICV-INTA, Moron, Argentina3.
Cataldi
Angel
A
Instituto de Biotecnologia, CICV-INTA, Moron, Argentina3.
Gicquel
Brigitte
B
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Reyrat
Jean-Marc
JM
Unité de Génétique Mycobactérienne1, and Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire et Médicale2, Institut Pasteur, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C096737:ERP protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D008565:Membrane Proteins