Molecular characterization of a group of proteins containing ankyrin repeats in Orientia tsutsugamushi.
Orientia tsutsugamushi, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of scrub typhus. The sequencing and analysis of full genomic DNA of O. tsutsugamushi has revealed at least 19 genes thus far encoding proteins with different numbers of ankyrin repeat domains. We have cloned several genes containing ankyrin repeats from the genome and produced fusion proteins to characterize their functions in host cells. It is likely that the proteins with ankyrin repeat domains expressed in O. tsutsugamushi-infected cells may control the synthesis or stability of host proteins to modulate the various cellular functions after infection. The exploitation of host factors by ankyrin repeat proteins of O. tsutsugamushi may also play a critical role in its pathogenesis.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Republic of Korea. chonh@snu.ac.kr
Nam-Hyuk
NH
Cho
Jo-Min
JM
Kim
Eun-Kyung
EK
Kwon
Se-Yoon
SY
Kim
Seung-Hoon
SH
Han
Hyuk
H
Chu
Jung-Hee
JH
Lee
Myung-Sik
MS
Choi
Ik-Sang
IS
Kim
D017089:Ankyrin Repeat / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins